U12 to U14 
Soccer Coaching Manual

by Gavin J. Spooner
kieran544@cs.com
 

INDEX
 

COACHING  GUIDELINES
  1. COMMUNICATION: Ensure the terminology you use is clear and precise. Let players know you are in charge.
  2. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT: Whenever possible give individuals and/or groups positive reinforcement. Refrain from using negative comments. Use praise as an incentive.
  3. BE CREATIVE AND USE INITIATIVE: If the drill or game is too advanced, modify to increase the chances of success.
  4. MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Be motivational and inspirational. Enthusiasm and being energetic are contagious.
  5. KEEP PLAYERS ACTIVE: If the drill is static, create need of helpers or assistants to keep everyone involved.
  6. EACH PLAYER IS AN INDIVIDUAL: Be aware of player differences. Aggressive or quiet, recognition of player personalities will allow you to respond to all players, and they will respond to you positively.
  7. STRIVE FOR QUALITY: In all demonstrations make the desired objectives clear. If a player shows mastery of a skill, use him/her to demonstrate.
  8. REINFORCE CORRECT TECHNIQUE: In all drills and games continually emphasis the use of correct techniques.
  9. ENCOURAGE PLAYER MOVEMENT: At all times make players aware of importance of readiness. Emphasize weight forward on toes and bouncing instead of flat footed-ness.
  10. ROTATE POSITIONS: All players should be active as servers, assistants. In game situations change positions each quarter.
  11. DEVELOP PLAYER RESPECT: Continually get players to support one another. To show good sportsmanship towards all players including opponents, and respect for others attempts and effort.
  12. EQUALITY AMONGST PLAYERS: Give equal attention to all players in group or games. Do not leave the less competent players behind nor slow the advanced players.
  13. FUN AND ENJOYMENT: Players will respond and want to continue if things are fun. Create their enjoyment.

 
    REMEMBER AS A COACH YOU SHOULD BE DEDICATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALL PLAYERS WHETHER TECHNICALLY ABLED OR NEW TO THE GAME. YOUR POSITION IS VERY IMPORTANT. YOU ARE A ROLE MODEL TO THESE CHILDREN. SET EXEMPLARY STANDARDS. DEVELOPING GOOD TOUCH AND TECHNIQUE, GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP AND A GOOD ATMOSPHERE IS THE GOAL. KEEP AWAY FROM CREATING A PRESSURE TO WIN. MAINTAIN EQUALITY THROUGHOUT YOUR SESSIONS AND EMPHASIZE FUN AND DEVELOPMENT.
 

TEACHING  POINTS


DTT. ( Developing Touch and Technique).
  • Maintain close control with both feet.
  • Be agile, stay on toes.
  • Use all parts of feet, inside, outside, laces, sole.
  • Move to get behind balls path.
  • Keep a soft contact.
  • Concentrate on center of ball.
  • Keep head up.
  • Control ball first, don’t just kick it away.
  • Change direction and speed when turning.
  • Be a friend with the ball.

 


PASSING
  • Use inside of feet.
  • Change body position so it’s comfortable.
  • Stay relaxed. Don’t be like a robot.
  • Look at ball when passing.
  • Pass to other players, not just kick and hope.
  • Move afterwards.
  • Move away from players to receive ball.
  • Turn body to face ball when receiving.
  • Stay spread out.

 


SHOOTING
  • Keep toe pointing down.
  • Lock ankle.
  • Strike with shoelaces.
  • Strike through center of ball.
  • Swing leg and follow through.
  • Keep relaxed except keep foot locked.
  • Accuracy before power.
  • Keep knee and head over ball.
  • Place standing foot alongside ball, not in front or behind.
  • Aim for bottom corners of goal.
  • Accuracy before power.
  • Follow after shooting.
  • Use foot closest to the ball. I.E. left or right foot.

 


GAMES
  • All of the above.
  • Keep moving.
  • Encourage movement towards ball.
  • Encourage use of width.
  • Keep positions only loosely restricted.
  • Take Time-out to rotate subs and positions.
  • Coach, educate, and support during games.
  • Explain all fouls and calls made.
  • Create an understanding of the Laws of the Game.

 

PRACTICE  TIPS 

         This page is designed to help coaches overcome some common practice time occurrences. There are 30 solutions listed here to some common problems. Some of these solutions contain a direct link to a sample in the practice plan manual.

