Training and Tactical Drills

Attacking 1 v 1:

It is inevitable is soccer that every player on a team must attack an opponent in a 1 v 1 situation. Beating defending players in a 1 v 1 situation requires skill, courage and confidence. This series of training activities will train attacking players to go 1 v 1 against opponents with confidence and success.

Defending 1v1:

The use of small sided games is valuable in developing soccer players of all ages and is used at every level of soccer from professional to grass roots. Every coach should know how to use small-sided games to develop the specific aspects of a player and a team. While team tactics require the use of a larger playing area and number of player, the small-sided game is essential for developing technique and small group play which is easily transferable to the 11 aside game.

Combination play is use of passes by two or more player to beat opponents. Combination play can take place on any part of the field by any combination of players and can be any number of passes.

It is a self-evident fact that to win games a team must score goals. Without scoring goals the best a team can do is draw. The difference between 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw can be huge throughout the season. Scoring opportunities are often rare and scoring from these few opportunities is paramount to winning games. Scoring is also an “Attitude”.

Physical Fitness is a crucial part of soccer. The lower the skill level the more important physical fitness is to a team. More energy is required to execute skills for an unskilled or lesser skilled player than it does for a skilled player. Fitness can win or lose soccer games.

Training your goalkeeper

After winning the ball a team in possession of the ball has two options:
1. Maintain possession, coordinate your attack and give your opponents a chance to get organized; OR
2. Attack “QUICKLY” while the opposing team is disorganized defensively.
Teams must train to “Counterattack” in order to have it as a team tactic.

Set Plays are sometimes referred to as Set Pieces or Starts and Restarts. While there are many Set Plays the following will assist team in defending against Set Plays and performing some of their own attacking Set Plays that may result in goals or goal scoring opportunities:
Defending Corners;
Attacking Corners;
Throw-ins.

After winning the ball a team in possession of the ball has two options:
1. Maintain possession, coordinate your attack and give your opponents a chance to get organized; OR
2. Attack “QUICKLY” while the opposing team is disorganized defensively.
Teams must train to “Counterattack” in order to have it as a team tactic.

Team Defending Using the 4-4-2 System

Modern defence is organized around the concept of “ball-oriented” defence. Zonal defending is the modern concept of defending. Whether you use a Stopper/Sweeper System or a zonal defence there is something in the following exercises that will benefit your team even though they are more specific to zonal defending using a 4-4-2 formation.

There are basically two types of strikers:

1. Target Striker
2. Withdrawn or support striker
Every team should ideally have both.

According to Success in Soccer there are 56 channels of communication on the field in a 4 v 4 game. In many sports, especially sports that involve large numbers of players, poor decision-making by athletes cause more errors than those caused by poor technique. Soccer is a sport that requires players to analyse situations involving large numbers of players and possibilities such as; do I pass, do I dribble, what type of pass, what type of shot, where do I pass, where do I run, when do I run etc. The possibilities are numerous and coaches must create training situations that require players to make good decisions based on what they see and what skills they possess.