Winning Difference for Your Team

TOUCHLINE TALES GAME CHANGING TACTICS FOR WHEN YOU LOSE A ‘NEYMAR’

Proven, Easy to Use Soccer Drills August 23, 2017 Issue 539 Price £2.99 /$4.50 Available by subscription WINNING PLUS TWO GAMES DIFFERENCE > 3V2 TO SCORE FOR YOUR > GLADIATORS TEAM > REACTIONS: PASS, RECEIVE, MOVE CORE > REACTIONS: SESSIONS WING COMMANDERS > FOOTWORK SPEED GAME POSTURE IN > 1V1 CONTINUOUS POSSESSION GAMES COACH YOUR KEEPER IN 1V1 < NEYMAR GOALKEEPER TIPS WORLD RECORD SIGNING FOR PARIS WITH MARK CROSSLEY SAINT-GERMAIN

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GOT A COACHING PROBLEM? LET DAVE CLARKE SOLVE IT FOR YOU Contents The Trouble With Goalkeepers

THE BIG DEBATE ARE COACHES TOO HARD ON YOUNG REFEREES? SOCCER COACH WEEKLY Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy October 30, 2013 Issue 340 $5.99/£3.99

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The other players were a bit The team were winning 1-0 at this You should always make sure one of have injured keepers, there is always Head Coach From stepping out for the warm-up when you have star players – us scared of going to matches without ContributorsDave Clarke point halfway through the second half, your outfield players has had experience a player on the bench who is a good Michael Beale, James Evans, to going down the tunnel at half-time coaches of youth teams in grassroots him – but we soon learned to play to [email protected] Andy Greeves, Luke Nicoli buthaving here scored was a 10-year-oldtwo goals, Neymarwho had was incan goal, sympathise even if it iswith just the in the Juventus odd cup goalkeeperother strengths and can and come became in when more he of is Contributors spentshowing all hisPSG playing what daysthey beingwere gettingtold not gameteam thator friendly. faced Isuch often a makewonderful sure I needed.a “team”. If you too can identify and train IllustrationsMichael Beale Mike Ronald Keith Boanas toand touch showing the ball Barcelona with his handswhat they making haveplayer. two keepers and play one in each a player,We all so would he knows love whata “Neymar” to do in but goal, PicturesSteve Watson hiswere debut losing. in goal. A game The oppositionchanger. could halfYouth at every teams match, have allowing their own them match also yousometimes will have as a ahuge team advantage. you can use ActionIan Barker Images, Nick Webster Jason Sisneros senseFed his up nervousness of playing second and suddenly fiddle the to towinners play out and of asgoal the as theme well during of this games. tactics that mean you are just as Production gameLionel was Messi, turned he was on its out head that and night the to issueThis will also tell means you therethat the are goalkeeper things effective when you play matches. ATGIllustrations Media Production Mike Ronald Undershow he11s iswere capable under of massive being thepressure. main isyou not can labelled do to early change on andgames is given in your Designer Shouts of “pick the ball up!” and “get experience of others positions. And David Clarke JamiePictures Leeson man. favour. For a start there are many Reuters Media Express holdAll of eyes it” were were ringing on him out and but not the only theytactics also and have basic a pal skills when that they you do can Publisher KevinProduction Barrow did he deliver, he turned in one of the coach your team to help you. Having kevin.barrow@Green Star Media Ltd. most stunning 45-minute displays a team that is knowledgable about bettersoccercoaching.com Customer Services you could ever wish to see. the gameQUICK-FIRE and tactics FINISHING they can use In this issue... Improve the quick-fire shooting [email protected] Services He breezed past Stephan 8to create space and show some of TIP OF THE WEEK Duncan Heard of your forwards by getting them to [email protected] Director Lichsteiner as if he wasn’t there twice studyNeymar’s the playcreativity of Robert in the Lewandowski final third Andrew Griffiths BETTER HEADING Teach your youngsters to be a Managing Director in3 the opening couple of minutes, and should be coached. AndrewSoccer Coach Griffiths Weekly is itcommanding was a sign ofpresence things toin come.the air, like ButJUMP it is half TO time IT tactics changes published by Green Star Barcelona’s Gerard Piqué 9 An excellent workout if you want (c)Media Green Ltd, Star Meadow Media View,Ltd. to get your forwards on their toes AllTannery rights Lane, reserved. Bramley, Guildford GU5 0AB, UK. RULE WITH YOUR HEAD (c) Green Star Media Ltd. This simple activity will soon have Click here to read the full 4 BOX ATTACKERS disclaimer.All rights reserved. your young players heading accurately 10 An attacking session to vary the technique of your strikers when Click here to read the full Ask Dave they take shots at goal disclaimer. GOTKING OFAN THE SKIESURGENT This fun session will teach players To advertise contact 5 toCOACHING head in a way they can enjoy PROBLEM? Know Your Players Elisabeth Cammell on SOCCER SURGERY Make sure you know the best way to +44 (0)7908 153871 Your queries answered, including LET ME SOLVE 1 1 deal with each of your players on an Download media pack COACH OF THE MONTH advice for a coach whose players are & contact here individual basis. Some thrive on being 6IT Recognising FOR theYOU! grassroots work afraid of tackling corrected in front of team-mates and of a dedicated youth soccer coach To subscribe to Just email me today: will go to great lengths to avoid making Soccer Coach Weekly THE BIG DEBATE the same mistakes. But others will be call Duncan Heard on askdave@SPRINT FOR GOAL 1 2 Two coaches debate whether demoralised by criticism so surround +44 (0)1483 892894 7soccercoachweekly.net A session that works on technique youth soccer coaches can be too hard any critique of their play with praise. or subscribe online here and improves shooting and dribbling on young referees