NOT ENOUGH SOCCER BALLS AT PRACTICE or half the team left them at home!

  1. Use "ghost" players who play without ball. They can tag a player on shoulder and replace that player. Good in individual activities and when only 1 or 2 balls missing.
  2. Revise practice session to be less Individual and more small group. Good for passing and shooting type activities that work 1 ball between 2,3 or more players. Useful if half balls or more are missing.
  3. If only 2 balls present: play a 3 Vs 3 style tournament, IE 2 games of small-sided being played at once. Only 1 ball, rather than play 6 Vs 6 play 3 teams of 4 NON-STOP SOCCER, where teams rotate after each goal or set time.

    4. HAVE AN ODD NUMBER OF PLAYERS AT PRACTICE or I planned for 12 but got 9!

  4. If you have an Assistant or spare parent have them work with a goalkeeper.
  5. When doing pair activity make a triangle.
  6. If small group activity, ie In groups of 3 players pass to a central player who turns and passes, add spare player to one group and the passes are alternated.
  7. In small group activities use spare as a shadow defender with no tackling allowed (vary)
  8. Scrimmage time at the end of practice and only 9 players:

    9. Play 5 vs 4 and make the team with less players loaded wither stronger players

    Play 5 vs 4 and have team of 5 attacking small goal

    Play 5 vs 4 and team 4 with GK, team 5 without

    Use Asst./ parent/ brother - sister to even teams

    Play yourself

    Play 4 vs 4 with a floating player who plays for the team in attack (good for more

    advanced players. )

    Play 4 vs 4 and use a sub. Good for more active activities, longer period of play

    HOW YOU CAN INCLUDE GK SPECIFIC TRAINING or my keeper needs work but so do my field players?

  9. If odd number of players, remove GK and have them work with Asst or Parent.
  10. In individual and group activities allow GK’s to use hand. IE Your topic is passing and receiving and your activity is give ‘n’ go’s. Allow Gk to use hands to receive and distribute, or if a defending activity allow them to dive to try and intercept passes.
  11. In activities make topic goal orientated. If playing 1 vs 1 game trying to knock over opponents cone, have 1 player attack a cone and other attack a GK and goal.
  12. Small and large group activities can be goal orientated also. Playing 5 vs 2 keep away, after 6 passes can attack goal

    13. HOW TO PICK TEAMS FOR SCRIMMAGES or I don’t want to use captains?

  13. Use your knowledge and judgment to evenly match up individuals
  14. Play offense versus defense, or as the Dutch do, play left side versus right side
  15. For Random teams:

    16. Choose 1 player to give everyone a number. You turn away then pick random numbers

    Choose players by criteria like 1st letter of 1st name (or any 1st - last combo with

    1st name, last name, mom - dad’s name etc)

    Choose players by criteria of date of month born, month of year born etc

    HOW TO RESTRICT DEFENDERS/OPPOSITION or my defenders always win the ball without the others gaining experience!

  16. Have opposition play only as a shadow (good for introducing new topics as its only light pressure)
  17. Have defender play as a ghost, IE no tackling only pressure to force an error or interception
  18. Restrict movement of defender by playing as a crab on all 4's (good for less experienced)
  19. Ensure adequate grouping. IE less experienced might need 6 vs 1 to achieve success, more experienced maybe 3 vs 1
  20. Increase the playing area especially in examples like above

    21. HOW TO INCREASE COMPETITION FOR THE MORE ADVANCED PLAYERS ON TEAM or my good players are creaming the weaker ones and not learning !

  21. In pair or group activities match players up by talent/ experience
  22. If 1 exceptional player then match against an Asst/ parent/ older brother - sister for greater physical challenge
  23. Reduce the space the stronger player must work in
  24. Make their target smaller or further away
  25. Limit their number of touches
  26. Limit them to use their weaker foot only
  27. Allow a less experienced player to play more intense opposition, IE rather than shadow defend can play 100%
  28. In scrimmage you as coach play Against that 1 stronger player
  29. 9 players for scrimmage, maybe play 3 stronger players vs 6

    30. IN SOME ELIMINATING GAMES PLAYERS SIT OUT FOR 5 MINUTES or its my weaker players who lose first - and they need the practice!

