Purpose of Activity:

• Each player is challenged by the coach to dribble under pressure while at the same time shielding their ball from their opponents
  

What's Required:

• Each player should have their own ball
• Cones/Disc's
• An appropriate confined area marked with cones (6 players = 10yds x 10yds)

Skills Learned:

• Visual Awareness
• Mental Awareness
• Shielding

Explanation:

• Explain that each player needs to dribble the ball within the castle (area marked by cones)
• While dribbling their ball they should try to kick another players ball out of the castle
• If their ball gets kicked outside of the castle they must chase after it
  • Explain that no player is eliminated, everyone continues to stay in the game
  • If they get possession of their ball prior to it coming to a complete stop, they can re-enter the castle 
  • If the ball stops they must perform a task before re-entering the castle
    • i.e. 10 touches on the ball (Example: their left foot, to their right foot and back to their left foot equals 2 passes)
• Tell the players to not only dribble the ball but try to shield the ball so that other players cannot kick their ball out of the castle
  • Ask for a volunteer to demonstrate prior to starting the activity or demonstrate yourself

Coaching Moments:

• Congratulate when a player:
  • Dribbles the ball close without loosing control
  • Doesn't bump into other players
  • Good touches on the ball before re-entering the castle
  • Good shielding of the ball from other players
• If a player or players continue to loose control and are not keeping the ball close:
  • Remind them to keep the ball close to their feet
  • Slow them down to give them more success
  • Ask a player to come out of the castle (into a safe area) and explain what they may be doing wrong
    • Have the player watch someone who is having a lot of success and ask them to go try it again
    • Congratulate that player when they start to have success (confidence builder)
• If some players are having a lot of success:
  • Have those players speed up a little more then the other players

Purpose of Activity:

• Each player is challenged by the coach to dribble and are given directions to "Switch" balls with another player, which is going to challenge their Vision, Awareness, Ball Control and Speed

What's Required:

• Cones to create an appropriately sized area to dribble in
• Each player will start off with their own ball

Skills Required:

• Ball Control
• Visual Awareness
• Mental Awareness
• Listening Skills
• Speed

Explanation of Activity/Game to the Players:

• Tell your players that they should dribble the ball within the area marked with cones
  • Emphasis that they are not to bump into other players and to move in different directions
• The players need to listen carefully for when you yell out the word "Switch"
• Before you play ask them what they should do when you yell the word "Switch"
• When you yell out "Switch" they are to leave their ball and find another players ball and continue dribbling
  • Do this a couple of times for them to get used to the game
• Once they are used to this; remove a ball
  • You will now have one player without a ball
  • Have that player continue to move withing the marked off area as if they are on the field waiting for a play to happen
• Yell "Switch"
  • All players should move to another ball and you should have a different player without a ball now
• Now remove about a third of the balls on the field and play again

Coaching Moments:

• Congratulate Players for:
  • Nice dribbling skills & kkeeping the ball close to their feet (Ball Skills)
  • Not bumping into other players while dribbling (Visual & Mental Awareness)
  • Staying within the coned area (Visual & Mental Awareness)
  • Quick movement from one ball to another (Listening Skills & Speed)
• Time for Corrections:
  • Remind the players to use the entire area which is marked out for them to use
  • Create space
  • Players not keeping the ball close to their feet
    • Slow them down to have more success
  • Players always bumping into other players
    • Pull the player outside of the coned area (into a safe zone)
    • Ask them why they think they are bumping into other players
      • If they do not give you an answer, remind them that they need to look up once and a while
  • Players not moving quickly enough to another ball
    • Ask them if they heard you when you yelled out "Switch". Maybe your not yelling loud enough for everyone to hear
    • Again ask them why and then remind them that if they move quickly and beat an opponent to a ball they will control the play on the field
  • Players not moving when they do not have a ball
    • Ask them why
    • Ask them if they think they would be better prepared to receive a passed ball if they were moving or stood still
    • Remind them that when their feet are planted still on the ground its like having cement shoes, and cement is hard to move because it is usually heavy

NOTE: If you want to continue a little longer you can make a few changes. Instead of yelling "Switch" you can yell the word "Change" (change direction), or "Fake" (make a fake move) etc,.