SoccerCoachWeekly.netSoccerCoachWeekly.net Issue340IssueSOCCER 539 COACH WEEKLY 22 TACTICS

Reacting At Half-Time The big decision that faces all coaches whatever level they are coaching is how do they react to the half-time scoreline? Kill the game or parking the bus if you are winning but if youre losing what do you do? By Dave Clarke

t’s a tough call. The half-time whistle sounds Half time team talks are and you’re leading 1-0. You need those three a good time to give the Ipoints. The dilemma confronting you is do players some inspiration you try to keep things tight and hold onto your lead, or do you press on for more goals and a convincing win? On the flipside of the coin, if you reach the interval a goal down, you urgently need to get back into the game somehow. Do you take a risk and go all out for an equaliser, or do you keep faith in your current system and hope you can get back on terms? In both instances, before you make a decision you have to ask yourself a few simples questions. Ask yourself as a neutral observer, not as a coach embroiled in the excitement and emotion of the action: “Do we deserve to be in the position we currently find ourselves?” It could be that you honestly think you have dominated and your one-goal lead could have been much bigger, or you have dominated but trail to a breakaway goal, having had a string of chances. If either of these are true, why change it? However, if you feel you are hanging on to a 1-0 lead against a team that has been well on you are a goal down at half-time and struggling, moving a midfielder further forward to play in top, you will obviously need to do something you may indeed have to do something to get ‘the hole’ behind the main striker or strikers; to try to keep hold of the lead. Parking the you back into the match. or you could make a difference by pushing proverbial bus is not the answer though, But resist the temptation to be too gung ho. a defender into midfield to boost numbers especially in youth football. The chances of You could make a double substitution in the there and add to your creative options without your youngsters hanging on to such a slender attacking part of the pitch – add a forward or significantly weakening the back line. advantage for such a long period are slim if you two, taking off more defensive players. It might Remember, although the opening minutes pack the defence. One lapse of concentration work but chances are you’ll get caught out by a after half-time are vital to shaping the second and you’ve conceded the lead, and getting back counterattack and end up on the wrong end of half, there is still plenty of soccer to be played. in the game from there is nigh on impossible a hiding. So beware of the temptation to make wholesale with the set up you’ve adopted. Again the solution can be as simple as changes too early on. The answer can be a simple case of bolstering the midfield. If you’re playing two up front, put one of them in midfield. This strengthens your FAMOUS HALF TIME COMEBACKS defence higher up the pitch, gives you a better The website Guardian.co.uk notes that in May present, and none of the accounts in player chance of obtaining and retaining possession, 2005, two decisive games made it seem as autobiographies seem to fully correlate; but but still gives you attacking options. Similarly, if if all a manager had to do to win a top prize Rafa Benítez’s speech at half time, which was to inspire the boys at half time. In the first apparently inspired his team’s return from week of that month, José Mourinho had to lift 3-0 down to level the score and secure the TIPS FOR A 1-0 his Chelsea side to a win against Bolton, after trophy on penalties, has entered football lore. SCORELINE a poor first half, and did so by demanding Some cast it as a half-English, half-Spanish > IF YOU’RE 1-0 UP: You don’t want their clothes. Give me the shirt, Mourinho said entreaty to which Benítez