PROGRESSIONS AND CHALLENGES WHEN COACHING SOCCER – PART THREE

Posted by Mike Trusson on 19 May, 2012

This is the third part of the topic that I presented at the recent Soccer Coaching in Porto, Portugal. This involves progressions and challenges when coaching players.

In these examples, again taken from www.grassrootscoaching.com, the football coach has organised a rotating close range shooting game. The objective is to provide the players with lots of opportunities to have realistic, match like scenarios to practice close range shooting and finishing opportunities. The soccer coach should firstly ensure that the players respond as they would in a game, for example if there is a shooting opportunity, be positive and take that opportunity. The soccer coach can then look to help the players improve their finishing techniques, their decisions and encourage individual, inventive play and quick combination play between players. The coach can then start to introduce progressions and challenges to the session, to provide greater enjoyment and realism as well as to put pressure on the players’ performance.

Diamonds Progression 1 - Fielders must pass to another fielder before passing into the strikers

THE PROGRESSION

Fielders must pass to another fielder before ball is played into the strikers – encourages greater movement in the penalty area from the strikers
Strikers restricted to a maximum of 2 touches, except where they have to finish first time – encourages quick play between the strikers

THE CHALLENGE – To develop a wider range of relevant, match like finishing skills. Each pair of strikers must score a goal with the following condition:

First time shot
Turn and shot
Ball pulled back from one striker to the second – first time finish
Through pass from one striker to the second – first time finish
Give and go between strikers

THE PROGRESSION - The winning pair are the ones that complete all 5 scoring examples in the fewest shots. Rebounds from the goalkeeper count as a goal.