Ball Control and Footwork

Clever disguise

Help your attackers to develop their dribbling skills and encourage them to fool defenders by disguising the direction they are going to take to shoot at goal. MORE

Individual skills: chipping the ball

in Ball Control and Footwork, Email newsletters

Chipping the ball is a difficult skill but one that reaps benefits if players can do it. I like to get my players to chip the ball at practice into the hands of their goalkeeper or teammates so they know how to chip over congested areas of the pitch or chip an advancing goalkeeper to score a goal. MORE

Develop players’ first touch

in Ball Control and Footwork, Email newsletters

That old joke about a player's second touch being a tackle to try to win the ball back is not always funny. Especially if it's your players losing the ball. Watching the Premier League over the last week it is clear that a player's first touch has never been more important with fast passing and receiving the key to the best teams I have watched. MORE

Watch: position game with goals

in Ball Control and Footwork, Passing

Filipe Ragel the Under 19 head coach of Marcet Academy in Barcelona shares a video of his team working on possession, pressing and creating an product by passing into one of the goals. MORE

Control the long pass

in Ball Control and Footwork, Core Skills, Practice plans

In the previous Smart Sessions Core Skills, we looked at long passing. Today, we show you how to teach your players how to bring those long passes under control. MORE

Triangle midfield drill

in Ball Control and Footwork, Midfield

This is all about keeping hold of the ball using an overload and a triangle midfield shape. Great for getting midfielders to think about their shape and where to move to receive the ball. MORE

Ball skills win games

in Ball Control and Footwork, Email newsletters

The international break is coming up and all the national team managers are out and about. Whenever I see the Wales manager Ryan Giggs I always think of that magnificent dribble in the FA Cup to beat Arsenal. He was an outstanding dribbler. MORE

Escape

in Attacking, Ball Control and Footwork

In this session players learn to be confident on the ball through triangles, a shape at the heart of football – in both attack and defence – which is comprised of three players. MORE

Why mistakes help player learning

in Ball Control and Footwork, Email newsletters

Last night I played 5v2 for half an hour with stops to show what it was I wanted the players to do when they were either trying to play the ball or working in pairs. Players make a lot of mistakes in games like this but mistakes are one of the best ways the players can learn and understand the game. MORE

Chest control

in Ball Control and Footwork, Core Skills, Practice plans

Players should be comfortable at dealing with balls at whatever height they arrive – and that means being able to control a ball that’s too high to control with feet or thighs or too low to head. MORE

Skill and vision

in Ball Control and Footwork, Small Sided Games

The session is all about time on the ball and players making decisions in attack and defence. Puts skills into game context MORE

Pass or dribble

in Attacking, Ball Control and Footwork

This session is designed to help coaches look at the decision-making of the players. Can they take on the defender 1v1? Or is the right decision to keep possession by passing to a team-mate? MORE

Return to play: Changing direction

in Ball Control and Footwork, Return to play

If you are social distancing please observe your local rules. This session develops a high level of skill and movement. It is good for technique and uses both feet, working on dribbling, turning, changing direction plus advanced movements of the ball. MORE

Technique in Tight Spaces

in Ball Control and Footwork, Return to play, Soccer drills and skills

Watch the touch and ability to use all parts of the feet in tight spaces on the pitch from creative players like Eden Hazard and get your players to develop their creative side MORE

Return to play: Pass to open player

in Ball Control and Footwork, Return to play

Please check out the latest sport and social distancing guidelines in your area, and follow the recommendations when planning training sessions. This session helps to create a passing team capable of playing up the pitch at speed. It is easy to set up and excellent for fast feet, with players not only having to think but look to see where the spare man is. MORE

3-2-1 control and pass

in Ball Control and Footwork, Core Skills, Practice plans

Having players comfortable in possession, as well as being quick and accurate passers, are key elements to a winning team. “3-2-1 control and pass” improves your players’ ability to control and pass the ball at different heights and speeds. MORE

Touch and go

in Ball Control and Footwork, Core Skills, Practice plans

After being coached the basic skills of receiving and controlling the ball, players should be in the habit of using a positive first touch to move the ball into space. This creates more time for them to look up and see if a team mate is available before they make their next decision. Use this session to improve your players’ first touch and spatial awareness. MORE