While Evan is leading this I am going to begin our individual player evaluations with some of the girls.

II. Technical Passing and Receiving

III.  7v7 Scrimmage

I want to do a whole/part/whole training today and really focus on ball movement and reading the cues where the defenders are.  We will play this scrimmage for 10 minutes.  One team will line up in a 4-3 with our back four and 3 players who will play as a 3 front with a left/center/right forward and no midfield.  The other team will line up in a 4-1-2.

IV. Back 4 With A CM Versus 3 Fwds To 2 Goals

Set Up 

• Field is 25x15 yds with two pugg goals for the attacking team to score in
• 4 Defenders Plus a center mid on the Blue team
• 3 reds that are the opposing team

Procedure

• One of the back four begins with the ball and they attempt to move the ball so they can score on either of the two pugg goals
• The red team earns points by winning the ball and playing the coach or a target player outside of the grid

Key Points

• Keep your head up
• Keep moving off the ball
• Memorize where the openings will be based off of the defenders positioning

Four our defenders I wanted to show them where the openings will be based off of where the red players move to defend them.  There will always be a gap to exploit in the defense since we are numbers up.  We need to recognize when to dribble, when to be calm on the ball and hold it to draw defenders in, and when to move the ball quickly.

IVa.  3 Mids Plus 2 Forwards versus 3 Defenders To 2 Goals

Set Up 

• Field is 25x15 yds with two pugg goals for the attacking team to score in
• 3 Mids Plus a 2 Forwards on the Blue team
• 3 reds that are the opposing team

The idea with this is the same as above but designed to work with our forwards and mids.  Again we want to work on our movement as a team and recognizing where the openings will be based on where the defenders move.  I really wanted to focus on the forwards movement and timing.

V. 7v7 Scrimmage  

Optional Functional Training

Mark and I combined the U13's and U14's training space today so we each had a 1/4 field for 100 minutes and then we would use the remaining 60 minutes to work on functional training with certain positions.  This is our first night trying this, if it goes well we will do this on the weeks that we have back to back training sessions.

I am really excited about trying this because we will be able to focus in on certain aspects that we do not get to spend enough time with during our team trainings.

I. Receiving Across Your Body

Set Up

• 3 players to a grid, one ball for the group
• 10x24 yard grid set up as shown below, with a worker (B) in the middle and two wide players (A and C) on the sides
• Ball starts with one of the wide players

Procedure

• Wide players A and C start directly across from each other, B starts at the middle disk on the opposite side of the grid
• A dribbles to the opposite short side disk, B runs the opposite direction and adjusts their body for a support pass
• A turns back, plays a ball to B, who then passes to C - that completes the first sequence
• Now C dribbles toward the disk they started from, B makes a similar run to offer angled support, receives a pass from C and plays the ball to A - that completes sequence #2
• Repeat

Make It Competitive

• Challenge the players to do everything at pace and with quality
• Which group can do it better?

Coaching Points

• A and C need to grasp the direction that they are attacking each sequence and play the ball to B's lead foot (in front of B in the direction that B wants to go, rather than behind B)
• B should play two touch for speed, receive the ball across their body with the inside of their far foot (relative to the passer) and play with their other foot
• A and C should be creative with their turns
• Crisp passes on the ground
• Verbal communication - "Support!" call from B, "Swing It!" call from far side wide player
• Visual communication from B, hand out pointing to where they want the ball played

II. 4v2 Keep Away Work on Getting Out of Trouble

• First grid is 20x20 yds and players can move anywhere (diamond and set up)
• Second Grid is 40x20 and players must play in a flat four

III. 6v6 Get It Wide Keep Away To Straight Diagonal (4-2 Set Up for Each Team)

Coaching Points

• In general, there is more open space on the flanks
• Players can get the ball in the channel in one of three ways - 1) dribble, 2) pass to a teammate waiting in a channel, or 3) pass to space in a channel for a teammate to run onto
• Don't force the play to one channel, if things are crowded, switch fields (change the point of attack) and look to get wide in the opposite channel

Variations

1. Players may only get the ball into a channel by passing
2. Players may only get the ball into a channel by dribbling
3. 3-touch or less

IV. 6v6 Scrimmage

I. Evan Fitness

II. Set Piece Competition

Set Up

• Each team will get the same amount of repetitions on the various set pieces from different angles
• Corner Kicks Best of 7 from each side
• Free Kicks Best of 7 from each side

III. Transition Game

Most goals that will be scored this weekend will either be scored on set pieces or on transitions so we will play one of my favorite games and we will start it from a variety of ways while playing a best of 7 series.