Ask them which parts of the foot they can use when changing direction or making a fake move. You should hear the following:

• Inside of the foot (dribbling and passing)
• Outside of the foot (changing direction, dribbling and passing)
• Bottom (Sole) of the foot  (stopping , quick stop & go, quick direction change and fakes)
• Back (Heel) of the foot (back pass)
• Laces (Shooting)
• Toes
  • As coaches; most of you are probably trying to get your children to stop using their toes as there is not a lot of control when they kick with them
  • However; although it is not the preferred method, it does come in useful sometimes when stretching to make a pass or a shot on goal. If you watch a professional game you may see one or two of the pro's even kicking with their toes. So don't be too hard on them.

Purpose of Activity:

• Each player is challenged by the coach to get into an open space in order to receive the ball from a team mate, dribble under pressure from a defender while incorporating ball skills and fake moves in order to shoot and score on the goal. This activity also allows you to incorporate your GoalKeeper into the practice as a keeper; rather then as a player.
• Although this activity can be completed over a couple of practices you can also use this as your full practice session (after your warm-up)

What's Required:

• Minimum of 4 Balls 
• Cones/Disc's (2 colors)
  • 6 Red
    • 2 Red to make a Goal
    • 4 Red for the Passers
  • Yellow
    • As many as required to mark an area of play
• Goal Keeper
• 4 Players as passers
• 1 Offensive player
• 1 Defensive player

Skills to be Learned:

• Visual Awareness
• Mental Awareness
• Ball Control
• Ball Skills
• Shielding
• Shooting Skills

Explanation:

Part 1

• Create a field for this exercise which is approx 20yds x 30yds with one color of the cones 
• Place 2 red cones on one end of the field as a goal
• Place 2 red cones on the sideline about 5yds apart from each other (starting at the end furthest away from the goal) and the remaining 2 red cones on the other side of the field opposite the other 2 cones
• Prior to starting the activity, place 1 passer (player) at each of the red cones on the sidelines o Each passer should have a ball
  • Give each passer a number; 1, 2, 3, & 4
• Place the goalkeeper in the goal
• Have the Defender wear one color penny and the Striker wear the other color penny and have them go into the field of play
• Explain that you are going to yell out a number and the passer with that number will need to pass their ball into the striker 
  • The striker should be constantly moving into open space so that a passer can pass the ball to them
  • The striker on receiving the ball will dribble, fake and move, in order to get into a position to shoot at the goal and score
• Once the ball has been shot on goal or the defender has cleared the ball, switch out the defender and striker with 2 of the players from the sideline
• By doing this you will not wear out a defender or striker and will keep the remaining players from standing around for too long
• Make sure that everyone has participated as a defender and as a Striker
• If you have 2 keepers per field you can also switch out the keepers

Part 2

• Same game with a few exceptions
  • Reduce the players on the sideline to 1 per side
  • Increase the number of defenders to 2
  • Increase the number of strikers to 2
• Play

Part 3

• Decrease the players on the sideline to 1
• Leave the number of defenders at 2
• Increase the number of strikers to 3
• Play

Part 4

• If you created 2 fields you can now combine them into 1 field and take this practice to a full scrimmage (Game Scenerio)

Coaching Moments:

• Congratulate when:
  • The Striker(s):
    • Dribbles the ball close without loosing control
    • Makes a nice play/move around the defender
    • Good shielding of the ball from the defender
  • The Defender(s):
    • Stays close to the striker and does not allow the striker to get a shot on goal
    • Clears the ball and stops a goal from being scored
  • Both the defender(s) and striker(s):
    • When the ball is kept in play for a long period of time due to good offensive and defensive play
    • Good passing
    • Good communication
  • Goal keeper(s):
    • For making a good saves (either by collecting the ball or by clearing the ball)
    • Good communication to the defender
• If a player or players continue to loose control of the ball (striker), are not clearing the ball (defender), or are not making an effort to save the ball or letting too many balls in the back of the net (goalkeeper):
  • Remind the striker to:
    • Keep the ball close to their feet
    • Shield the ball from the defender
    • Make more turns or fake moves on the ball
    • Take more chances
  • Remind the defender to:
    • Stay close to the striker and not give the striker room to move or have an angle to shoot on goal
    • Be more aggressive on the ball
    • Have the player watch someone who is having a lot of success in that position and ask them to go try it again
    • Congratulate that player when they start to have success (confidence builder)
  • Remind the Goalkeeper(s):
    • To communicate to the defender(s)
    • Get their body behind the ball when making a save
    • Keep the goalkeeper "READY" position/stance at all times
    • Dive if needed
    • Cut off the angle between the goal side of the defender and the open post
    • If clearing the ball, make sure they punch the ball clear and are not slapping the ball back into open play and back at an attacking player