still treasures to give a goal away, so why not go to the team – give assistant Steve Clarke the the scrawled notes; others have drafted a for a counterattacking style and let shirt. His players, suitably affronted, went on supposed transcript of the speech, since opponents make the mistakes that to win 2-0, and took their first Premier League emblazoned on T-shirts and ending with a line your team can exploit. title in 50 years. that would please Hollywood screenwriters: > IF YOU’RE 1-0 DOWN: You have to be Three weeks later it was the Champions “Give yourself a chance to be heroes.” Some more attacking in the first 10 minutes League final in Istanbul, won by Liverpool players, including Jamie Carragher, recall the of the second half, so move a player up front and get some balls in behind the against Milan after one of the most famous manager being so flustered he tried to send defence to try to cancel out the goal. rallying cries in sport. No outsiders were the team out with 12 players.

SoccerCoachWeekly.net Issue 539 3 REACTIONS AGES 7 TO 16+

Pass. Receive. Move This is a great session to show how reactions are key to the team moving the ball at speed in vital attacking areas of the pitch like the penalty area – works on player movement with the pass, with the ball and then after the pass. By Dave Clarke

Player A starts the session A The central player moves  passing to a moving  around the square playing player B who receives and plays A one-twos with the corner players a one two through the two gates with the working player B B

2yds D

4yds

2yds 4yds

C 2yds 4yds C 2yds Look for a high tempo with 4yds 2yds s 2yd passing once players have s understood how the session works – 2yd passing and receiving at speed

In the progression add a second player at corner A – player A passes the ball then sprints after it to put pressure on player B

Players now follow the pass  and try to win the ball as each player is making a one-two with the central player

start again. Introduce one and two-touch to WHY USE IT HOW TO DO IT make it all harder. Look to play at a high tempo Making the right moves before and after Set up your playing square with three cones in and experiment with one and two touch to passing and receiving is vital to team success each corner. A player stands on the middle make it an even better exercise for fast play in on match days. Here combination play is key to cone in each corner plus a working player in the and around the penalty area. keeping the ball moving around the square. centre. Player A passes to player B who moves to the pass, receives then passes to the player in the square receiving the ball back one-touch SET-UP and then passes down the line to player C who TECHNIQUE You need balls, bibs and cones. Set up an area combines with the player in the centre before Good passing and movement is key to the 8x8 yards with corner-coned gates 2 yards in passing to player D. In the progression the session and a quick tempo is the ideal playing each direction. We used 5 players (plus one for passer follows the pass and tries to get to the speed. the progression) in the session. ball before the passing sequence. If he can intercept the ball he plays it out and the players

Player movement Ball movement Run with ball Shot

SoccerCoachWeekly.net Issue 539 4 REACTIONS AGES 7 TO 16+

Wing Commanders Reactions in attack are key to scoring goals – flying wingers are the attacking darlings of any team, spreading play wide and exploiting the space behind a retreating defence. Your attackers must react to winger movement. By Dave Clarke

Servers and wingers pass and receive WHY USE IT  to create the passing move This session works well because players have to work hard in retrieving and passing the ball. Controlling under pressure of movement and giving the right pass with correct weight and direction is difficult, and practice will help players in matches.

