Jeff began designing these drills when he was the Director of Coaching for the New Hampshire Soccer Association. He has his USSF "A" license and is a National Staff Coach with US Soccer.

Warm Up 5 - 10 minutes. Activity level - Mild ramping up. Space: General. 1 - 2 Players per group.

Toss and Control

The Game

Players move around the space freely, tossing their own ball in the air and trying to control it before it lands. Players dribble around controlling, then repeat the activity.

Coaching Points

Have player's body touch ball before it first hits the ground.
Have players control first touch with different body parts: foot, head, thigh, etc.
Have players flick ball into hands befoe the toss, don't allow them to pick the ball off the ground with their hands.
watch for height. Encourage different heights.
Have players fake before their first touch, fake on way to first touch in the opposite direction.

Small Game 20 - 25 Minutes. Activity level: Medium progression to high. Space: Defined space "smaller". 3 - 5 players per group.

Receiving Square

The Game

Define a space approximately 20 x 20. Each player should have a partner and one ball per group. One partnet goes to the outside of the defined space with a soccer ball. The other partner goes into the space. On command, outside players pass the ball to partner, who must receive and turn the ball. While dribbling, the inside player must find a new outside player to pass to. After a successfull pass, the inside player must move to any outside player with the ball and repeat the sequence.

Coaching Points

Inside players must be moving toward the incoming pass.
Encourage players to turn the ball several ways inside, outside of foot. Use of both feet is important.
After the turn, encourage quick decisions on where to pass or dribble next.
Change player roles (inside/outside) every 2 minutes.
As players become more proficient at receiving and turning, encourage them to fake one way before receiving, then turn the opposite way.

Team Game 30 Minutes plus. Activity level: High. Space: Defined for the game = larger space. 7 - 11 players per team.

Keeper Game Receiving

The Game

Play on your soccer field or across the width. Two equal teams, each with at least two keepers. keepers are allowed to move anywhere on the field and use their hands, but are not allowed to score. Field players can score one point by getting a header over the endline and five poinys for a header in the goal. Play a regular game. When keepers get the ball the only way they can pass to their field players is with underhand tosses to the players body or bowling on the ground to their feet.

Coaching Points

This game allows keeper to use hands out of the penalty area to make sure players get plenty of good air balls and ground balls to receive.
It may be necessary to add or delete keepers for desired results.
Make rules only when necessary.
If keepers run too much with ball, allow them only four steps.
Keepers throwing to other keepers? Make it so they can not make a direct pass from keeper to keeper, they must use a field player.
Encourage keepers to attack and defend.

Match Conditions

The Game

An even sided game with full goals that is played just like the real game but not necessarily with an 11 v. 11 format.
The coach then observes if the training has had any effect on the players' ability to meet the demands of the game.
Coaching points can still be made, but the coach focuses comments on the theme of the practice.
If the session was a technical session, the coach focuses on the players body, and sees if it is meeting the demands of the game technically.
If the session was tactical, the coach focuses on what the player is seeing, and focuses on whether or not the player is interpreting the visual clues correctly and making the correct decisions based on what is seen.

Receiving Through Gates

The Game

Two Players per gate. The gates are approximately two steps apart. One ball per group. First player must play ball on ground through the gate within two touches. The game continues until players can not get ball back through gate on the ground within two touches.

Coaching Points

Player receiving the ball should get in path of ball before it arrives.

First touch should help player to get a good kick back through the gate..

Keep score and rotate stations.

Receive with thigh, pass back with instep.

vary the serve to start the game: long balls, short balls, inside of foot, instep, outside of foot, weak foot only, etc.

Players should receive with one foot and play it back with another.