Description: Main focus on the session is to help players understand “Spacial Awareness”. This session can also be related to “Playing out from the back”, how can we create options for kickouts when being pressed by opposition.
Warm-up / Arrival – X and O’s Shooting game
Fun game which can be used as a warmup and arrival activity. Two teams play in standard 9v9 nets with no goalkeepers. Have a whiteboard with 9 different types of ways to finish, once a team scores a goal they get an X or an O if that type of finish is on the board. Play continues until one team gets three X’s or O’s in a row.
Passing and Receiving
Two team, both with a ball passing and moving from target play to target player. They must aim to play forward when possible and keep possession when there is interference from the other team. Encourage good movement to support, constant scanning and verbal communication.
Progress to 2/3 touches.
SSG – Possession
Remove one ball, game now becomes a directional possession game. Same coaching points as previous activity. Players will get a point if they can successfully get the ball from one end player to the other.
Team in possession can go back to target player to maintain possession if no options are available.
Coach types of movement to provide support, slow your marker down, move him away then check back to provide an option.
How can we relate this to a Saturday?
7v7
Standard 7v7 with goalkeepers, set up a 5 yard zone in front of both goals. First 10 mins teams must go short into this zone to provide options for the kick out.
After 10 mins, encourage short kick outs but show how good movement can open up space further from goal to allow for a more direct kickout. Can we use the width? Where is the space.