first touch drills

[concern]

Im trying to set up a group of progressive first touch drills that will have perhaps 10-15 players per group. We are doing a 4 week clinic ( 2 days per week for first touch ) and I need a little help. Ages will be roughly 8-12. Can anyone give me some good ideas or drills? Thanks everyone.

Jeff

[Cookie]

Originally Posted by concern

Im trying to set up a group of progressive first touch drills that will have perhaps 10-15 players per group. We are doing a 4 week clinic ( 2 days per week for first touch ) and I need a little help. Ages will be roughly 8-12. Can anyone give me some good ideas or drills? Thanks everyone.

Jeff

Every single passing/receiving drill you can think of should focus on first touch. I always try to get my kids thinking two steps ahead, knowing where they are going with the ball before receiving it - making the first touch a lot easier!

A simple numbers game where players pass through the same sequence is one easy way of doing this, as players need to know where the ball is coming from and going to. So tha twill help them with their first touch - which I always encourage as "changing the direction of the ball".

[idge]

I'm not sure if this wil fit into your session and it might not be right for your age range, but here goes.

I recently read a great article about first touch for shooting and passing. The coaches aim was to untangle one particular bad habit that we are guilty of training and that is trapping the ball - a very British way of controlling high balls especially.

The main jist is this: when you trap the ball, obviously that first touch is essential and by trapping the ball your view and concentration fall on the ball between your feet. It then takes a second touch to get the ball out and a third to possibly pass or shoot. By this time the player will be well under pressure and not have the time to play a better ball or shot.

Solution: Train the player to knock that high ball 2-3 yards ahead and 45 degrees to the left or right (depending on which foot he/her prefers).
The advantage of this is the players head is not down and looking between their feet - they are able to view their surroundings from 1st touch and can choose whether to pass or shoot.

This also gives players the opportunity to practice cushioning the ball and you can add as much or less pressure on the ball to advance the drill.

[huffsw]

Originally Posted by idge

Train the player to knock that high ball 2-3 yards ahead and 45 degrees to the left or right (depending on which foot he/her prefers).
The advantage of this is the players head is not down and looking between their feet - they are able to view their surroundings from 1st touch and can choose whether to pass or shoot.

My thoughts at first are, "This is what I've been coaching my whole soccer carreer!" Then after some consideration, I understand that there is a time and a place both for trapping and for receiving to space.

When there is high pressure from an opponent, the player's foremost thoughts should be with sheilding and control of the ball in order to win the time and space. When to apply the reception of the ball to space is in the event that there is little or no pressure that's applied from your opponent.

This is a basic but critical ball handling skill that might take a whole season to coach... more or less. But the time spent is well worth and effort expended.

Stephen

[amariepeace@hotmail.com]

Dynamic touch drills are great! Get them to place their first touch in the direction that their pass will be going. I use a colors game where players have to pass the ball to the next color in a specific order. For instance blue passes to green, green to yellow, yellow to red, and red to blue. You can have 8 players in a grid. Two players to a color. This is a great drill for communication and thinking two passes ahead. The players really like it Start with unlimited touches, then 2 touch, then 1 touch, back to 2 touch and end with unlimited.

[Old Soccer Guy]

I like that one too. It helps with their vision as well. They have to find the right color ahead of time.

[Val]

Originally Posted by amariepeace@hotmail.com

Dynamic touch drills are great! Get them to place their first touch in the direction that their pass will be going. I use a colors game where players have to pass the ball to the next color in a specific order. For instance blue passes to green, green to yellow, yellow to red, and red to blue. You can have 8 players in a grid. Two players to a color. This is a great drill for communication and thinking two passes ahead. The players really like it Start with unlimited touches, then 2 touch, then 1 touch, back to 2 touch and end with unlimited.

You know, I'd forgotten that drill. We used it a lot with the last adult team that I played on, almost 20 years ago now, and it is a great idea.

I've got my season pretty much mapped out for my girls this year (I'm going to be introducing the Ajax game to younger kids than I have before), but I'm thinking I may have to find time for this game. What I like about is the premium it places on talking.

[Jerzy]

Originally Posted by Val

I've got my season pretty much mapped out for my girls this year (I'm going to be introducing the Ajax game to younger kids than I have before), but I'm thinking I may have to find time for this game. What I like about is the premium it places on talking.

What exactly do you mean you have your season mapped out?

I started writing lesson plans on index cards for each session a couple of years ago, and I'm going to use that form we got at the NSCAA course, but I do that week by week pretty much. Have you got your season already figured out???

[labmancc]

HI I am new to this site I coach a U-18 girls team. A drill I use for one touch and also for warm ups before games is to have two groups facing each other, one with the ball about 15 yards apart. The first person passes the ball to the first person in the other line, who steps toward the ball and passes it back to the next person in the starting line. After the person passes the ball they sprint to the back of the line they passed the ball to. I have a group of 16-18 girls I put 4-5 in each line and have little races to make sure everyone is moving. keep this going for 5-6 minutes.

[mcolwell]

What about varying it a bit to use alternate feet (work on weaker foot); or control it and do a turn and then pass back; or control it and dribble the ball back every other go?