Zinédine Zidane set up a challenge for the players of the youth tournament the Danone Nations Cup. Get your players to try this one and see if they can beat the 20 seconds that it took Zidane.
Why use it
This challenge from football legend Zinédine Zidane is a technical workout that should be done as fast as players’ skills allow. It helps young players when running with the ball and beating players in matches. Watch him run the circuit n the video on page x.
Set up
We have used half of our normal pitch. You need balls, cones or poles, a couple of hurdles and a goal. The goal is full sized at the penalty area. It is an individual session so use as many players as you want.
How to play
Players need a ball and must weave through the poles, play the ball through the hurdles, dribbling around the cones in the middle, and do a skilful turn at the final cone before shooting into the net. Use at least three or four players so they can rest at the end of each circuit. They should do three circuits each.
Technique
This is a challenge – and the challenge is to get the ball around the circuit and into the net as quickly as possible using skill. It is a fun way to get players to try skills they may not be confident of using and it helps them to get used to doing the skills in a match.
1. Set up the session using poles, cones and small hurdles in half a pitch
2. This is an individual time challenge so players should go one at a time. Use a stopwatch to time them.
3. To turn around the last pole the player must do a skill, like an inside or outside hook 4. The final action is to shoot into the net and get back to the start
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Turning with the ball has always been a skill that draws names from the great players through the ages – think of the Cruff turn or Zidane spin turn. It used to make me wonder how players like Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Zinedine Zidane or Johan Cruyff could turn their opponents inside out, game after game – I now know it needs practice and from a young age. MORE
Use this game and it will develop the ability of your players to use dribbling skills to win one-on-one situations. Individual skills develop players so they can keep the ball when facing an opponent. MORE
This session is all about making decisions in the penalty area, communicating with a team-mate and using both feet to score. It gives all players an understanding of winning 1v1s in important areas and helps them to learn where to run to receive the ball in dangerous areas. MORE
I came back from a game on Saturday feeling a bit low – my Under 10s who were unbeaten this season lost a game 5-1. We played well but as the game wore on the opposition began to win the important challenges especially the 1v1s. So they will be part of my training session tonight MORE
