23 Jul 2019

Soccer Training Drills to develop offensive wide play #1

These soccer training drills will help wide players to understand the type of movement they need to practice to receive the ball to feet and to run into space to be a more effective wide player

Soccer Training Drills Organisation

• Two goals with GK’s
• Supply of footballs with a server in the middle of the pitch
• Pitch size to suit the age and ability of the players, but suggest full width 60 – 70 yards wide x 70 – 80 yards long
• Two wide players, two fullbacks, two central midfield and two strikers, positioned as per graphic in each half of the pitch

Soccer Training Drills

Pattern of the Soccer training drills

• The purpose of the soccer training drill is to make sure that the wide player can adjust to any way to create space and time for themselves when receiving a ball from any player on the pitch, using all different types of movement working off the center midfielder, the striker and most importantly the fullback.
• This is so the wide player knows how to get away from their marker to drag the defender away from the space, knowing what they will do with it once he gets it, then check to get the ball in the space with a movement, turn and the drive into the other space he has created.
• The end result should always be a successful cross, shot or attempt on goal.

Structure

• Ball starts with the server, who passes to the fullback.
• The fullback combines with the wide player, who then looks to get in a cross or shot.
• Midfield and forward to get into the box and attack the cross.
• After the attack, the game rotates, with the next attack again starting from the server, but now playing in the opposite direction.
• Repeat, end to end attacks

Progressions

1. Wide player, check away, back to receive to feet from the fullback – turn and run with ball, cross and finish
2. Wide player check to ball, spin away to space, fullback pass into space, cross and finish
3. Wide player runs inside to find space between the lines and get turned for a shot or cross
4. Wide player, receives to feet, drives inside with the ball, creates space for the overlapping fullback, cross and finish
5. Wide player receives, drives down the line, creates space inside for an under lapping fullback, shot or cross
6. Wide players drives down the line, turns and sets back for a supporting fullback behind the ball, cross and finish
7. Bring in an opposition fullback to test the wide player.
8. Bring in 3 defenders to plays against the wide player, the central midfield player and the forward
9. Progress to a game

 Coaching Tips

• Wide players to demonstrate reverse movement- short, then long: Long, then back to feet
• Receive with an open body – on the half turn
• Create space with the ball, i.e over lap, under lap.
• Quality and accuracy of the pass and cross
• Timing of the movement.
• Change of pace
• Clear, early communication.
• Quality of the finish
• Movement of other players, i.e. midfield, forward to create and leave space for the wide player and fullback

Vlog on crossing and finishing