U12 week 6

Shoot & Save

  • ✅ SHOOTING TECHNIQUE

    Keep your eye on the ball and follow through with your laces!

    ✅ AWARENESS

    Are you shooting? Are you in goal?!

    ✅ ENCOURAGE

    Keep encouraging and cheering on your teammates if they score or miss!

  • ✅9v9 goal with goal area

    ✅Split the group into 2 teams

    ✅Starting cones just outside 6 yd area

    ✅5 x 7 yd shooting zone (center should be 10 yds out)

    ✅ All ⚽ split between both teams

  • ✅Both teams line up on opposite starting cones and take turns to shoot and be a GK in a fast-paced shooting game.

    ✅Start with a shooter and a GK

    1. 🔴 at start line passes to the shooter

    2. 🔴Shooter shoots for goal

    3. Goal/Miss/Save

    4. 🟡GK goes to the back of their line

    5. 🔴Shooter runs to become GK

    6. Next🟡 runs to become the shooter

    7. Next 🟡 passes

    ✅The rotations should be quick and the game is high-energy!

    ✅If the pass is missed or misses the area, the next player goes and rotation conitnues

    ✅Play for 3 rotations of players and ask players to keep their own score - add them up at the end for each team

    💡TIP - Play a practice round first and get the players used to the rotation and keep it fun!

    💡TIP - Shooting first-time can be difficult. Encourage players to be composed with the pass and shot - an eye on the ball and timing is key!

  • ✅Shooters can take 2 touches (control and shoot) if 1 is too difficult to start with

    ✅Change the shooting distance

    ✅Use non-dominant foot only

  • Shooting first time in a fast-paced game mirrors a lot of shooting opportunities in the game.

    Shooting drills are always good to have dynamism and non-perfect conditions as it helps develops the player’s skills in relation to the game.

    Quick thinking and transition in the game are also a key theme in soccer - getting players to shoot and quickly transition to be GK can help that cognitive thinking.

3v2 to goal

  • ✅ ATTACK

    Dribble into space, pass to a teammate if they are in a good position

    ✅ DEFEND

    Get to the ball quickly, work together like a pack of wolves to get the ball back!

    ✅BE BRAVE!

    Try skills and take lots of shots to score

  • ✅Use the goal area of a 4v4 field - 15W x 20L

    ✅Split teams equally, Attackers in 3s, Defenders in 2s and 1 GK

    ✅Attackers spread out at the opposite end of the goal

    ✅Defender on either side of the goal, others line up ready for their turn

  • ✅This is a game-like situation, with 3 attackers going to goal against 2 defenders.

    ✅There are more attackers to give them more success in scoring goals

    ✅The coach starts the rep with a pass or roll to the attackers.

    ✅As soon as an attacker receives the ball, they try and score a goal and the defenders can try and win the ball

    ✅The rep is over when the ball goes in the goal or out of the playing area.

    ✅After 10 reps, switch the attack and defense, and GK

    💡 TIP - Allow both ATTACK & DEFENSE to play, make mistakes and work things out for themselves, don’t stop the game too much, and encourage. At this age, it’s about reps and fun.

    DEFENDERS should pressure the ball as soon as the rep starts to make sure the ball stays away from the goal. DEFENDERS should stay close enough that it’s tough for the dribble to get through and so the ATTACKER finds it tricky to pass it without an interception

    ATTACKERS should use the space to get as near to the goal as possible.

  • ✅Allow defenders to start closer to the ball for more defensive success

    ✅Make the area larger to allow the players to play longer

    ✅Take out the GK for more goals

  • This exercise is like a real game situation, using all moments of the game.

    It’s important to use game-like situations in practice to give the confidence, understanding and use of skills put into practice.

Attack to Goal

  • ✅ ATTACK

    Get forward when you can, support the player on the ball & get wide and make space!

    ✅ DEFEND

    Defending: Get compact, pressure the ball, and work together!

    ✅ BOTH

    Be brave, encourage teammates, and do your best!

  • ✅9v9 half-field

    ✅1 x ⚽

    ✅1 9v9 goal, 2 mini-goals 🥅 (2 cones work too, if no goal)

    ✅Attacking team - 3 defenders, 3 midfield, 2 striker

    ✅Defenders - 1 GK, 2 defenders, 3 midfield, 1 striker

    ✅Ball restarts with goal kick when the ball goes out of play.

  • Defending the goal exercise is used to develop the defensive unit in a game situation with all the rules of soccer.

    The game is played on a half-field as this is the area being developed. Two mini-goals represent a good area for the team to aim at, to get forward through wide areas.

    ✅Make sure there are LOTS of reps. Each rep starts at half-way with the attacking team going to goal

    ✅Defenders need to work together and pressure the ball to win it back

    ✅Attackers should be brave and try and score

    1. Width - Make space/time on the ball to go to goal

    2. Support - help your teammates on the ball

    3. Penetration - Go forward through the defense to goal!

    💡TIP: Lots of reps and don’t be too strict on positioning and let the players learn and explore the game by trial and error.

    💡TIP: Switch positions after a few reps to give players experience in other areas.

    💡TIP: You can explain that the team with the ball is always the attacking team, no matter, if the GK has the ball or the attacking team are in front of their own goal. Alternatively, without the ball, the opposition striker is a defender!

  • ✅Less attackers make it easier for defenders

  • The more experience players get in real game situations, the more they will understand the game and how they can find success. Also, how all of the different skills they’ve learned will fit into the game.

    The goal is to allow players to experience, have fun and build confidence in this game-like situation with lots of reps to allow for development.

GAME TIME!

What you need:

✅ 1 x⚽

✅ 2 teams (different colors)

✅ 2 goals

✅ All the rules of the game - throwins, goal-kicks, corners, kickoffs and fouls. So they can practice for the weekend!

TIME TO PLAY! ⚽ Allow the players to have fun, be competitive, and express themselves. At this age, don’t impose too much structure. Don’t force passing or stop the play. Encourage and give positive comments on the goal of the session (dribbling) and coach sporadically as the game goes on.