1 5yd

1 SET-UP 5yd s

s 20yd

1 You need balls, bibs, cones and two 5yd s Players must be moving to s goals. This session is played in an 20yd s the ball, receiving on the half area measuring 20x15 yards. Mark 20ydturn so they can pass in the correct out as many pitches as you need so direction that your whole squad can practise this – there will be four players in Play goes from end to end as the ball each.  moves across the area – needs very high tempo to get the most benefit HOW TO DO IT Place a player on each side of the area. On the short sides are servers, while the long sides have working wingers on them. Each player stands midway along their touchline. The ball starts with the server on the far left. On your call, he plays short to his left where winger 1 must run back towards him to receive. At this The bottom winger must point, winger 2 begins to run the  move quickly to be in opposite way towards the other position to receive the second server. As soon as winger 1 retrieves pass and link with the server at the ball, he controls, turns and hits a the far end pass across the area to his fellow Adding goals encourages a positive winger. Winger 2 receives and  end product from the winger’s run passes short to the server on the far right and the game continues. Play for three minutes, then rotate players. To progress add goals at both ends and make the servers goalkeepers. When the long pass is made the player must control and shoot at the goal.

TECHNIQUE Good passing and movement and anticipation of the pass.

Player movement Ball movement Run with ball Shot

SoccerCoachWeekly.net Issue 539 5 KEEP BALL AGES 7 TO 16+

Simple Technique This session looks at what actually goes on in keep ball games and what you want your players to do within the simple set up – it helps players understand it and gets them to stand on the balls of their feet ready for a pass. By Dave Clarke

The pressing players must work as WHY USE IT  close-knit pairs to press and force Building player understanding of mistakes from the possession team movement and passing in tight spaces and why they should be on the balls of their feet all the time.

SET-UP You need balls, bibs and cones in a 20 x 20 yard area. We used 6 20yds players in the session. 20yds

20yds 20yds

20yds The possession players must HOW TO DO IT  move to be closer to their 20yds Play this session in a 20 x 20 yard team mates when their opponents area and split your players into a press the ball 4v2. The pair work together to intercept the possession 4 must The possession players have to create retain possession using quick,  passing angles when the pressing players efficient link-up, the use of angled get tight on them staying on the balls of their feet so they can move quickly runs and passes, and an appreciation of space. Players should operate on the balls of their feet, always ready to turn. After a few minutes of play cut the area size down to 15 x 15 yards and finally to 10 x 10 yards to show players how space matter.

TECHNIQUE A player who is up on the balls of his feet is already ‘on the move’, in motion, and his feet are anticipating Being on the balls of onward movement (be that a run or  the feet implies minimal the receipt of the ball). contact with the ground, enabling players to turn quickly. Contrast this to being flatfooted

The player needs to find time and energy to  rise up on the balls of his feet to move off. Spinning movement is also restricted because the whole foot is planted in the ground

Player movement Ball movement Run with ball Shot

SoccerCoachWeekly.net Issue 539 6 REACTIONS AGES 12 TO 16+

Keep A Clean Sheet Juventus stopper Gianluigi Buffon is great at pulling off saves when he goes one-on- one with a striker – and if you run this session your goalkeepers could master the art and save your team in 1v1 situations. By Dave Clarke

WHY USE IT The goalkeeper must This session is great fun to play and  come off his line and try good practice for getting your to smoother the ball before the goalkeeper to dive at the feet of striker can take a shot strikers when they have raced clear of your defenders. It is good for taking the fear out of goalkeeping.

