Soccer Players

Click here to see our selection of Coaching Supplies.

Coaching a group of soccer players, especially younger children, can be difficult when you have entirely different objectives than the members on your team. One way to look at a group of soccer players in a match, rather than labeling the problems, “our passing isn’t very good, our defenders are not effective, we can’t finish,” etc, is to examine smaller situations.

Look at how the soccer players handle all of the little games inside of the main one. This is a useful coaching technique, and will help you get on the same track as your soccer players. Evaluate the play on how well the soccer players have mastered their 1v1’s, 2v1’s, 2v2’s and so on. This will help you judge the game as well as construct next practice in a beneficial manner.

If your soccer players cannot play in a 3v2 situation in the soccer game, then use that skill in your next practice. Using the least amount of soccer players possible will ensure the most repetitions and involvement of all your soccer players. During practice, have two or more small games going on at the same time. Or have a short “winners stay” format. Another option is to have another smaller game serve as an active rest for the soccer players while a bigger game is going on.

If you simply add soccer players into the game for the sake of convenience, you may see a negative effect on the lesson. Only change the numbers when appropriate.

After you teach the soccer players basic ball manipulation, introduce the 1v1 format. Soccer players learn how to judge space, read intentions, develop technique, and handle stress during this drill. Here are three ways to use the 1v1 with your soccer players:

1. The attacker starts with the ball outside of the field, carries it on and attempts to score. The defender closes when the ball enters the field, attempting to win the ball and score by dribbling over the attackers line. If the goalkeeper saves the ball, then he can play it back out to the defender. The main goal of the goalkeeper is to keep the attacker honest, and as a springboard for the defenders counter attack.
2. Have the defender stand next to the attacker. The attacker will now be faced with a defender either behind or alongside of him as well as having a goalkeeper to beat. If the attacker has too much, or too little success, adjust the starting point of the defender.
3. Now have both the attacker and defender start on the goal line. The goalkeeper starts the game by rolling the ball out from the goal so that the attacker can be first to it. Now he will have a defender on his back and will have to turn in order to score. The defender will have to concentrate on not allowing the attacker to turn.