Set Up

• One Red team and One Blue team
• One team at each goal with one line on each post.  Balls with one line.  1 GK in each goal.
• How many players are in each line will depend on the numbers you are starting with (1v0, 1v1, 2v1 ect)

Procedure

• 1 Blue attacker dribbles out and shoots from 20 yards out
• Immediately after the shot 2 Red attackers dribble out and go 2v1 versus the Blue player

• As soon as the 2v1 is over the next 2 Blues step on to create a 3v2
• The 3v2 continues until a goal is scored or the ball goes out of bounds.

• When the 3v2 ball is dead, no matter where the ball goes out, the next 2 Red players step onto the field to create a 4v3

• The game continues until all the players are on the field

Make It Competitive

• Keep track of the goals for each round and play a Best of 5 Series

Variations
This game can start out a number of different ways depending on what you are working on.  You can begin with a player coming from each goal to play

• 1v1  You can begin with a player coming from each goal to play.  Whoever scores on the 1v1 will send out the next player to create a 2v1. 
• 2v1 The attacking team starts with 2 players and the defending team sends out one defender
• 2v1 With A Target: The attacking team sends out a target player and begins with a defender on her back.  The ball starts from the post with a pass up to the target player and that player follows her pass to create the 2v1.
• 3v2 With A Target: Same set up as the 2v1

IV. 9v9 Scrimmage

V. Evan Fitness

I want to make sure we are in good shape going out this weekend so everyone can play a lot.

I. Evan Fitness

II. 7v6 To Goal With Counters

III. Scrimmage vs U14 Whites

U13 Training Session:

I am running the 13's training session today after our session.

I.  Shooting Repetition Competition

II. Transition Game

III. Cut Throat

I. Video

I took the next exercise from the coaches education session that Ian Barker put on for us.  I really liked the progression from the individual idea towards the team working together.

II. 5v5 Partner Keep Away

Set Up

• 15x15 yard grid
• Two Teams: 1 Red and 1 Blue
• Each player partners up with a player from the other team 

Procedure 

• Blue is the attacking team and begins with the ball
• Red is the defending team
• The Blue players try to get away from their partner who is marking them to receive a pass
• The Red players try to stay touch tight to their partners on defense
• The Red players cannot steal the ball
• Play for 90 seconds and switch roles

Coaching Points 

• Change your pace to get away from your defender
• Drag your defender away from the space you want to run into and when he starts moving the wrong way make a sharp cut to get into the open space

After playing the game once bring the players in and talk about working together as a team.  You will notice that everyone will be working to get the ball and players will often run into each others space.  When you bring them in talk about dragging your defender away from a space to create space for your teammates.  Remind them that it is a team game.

Make It Competitive

• Give a point to the attacking team every time they create space to receive a ball 
• Play two rounds and have players switch partners after both teams have gone once

III. 5v5 To Goal Must Combine Off Your Center Mid

Set Up

• Two teams of 5 players
• One player on each team is designated their center mid 

Procedure

• You must play the ball to your center mid before you can go to goal
• The teams will play normal soccer and must keep good defensive shape.  That means they cannot ignore the other players and only cover the center mid

Key Ideas

• Work on possessing the ball until the pass to the center mid opens up
• The timing of the center mids run
• The other players keeping their heads up while possessing the ball

Make It Competitive

Once they get the idea of the game we will play normal soccer and give the following points

• +1 point for finding the center mid and keeping possession of the ball
• +2 point for finding the center mid and switching the point of attack and keeping possession of the ball
• +3 points for the center mid creating a scoring opportunity
• +1 point for a goal
• Play games to 15 points

IV. Futsol

II. Ball Striking To Goal

III. Eric's Defensive Training

Key Ideas

• Defending with the back 7
• Defending set pieces

• Moving the ball in the attacking half
• Playing in our wingers
• Crossing and Finishing
• Back 4 organization when we have the ball

The idea for today is to build on the crossing and finishing from Saturday while working on how we can get the ball to our wingers in space.