SET-UP For this session we have used our The striker has seven penalty area and a normal sized  balls to go 1v1 with the goal. You can set these up at either goalkeeper – the ball is in play ends of the pitch or if you take the when the striker gets into the nets off your goals you can have penalty area back-to-back keepers.

Once the ball has been played the HOW TO DO IT  goalkeeper must race back to touch his Place seven balls around the edge goal line and then defend another ball of the penalty area D, and have your keeper in goal. Players take turns to go 1v1 with the keeper using the seven balls – once one ball goes dead the striker runs to get the next ball and the goalkeeper has to run and touch the goal line in his goal. This is tiring work so rest players after each go.

TECHNIQUE The attacker must race to The goalkeeper needs to come off  the next ball and quickly get it into play to try to beat the his line and try to smoother the keeper shots as the striker turns and tries to beat him. The session is also a If you have two keepers, physical workout, and as the striker  remove the net and run tires it should be easier for the back-to-back sessions keeper to stop him.

Player movement Ball movement Run with ball Shot

SoccerCoachWeekly.net Issue 539 7 ART OF COACHING

How To Coach The Keeper Inspired by coaching kids, former Nottingham Forest and Wales stopper Mark Crossley qualified to the top coaching qualification, the Uefa Pro License. He shares some of his knowledge to explain how to coach youth goalkeeping.

oaching, particularly for keepers, has changed a lot in the two decades I Chave been involved in the game. When I started out at Nottingham Forest back in the late 1980s you were taught by a manager how to play, but not coached how to play. There’s an important difference there – it’s all about the attention to detail you’re afforded, and by specialist people who really understand your game. Back then, unless your manager used to be a keeper, the chances are he didn’t really know what being a keeper was all about. At Forest we didn’t have a goalkeeping coach until Frank Clark took over in 1993. Before then the keepers were often told “just go over there and kick the ball to each other, and practise a bit of catching while you’re at it!” Of course, at youth coaching level, it’s not always possible to assign different coaches to different positions, but the more a manager can offer individual tuition, the more both he and the keeper will learn. And you can never stop learning. I’ve completed my UEFA pro-licence – it took me seven years to go through all the different stages! It was something that I never thought I Mark Crossley (right) would do, but I’m delighted I invested the time with Oldham Athletic manager John Sheridan and reached the top of my profession. The inspiration came from coaching kids – not only in making them better players, but better people as well. And doing it has really very segregated with the back four working their own training or skills plan, and I see no opened my eyes. It has been fantastic. For me, together, but the game is more technical these reason why youth coaches can’t do the same. the secret to coaching is in investing time and days and much quicker, so there needs to be The fitness element can probably be put to one patience. a more complete understanding between all side - young players tend to be running about There’s loads of psychology involved too, defensive players. all the time and maintain a pretty constant level and at times those three elements can be I work a lot on that in my coaching sessions of fitness, whereas professional players can see more important that the actual tuition. That and it is the same at the other end of the field, their levels drop in no time. said, I believe that keepers should be made with midfielders and attackers working as one. True fitness comes with routine and good to work with their back four a lot during Other coaches often ask me what happens over habits, the latter probably being the most training because that whole area needs to the summer break. important thing any coach can recommend to operate as a finely tuned unit. In the past it was Well, we send all of our players away with his players.

MARK CROSSLEY’S TIPS FOR SHOT STOPPING 1. AGE keeping goal. You can never coach enough us so that we can bounce ideas off one The first tip I would always give to a coach technique so I work on this side of the game a another. Keepers are a special breed and need would be to involve the kids with older lot with the kids at Chesterfield. to be treated as such. footballers as much as possible because it 3. FITNESS 5. TEAM WORK brings them on a lot quicker. Players love to People think that keepers don’t need to be as When I was a keeper I always liked to know learn things from other players, especially fit as other players, but agility and reactions my back four’s individual strengths and ones they look up to, and blending them are all part of acting and feeling like an athlete, weaknesses so that we could deal with into the senior teams for sessions can be so this is an element of training that shouldn’t problems as a group. I like to pass that type of invaluable. Keepers can really benefit as the be overlooked. unity on to my players now so that they don’t learning curve is so great. feel as though they have to confront situations 4. MENTAL STRENGTH 2. TECHNIQUE by themselves. With the current trends to I like to work with my players on a one-to-one This is a big part of football, especially when playing out from the back the keeper has a basis, building a relationship of trust between huge role in team play.