  30. In games like Knockout, players should do a skill activity that allows them back into the game. Rather than score game by eliminating players, score by number of successes in a set period of time, thus allowing players back in after they :

dribble to a distant cone, juggle the ball x times or do x toe taps.

8  WEEK  SCHEDULE

WEEK

FORMAT

PRACTICE

GAME

1.

INTRO.

BASIC TECHNIQUE - FOOT SKILLS

15 - 20 MIN

2.

INTRO.

BASIC TECHNIQUE - PASSING

15 - 20 MIN

3.

CONTROL

CONTROL AND TURNING

4 * 10 MIN

4.

PASSING

PASSING GAMES

4 * 10 MIN

5.

ATTACK

SHOOTING TECHNIQUE AND GAMES

4 * 10 MIN

6.

DEFENSE

DEFENDING AND GOALKEEPING

4 * 10 MIN

7.

TEAMWORK

COMBINING SKILLS LEARNT

4 * 10 MIN

8.

 FESTIVAL of FUN - Series of Games
 

Program Teaching Plans

Lesson Plan Diagrams
 

WEEK 1: BASIC FOOT SKILLS

WARM - UPS:
 10 - 15 MINS.




TIC -TOC

 

 BALL GYMNASTICS:

Stationary: Roll ball with bottom of foot forwards and backwards with right then left. Repeat from side to side, and then in a circular motion. Repeat all with increased speed.

On Toes.

Tick-Tock. Pass the ball from inside of left to inside of right ( See Diagram) Hat Dance. Lightly touch ball with bottom of right foot then with left. Ball should remain still. Increase speed for both.

Movement. Tick-Tock but move ball slightly forwards each touch. Take it width of field then turn and return. Same with

Hat Dance. Sideways stance. Roll right foot over ball and stop with inside of left. On return use other feet.

 TECHNIQUE:
 10 - 15 MINS.

 


          2 Squares C

 SQUARE ACTIVITIES. (SEE DIAGRAM)

Commands. Move ball inside square. Coach gives Commands like Stop, Go, Turn Left foot, Right foot, Insides, Tic-toc, etc.

Other Commands. Body Parts. Touch ball with that BP.

Find Spaces. As kids move their ball inside square they try to find as much space as possible. On Coaches command player with most space is winner.

2 Squares A. Add a 2nd square and have players on command move ball into new square.

2 Squares B. Split kids into 2 groups, 1 in each square, on command they leave their ball and switch squares to find a new one.

2 Squares C. Same as above but take the ball with them, avoiding bumping in the middle. (See Diagram)

Lose your Shadow. In the double square each player has ball and partner. The Shadow has to try and stay within 1 yd of 2 Square C. Partners Switch between Leader and Shadow
WATER BREAK:
GAMES 1:
10 - 15 MINUTES 		SQUARE GAMES:
Musical Soccer Balls

 

 Pac Dudes. Kids inside square dribble around, 1 player

Musical Soccer Balls (GHOST) outside square. On command Pac Dudes the for Musical X Ghost has to kick all the balls out of the square. Winner is last one in square. Emphasize shielding and turning. Change ghosts. U7 all have go as Ghost. U8 have 2 Ghosts.

Musical Soccer Balls. Place 4 cones outside square. Dribble in square, on command, players stop ball and leave it, and run to touch any one of the 4 cones. Coach removes 1 ball and when they come back into square they put their foot on ANY available ball. Player who doesn’t get a ball is out. Get that player to remove next ball. Make sure all players are moving in square, not staying by the sides. (See diagram)
WATER BREAK:
GAMES 2:
10 - 15 MINUTES		 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA CRABS.
TMNC set-up

 

 

 Players start at end of the Island with their Soccer balls. Coach starts as crab sitting with legs forward, and can only move in this position. On Command, players have to dribble ball past Crab to the other end ( Beach. ) without their ball going into the ocean. They must stop the ball on the line. Crab moves to kick ball into ocean. If ball goes into ocean, then that player becomes crab. When everyone has reached the beach, and crabs are ready, then repeat in opposite direction. Last one still on Island is winner.

Emphasize. close control and movement from side to side to get past the crabs. (See Diagram)
WATER BREAK: RECAP: GAME PREP: Use this time to recap on the practice and to organize for the game.


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