II. Playing In The Wingers: 4v3 to 6v3 Patterns To Goal

Set Up

• 30x20 yd grid at the half line
• 2 Teams
• Blue Team Attacking (6 Players) 2 Fwds and 2 CMs who start inside the grid and 1 Winger on each side, outside of the grid
•  Red Team Defending (3 Players) 2 CB and 1 Mid
• 2 Pugg Goals are the goals for the defending team to score in

We are going to work on four patterns to get our wingers the ball.  Each pattern is started by the positioning of the Red Defender.  I want our center mids and forwards to recognize which pass is being taken away by the defense and take what they are giving us.  

Basic Rules

• The red center backs must stay goal side of the two forwards
• The pattern becomes live upon the pass out to the wingers and the defenders attempt to steal the ball

Key Ideas Not Written Into Each Progression

• How the forwards and center mids make runs for each other at the start of each pattern
• How do we make our runs into the box
• Where the service should be played

Make It Competitive

Offense max points per turn is 5

• +1 for proper execution of the pattern
• +1 for a cross and shot that is not on target
• +2 for a cross and shot on goal
• +4 for a cross and a shot on goal

Defense max points per turn is 5

• +1 for first touch on the cross
• +2 for a clear
• +4 for a goal into the pugg goals

Procedure For Pattern 1 

• Red mid starting position is blocking the pass to the far forward
• CM plays the close forward and bounces outside to for a give and go with the forward

Procedure For Pattern 2

• Red mid starting position is blocking the pass to the near forward
• Blue CM plays the ball to the far forward who lays the ball off to the other CM who plays the ball to the winger

Procedure For Pattern 3

• Red mid starting position is blocking the pass to the far forward
• Blue CM plays the close forward and bounces outside just like pattern #1 but the red defender goes with that center mids run and takes away the pass back
• The Blue Forward plays the ball to the other center mid who finds the far winger

Procedure For Pattern 4

• The Red mid starting position is blocking the pass to the far forward
• The Blue CM plays the close forward
• As the ball is played the other center mid makes a run into space beyond the other forward
• As the ball is played the other forward drops off her defender and receives the pass from the other forward and plays the center mid into space
• The outside makes her run down the line and stays wide as an outlet for a pass if the center mid is closed down

III. Playing In The Wingers 5v5 Possession To 7v5 To Goal

Set Up

• Expand the box we were working with for the patterns to be 40x30 yds
• Attacking Team has 7 players: 2 forwards, 2 wingers, 3 mids
• Defending Team has 5 players plus a goalie and they are set up in the following fashion 
• 2 center backs who must stay goal side of the blue forwards
• 2 outside backs who can step up to pressure the ball but cannot tackle (they are allowed to intercept passes)
• 1 midfielder who can tackle
• If the attacking team is struggling I will give them a support player who is outside of the grid that they can play to restart their attack

 Procedure

• The attacking team must complete 2 passes before finding a winger into space
• If the defending team steals the ball they try score on the pugg goals or keep possession of the ball inside the grid
• Once the ball goes to the wing the play is live to goal
• The attacking team has 10 seconds to create a shot

Make It Competitive

Offense Max Points Per Turn is 5

• +1 pt for playing the ball to the winger
• +1 for a cross and shot that is not on target
• +2 for a cross and shot on goal
• +4 for a cross and a shot on goal

Defense Max Points Per Turn is 3

• +3 points for a goal into the pugg goals
• +3 points for completing 4 passes inside the starting grid 
• Once the ball goes to the winger the defense can only get points for scoring inside the pugg goal within 7 seconds of winning the ball

IV. 9v9 Scrimmage