SoccerCoachWeekly.net Issue 539 8 SMALL-SIDED GAME AGES 7 TO 16+ From 64 SMALL-SIDED SOCCER GAMES VOLUME 2 To buy the manual click here or go to: www.soccercoachweekly.net Three zone game This game is all about centrebacks combining with the goalkeeper to bring the ball out from the back. Movement is then key to getting the ball into attacking areas of the pitch using overload situations. By Michael Beale

Each team OVERVIEW  has two This game encourages the team to build up from the centre backs, three back. The Goalkeepers play out to the centre backs who midfielders and one should combine so that one of them is able to step into attacker. the central zone and create the attacking overload situation.

SET-UP Pitch 60 x 30yd area including two 15yd end zones

WHAT YOU GET YOUR PLAYERS TO DO Two teams of six players line up with two centre backs in their defensive zone, three midfielders in the central zone and one forward in the opposition’s defensive zone. The centre Teams have to pass through each zone in order to beat  backs are the goalkeeper and score. allowed to break into the next zone with the ball. RULES • The game is played for ten minutes If the ball leaves play then the goalkeeper of the team in possession must restart the game • The ball must go through all three zones and cannot be played from the defensive zone straight to the attacking zone. • One player is allowed out of the defensive zone to create an overload in the central zone • One player is allowed from the central zone into the attacking zone • Both teams must always have a forward in the attacking zone The aim  is to free an attacker to dribble and make DEVELOPMENT a 2v2 against the Remove the zones and play a normal game. opponent’s centre backs.

MOVEMENT DRIBBLE PASS

SoccerCoachWeekly.net Issue 539 9 Airball

FUN GAME AGES 9 TO 11 From FUN SOCCER GAMES FOR 9 TO 11 YEAR OLDS To buy the manual click here or go to: www.soccercoachweekly.net Gladiators Gladiators is all about improving a players close control running with the ball and dribbling the ball and using ball shielding techniques in 1v1 situations. The Gladiators must watch out for the thumbs down from Caeser though! By Keith Boanas

The THE RULES  gladiators Gladiators have a ball each and before the game they each dribble around select (or are given) an opponent. This is the only gladiator the coliseum. with whom they are competing. Any spare player can be a random gladiator and attack who they want. Gladiators compete to try and knock their opponent’s ball out of the coliseum. If a gladiator’s ball is knocked out of the coliseum they must go down on one knee and await judgement from Caesar (you). If the gladiator put up a good fight Caesar might give them a thumbs-up. Thus spared, they can collect their ball and re-enter the coliseum. If the gladiator succumbed too easily Caesar will give them a thumbs-down, meaning they have been beaten and must leave the arena. They try to  knock their opponent’s ball MAIN OBJECTIVES out of the arena. Improve close control, dribbling and running with the ball, turning and screening in 1v1 situations.

SET UP Area: 20 yard diameter circle Players: 8 to 16 Equipment: Cones, a ball each

WHAT TO CALL OUT “Gladiators ready” “Protect your ball” “Be decisive” Caesar’s  thumbs-up spares a gladiator. PROGRESSION Gladiators that have been knocked out can become tigers patrolling the outside of the coliseum. If they see a loose ball they can steal it (no tackling). Caesar decides if this is fair. At any time Caesar can call for the beaten gladiators to return to the coliseum and attack anyone.

HINT As Caesar you must be firm, but fair. Make sure no-one’s game ends too soon!

