Ball Mastery Session

The following practices are designed for 4 to 12 years olds to enable the coach to maximise the plyers ball mastery techniques. The object of the session is the maximise each players ball contact allowing them to become comfortable on the ball and express themselves individually.

Topic: Ball Mastery/Dribbling
Age Group: 4-12 Years

No. Of Players: 10-12, ball per player

Objectives:

1.      Encourage good habits on the ball

2.      Encourage soft touches and head up

3.      Use all parts of the foot (inside, outside, laces, sole)

Warm Up: 15 minutes

Grid size 30 x 30

-Movement in all directions

1.      On the whistle player stops ball using sole of foot, next whistle player dribbles away using laces

2.      On whistle player performs dragback using sole of foot

3.      Player performs a feint, ie drop shoulder plant right foot and push ball away with outside of left foot

4.      Player performs stepover ie right foot around ball and plant and push away with outside of left foot

5.      Player rolls foot over ball ie roll ball from right to left using sole of foot

6.      Player changes direction using inside of foot ie foot around ball and proceed the way they came

7.      Player changes direction with outside of foot

8.      Player performs Cruyff turn ie use inside of foot to touch ball underneath body and move in opposite direction

1.Main Activity: 20 minutes

Dribbling: using relays all performed on the ball -- Grid size 5 x 5 x 5

1.      All relays to be performed with a ball

2.      Encourage soft touches and head up

3.      Insides, outsides

-          Coach can experiment with excerises to challenge the players

2.Main Activity: 20 minutes

1V1 Attacking -- Grid size 15 x 20

1.      Player starts with ball at goal

2.      Dribbles out to beat opposing player

3.      Encourage Skill

4.      Must dribble ball into goal

3.Main Activity: 20 minutes

Dribble to Shoot  -- Grid size 15 x 20

-          Goalkeeper in use, player dribbles to shoot

-          Coach can vary excercises

-          Minimum 10 yard shooting distance

-          PROGRESSION

-          Add Defender, attacker must beat defender before shooting

If defender wins ball they must dribble through opposing goal.

Session 18: Possession in a 5 v 2

Session 18: Possession in a 5 v 2
Duration: 1 Hour

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Accurate passing
2. Weight of passing
3. Get in a clear passing line
4. Quality of 1st touch
5. Decision making

WARM UP:  15 MINUTES

*Again the same warm up is used to get the players into the passing mindset
 Grid size 24m x 24m
- Bib 8 players before warm up
- Non bibs with a ball each
- Non bibs dribbling (plenty of touches, right foot, left foot)
-  Bibs without ball free movement performing activities(Heels, knees, headers, shuffles etc)
- On coaches command bibs recieve a pass from a non bib and proceed to dribble
- Non bibs now perform activity
- Coach increases tempo by more frequent change of passing
- Finish warm up with dribblin players taking 5 or 6 touches and then getting a pass off



MAIN ACTIVITY: 25 MINUTES

- Grid size 20m x 15m
- 5 attackers and 2 defenders
- Keep the ball moving away from defenders to space
- Coach stops and demonstrates good decisions
- Coach stops if passing is poor










CONDITIONED GAME: 20 MINUTES
The focus in the end game is to keep good possession of the ball, the coach should be strict on good passing and should encourage the players to support left and right and middle of the player on the ball at all times. Again corner kicks and throw ins are enforced.

Session 17: Possession in a 4 v 2

Session 17: Possession in a 4 v 2
Duration: 1 Hour

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Support - angle and distance(3 options left, right and middle)
2. Width
3. Depth - penetration
4. Decision Making
5. Body shape open to receive pass

WARM UP: 15 MINUTES

*Because the topic is possession I have used a passing based warm up here to get the players used to moving the ball between them before the main activity. The coach should be refreshing the players on the key factors of passing during the warm up in preperation for the progression.
 Grid size 24m x 24m
- Bib 8 players before warm up
- Non bibs with a ball each
- Non bibs dribbling (plenty of touches, right foot, left foot)
-  Bibs without ball free movement performing activities(Heels, knees, headers, shuffles etc)
- On coaches command bibs recieve a pass from a non bib and proceed to dribble
- Non bibs now perform activity
- Coach increases tempo by more frequent change of passing
- Finish warm up with dribblin players taking 5 or 6 touches and then getting a pass off
MAIN ACTIVITY: 25 MINUTES

- Grid size 15m x 15m
- 2 defenders play the ball into 4 attackers
- attackers try to keep possession for a set number of passes
- start with passive defending and then progress to actual pressure










CONDITIONED GAME: 20 MINUTES
The focus in the end game is to keep good possession of the ball, the coach should be strict on good passing and should encourage the players to support left and right and middle of the player on the ball at all times. Again corner kicks and throw ins are enforced.

