Coaching a midfield is about making sure each of your midfielders understands their role and responsibilities. With good coaching and organisation your midfield should be able to support the defence and take the ball up the pitch, combining with the forwards to create and score goals. They need to have vision to see where to pass, and the skill and speed to execute their tactics.
These soccer drills and small-sided games look at a number of different midfield scenarios and suggest methods and coaching games to play to boost your midfield players’ skills.
The playmaking midfielder is a player every team can benefit from. If you think of Andrea Pirlo, Andres Iniesta or Xavi Hernandez, you can see how influential their ability to play and receive passes is when it comes to launching attacks. MORE
In this fast, passing game midfielders must keep the ball and pass it through to the attackers quickly. Your players learn to make the right decisions and develop skills such as disguise using tight touch and quick release with limited space available. MORE
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
This session will improve your team’s ability to play the ball out of defence. It develops technique and understanding through unopposed, opposed and small-sided games. MORE
When you attack the play should cover all areas of the attacking third. To do this attackers need support from midfield that is creative and moves quickly into the dangerous areas of the pitch to create goal scoring chances. MORE
When midfielders win the ball they need to make good passes quickly in order to take advantage of any space on the pitch. In this session the quick pass sets up a scoring chance. MORE
This session improves the relationship between midfielders and the centre forward. Midfielders learn how to create space for a forward to receive a pass and then get into scoring positions themselves. MORE
Check local rules about social distancing. The session is about quick and inventive play around the edge of the 18-yard box. It’s about being inventive, firstly in tight areas, then progressing into a large area. MORE
Great way to warm up before a match or training session. Similar to a Rondo but with more physical movement for days when it is cold or you have a practice based on fitness. MORE
The midfield screen is a defensive line, shielding defenders from penetrating through balls and 1v1 situations. Use this session to get your midfield working as a unit to give the defenders behind them some protection. MORE
in Email newsletters, Midfield, Shooting
With youth soccer tentatively heading back to the playing fields now is the time to think about how and where your goals are going to come from next season. MORE
in Defending, Midfield, Tactics
Central defenders and supporting players have a vital role in stopping the opposition’s build up play. Players will work on the defending angle of approach to try and force the attacker away MORE
This session places an emphasis on midfield units staying compact and being hard to penetrate when out of possession. It identifies specific defensive roles for midfield players making them more compact and difficult to penentrate MORE
in Email newsletters, Midfield
When you construct your team often the missing player is the midfielder orchestrator; the one player who pulls the strings, who has great vision, who works between the lines and who can unlock the most stubborn of defences. MORE
One thing that will help you control the pace of games and give you a winning edge is to have an effective midfield. This useful session will help your players learn how to pass the ball through midfield on the move MORE
in Email newsletters, Midfield
It can be very frustrating when your midfield gets overrun by the opposition – winning the ball in these areas is key to making sure your team is not under siege from a strong opponent. MORE
Help improve your players’ movement off the ball so they can support play and create goalscoring opportunities. MORE
A session aimed at getting players to create and utilise space in midfield. With quick passing and movement, it should help open up the opposition and make goal scoring chances. MORE
Use this training session to coach your midfielders how to win possession by quickly closing down the opposition and pressing the player with the ball. MORE
in Midfield, Small Sided Games
This game develops quick thinking midfielders like Christian Eriksen. Players like this can set up attacks by reacting quickly to moments of transition in a game, principally moving from defence to attack. MORE
To make your attacking midfielders effective in front of goal you need to get them to shoot at every opportunity. This session is about scoring and reacting, beating a keeper or getting past a defender. MORE
in Email newsletters, Midfield
Attacking midfielders have always been great to watch... especially when I have had the benefit of a great attacking midfielder in my own team. But even if I haven't been blessed with one I can create attacking midfielders that will run the game for me. MORE
Developing a three-man midfield is important because it will give your team domination and versatility. Formations that include three players in midfield, such as 4-3-3 and 4-5-1, are the most popular used in the English Premier League. MORE
Use this session to improve the link play between your midfielders and forwards. Midfielders who are looking to get the ball to an attacker need to create space to thread passes through, while target men need to learn to receive and control the ball MORE