PASS RUN GROUND COVERED

SoccerCoachWeekly.net Issue 539 10 CORE SKILLS SESSIONS AGES 7 TO 16+

Footwork Speed/Shot Stopping Put your goalkeeper under pressure with this core session that covers body position, fast feet and the correct diving technique for saving shots. Play at a high tempo for a good session on your keeper’s reactions.

WHAT YOU TELL YOUR PLAYERS THE SESSION IS ABOUT: WHAT YOU GET YOUR Practising quick feet, good body position, shot stopping and reactions. PLAYERS TO DO: Arrange three attackers to fire in shots on your command. Make three goals using cones or markers as shown in the diagram. WHAT YOU TELL YOUR Call out a colour to denote a goal for an attacker to shoot at. PLAYERS TO DO: On your call the keeper sprints through the white goal and moves into Get your attackers to fire in shots at a high tempo and encourage your the relevant goal to try to save the shot. goalkeeper to be ready to make a save in any goal.

WHAT TO SHOUT • “Fast feet” • “Get into position” • “On toes” • “Stay big for as long as possible” • “Quality of service – make the goalkeeper work for every save” • “Recovery saves on any rebounds”

WHAT TO LOOK FOR • Move quickly – forward sprint. • Side step footwork into goal. • Get set – on toes. • Into line/down line of shot. • Recovery saves – reclaim any rebounds.

WHAT TO THINK ABOUT • Encourage your strikers to hit the target at all times. • Examine your goalkeepers’ footwork – make sure he has fast feet. DEVELOPMENT • Make sure plenty of balls are available. Introduce a speed ladder on the sprint to really work the keeper’s • Work at a high tempo. foot speed.

PUT IT INTO A GAME How would I put this into a game situation? Allow the forwards to run at the keeper in one on one situations. Award a point for each goal or save, play for 5 minutes and the winner is the player with most points.

WHERE DOES IT FIT: Individual skills: Fast feet, correct diving technique, positioning / angles, footwork, handling Team skills: Shooting, shot- stopping abilities

SoccerCoachWeekly.net Issue 539 11 CORE SKILLS SESSIONS AGES 7 TO 16+

1v1 Continuous Games In this session the important area of 1v1 is tackled getting players to develop their skills in defending and attacking situations when the face an opponent. This is a common challenge players of all ages will meet every game.

WHAT YOU TELL YOUR PLAYERS THE SESSION IS ABOUT: WHAT YOU GET YOUR Defending and attacking in 1v1 situations. PLAYERS TO DO: Set up: Cone off a 20 yard x 20 yard area. WHAT YOU TELL YOUR Arrange two goals and two keepers as in the diagram below. PLAYERS TO DO: A defender from the dark-shirted team starts on the pitch. Attack the opponents goal at match-tempo. Then quickly react and look to defend your own goal. A white-shirted player attacks the goal at pace. Depending on the angle that the attacker arrives on the pitch, the defender must try to force him away from goal. WHAT TO SHOUT As soon as the ball has been played the attacking player changes role • “React to the next ball” and defends against a dark-shirted player who now attacks the other • “Can you go past the defender with pace?” goal. • “Can you force the attacker wide?”

WHAT TO LOOK FOR • How does the defender approach the attacker? Does he dive in or hold his position? • Does the defender force the attacker away from goal? • Does the attacker play at match-tempo? • Which players react slowly?

WHAT TO THINK ABOUT This 1v1 practice will be a valuable session for all players. All players have different personalities, strengths and weaknesses both when defending and attacking. This session puts them in a demanding situation and they will all face a range of tests and experiences both in attack and defence. Encourage defenders to be patient to win possession of the ball and get your attackers to be direct, clever and shoot at every opportunity.

DEVELOPMENT This game can easily be developed into a 2v2 situation by adding extra defenders and attackers.

PUT IT INTO A GAME Play a normal game, but mark out an end zone at either end of the pitch. Only one defender and one attacker are allowed in either end zone at any one time.

WHERE DOES IT FIT: Individual skills: Movement, skill, imagination, passing, dribbling, shooting, defending, reactions Team skills: Team work, communication, combination play

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