Session 16: Shooting Progression

Session 16: Shooting Progression
Age Group: U10
Duration: 1 Hour

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Assess the goalkeepers position
2. Final touch will set up shot
3. Shoot low across gk to far post
4. Accuracy before power
5. Disguise shot, chip shots, swerve on ball
6. Rebounds in
WARM UP: 15 MINUTES

The same warm up as Session 15 is used to get the players into a shooting frame of mind for the main activity.
- Grid size 20m x 10m
- Ball each, half the group are given bibs
- Players work down the outside and back up the inside of cones
- Leave a 2m gap between each player on the move
- Coach demonstrates an activity for players to perform (stepover, dragbacks, inside/outside turns etc)

Progression to get the players in a shooting mindset:
- Using the same grid pair the players off facing each other 10m apart
- Ball between each pair
- Each player on their toes to reamin warm and ready to react to ball
- Ball in hand the player drops the ball and strikes it before it hits the ground (use laces, toe pointed down, strike centre of ball), try to stirke into partners arms
- Coach rotates pairs to allow players to practice with a different partner

MAIN ACTIVITY: 25 MINUTES

- Grid size 36m x 40m
- 3 teams of 4 players, 2 goalkeepers
- Goals can be scored from anywhere on the pitch
- An extra goal can be given if a goal is set up by end-line from a pass from the defending player
- When a goal is scored play starts from the goalkeeper
- A player must stay in the attacking half at all times
- Coach rotates teams every 2-3 minutes

Shooting key factors from Session 15 are used.






CONDITIONED GAME: 20 MINUTES
The main activity of this session was a small sided conditioned game, for the end of session game let the players play freely. Again corner kicks and throw ins should be enforced.

Session 15: Shooting

Session 15: Shooting
Age Group: U10 (16 Players)
Duration: 1 Hour

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Assess the goalkeepers position
2. Final touch will set up shot
3. Shoot low across gk to far post
4. Accuracy before power
5. Disguise shot, chip shots, swerve on ball
6. Rebounds in

WARM UP: 15 MINUTES

- Grid size 20m x 10m
- Ball each, half the group are given bibs
- Players work down the outside and back up the inside of cones
- Leave a 2m gap between each player on the move
- Coach demonstrates an activity for players to perform (stepover, dragbacks, inside/outside turns etc)

Progression to get the players in a shooting mindset:
- Using the same grid pair the players off facing each other 10m apart
- Ball between each pair
- Each player on their toes to reamin warm and ready to react to ball
- Ball in hand the player drops the ball and strikes it before it hits the ground (use laces, toe pointed down, strike centre of ball), try to stirke into partners arms
- Coach rotates pairs to allow players to practice with a different partner

MAIN ACTIVITY: 25 MINUTES

Key Factors Shooting Technique
1. 1st touch to put ball in shooting position
2. Bodyshape, angle approach
3. Strike with laces (ie toe pointed towards ground)
4. Strike centre of ball
5. Plant non kicking foot beside ball

- 4 teams of 4 players, 2 goalkeepers
- 2 feeder groups positioned in a grid positioned either side of the 18 yard box
- Strikers positioned in grid sized 15m x 20m outside the penalty area
- Feeder plays a long pass to the striker who dribbles the ball into the shooting zone and has a strike at goal
- Coach rotates the players every few minutes
- Coach can keep score

CONDITIONED GAME: 20 MINUTES
In the end of session game the coach focuses on the technique of shooting, allow free play around the pitch but stop the session if a shooting oppurtunity is on. Corner kicks and throw ins are in play.