How Do I Teach Width?

[Val]

I coached U10 girls this year and focused mostly on shooting, going to goal aggressively (which is a need for girls), goalkeeping, and freethrows. The girls did great, but I am aware that my girls play very vertically. As these girls get older, I want to teach them to play wider and use space a little better. Which was not my natural inclination as a player.

How would you plan a season-long emphasis on developing and teaching width? The girls play 6v6 and I've always played a 2-1-2. I don't feel at all comfortable playing a 1-3-1 at this age due to the fact that one or two of my midfielders who don't hustle back and you've got just one girl playing defense.

[nelson]

I too would like to hear form anyone who knows of a drill / game that encourages width. I run an U-10 boys side and the midfield just tend to get their heads down and run straight ahead towards the opposition goal. I want to coach them to switch play and get width on either flank. This would also mean coaching an attacker to make a run wide.

any tips greatly appreciated...

Nelson

[mcolwell]

I coach an under nines team and our stregth is using width. This comes from encouraging looking up and pssing and continual movement. The way to start this off is to play practice games where players are restricted to zones which are marker out by coloured cones. I would start with taking an area of 50 x 50 and dividing it in to four or six to stop players running the length of the pitch. This will do two things, restrict their movement and so force them to look up to see what else they can do with the ball. It will also encourage the players in the other zones to call for the ball and so encourage 'heads up'. You will have to coach them to move within their zones to be best placed to receive the ball. You will also have to rotate players around the zones so that get experience of each area of the pitch. The wider the area of play the better really. It does work, it turned them from under sight headless chickens to cup winners last saeson and they are top of the league this year. Once you have got the hange of this there are other drills you can do to take it further.

[darren_brady@msn.com]

i coach under 12's girls ans have just done a session on getting the ball out to wingers. start with playing area of 60 x 40 with a goal at each end
come in 5 yards from each byline and cone that area off the full length of the pit on both sides. have a player from each team in this area then player 6v6 in the area that is left. the main players then have two touches to get the ball out to their winger in the coned area, the winger then has to run up field and get a first time cross in. this promotes getting the ball out wide then having to get upfield to try and get on the end of the crosses.

we did this on a Friday training session and played on the sat morning and scored 3 goals with headers from the crosses that were sent in something we have not done all season.

[nelson]

thanks for the feedback.

I'll be trying those out on Saturday.

Thanks again!

[ian.curry]

The one that Darren describes is one of my favourites - remember that to start with the player in each 'wing' plays for whoever he recieves the ball off.
You can progress it by having 1v1 in the wing, 2v1, left side only, limited touches etc.

I can't say I've seen an instant reaction to it but certainly the kids enjoy it and it has long term benefits.

[Cookie]

I'm working on a session tonight with my U10's that is not really about width, but speed of play in congested areas - which by default actually encourages players to get into wide positions or move the ball wide.

I start off with a 5v5 in a 40x30 grid split into two halves denoting defence and attack zones. Object is to run the ball over your opponents goal line, but both teams are conditioned to only have two touches maximum in defensive area. Coaching points are slick, sharp passing and movement, move the ball quickly in defensive area, don't take risks in defence.

From there I progress to splitting the pitch lengthways into three zones (so two wide areas and one central zone). At the end of each area is a mini-goal (cones are fine) so you end up having three goals at each end of the same 40x30 area. Emphasis now switches on 2-touch in that central strip, encourage players to be creative in wide positions but to not take chances or risks in the normally congested midfield areas.

Finally we play a 8v8 match, but I mark out a square in the central area of the whole pitch (which is now 60x40) and tell all players that it is two touch in that central zone but unlimited touches elsewhere. You will see them think and act quickly in the middle, but also it will encurage them to spread the ball wide (or to stay wide to receive the ball) where they are then asked to be creative again and have as many touches as they want.

It's important to maintain a high tempo with this session, with lots of good movement off the ball and nice sharp passing. I've prepared a session plan for this if anybody has trouble understanding the above, just let me know and I'll email it.

[James Buckley]

I like the sound of this one, can you send me the email please. cpm@cahir.aibp.ie

[Cookie]

Originally Posted by James Buckley

I like the sound of this one, can you send me the email please. cpm@cahir.aibp.ie

Done, let us know how it goes?

[steve68]

Please can you E-Mail me your session plan for this drill.As I would like to use it this Saturday. I will let you know how it went. Thank you. E-Mail