HAMILTON WILDCATS DRILLS AND GAMES
THE PRACTICE:
Many coaches, even veteran ones, struggle with what to do at practices. Here are some basic guidelines to running an enjoyable practice.
· Plan practice in advance. It takes about 15 minutes to jot down what you want to accomplish. Use notecards to do this and make note of what works and what doesn’t.
· Be flexible. If something isn’t working, move to another exercise.
· Adjust the field. If players are having trouble, make the field larger. If it’s too easy, make the field smaller.
· Avoid 3 Ls: lectures, laps and lines.
· Practice should be no longer than 1 hour, 15 minutes.
· End on a high note. Make them want to come back for more.
· The younger your team, the simpler the game.
The following are examples of some games that work. You can also make your own up or adjust these to fit your needs.
DRIBBLING GAMES:
Freeze Tag
Dribbling Game / How to PlayPlaying ..
Playing ..
· Select 1 player who is "it"
· Mark off a grid with cones 10 yards X 10 yards
· Each of the remaining players should be standing in the grid with a ball waiting for the coaches whistle.
· On the coaches whistle, the player who is "it" tags "freezes" as many players as possible
· If a player is tagged, he/she must pick the ball up, hold it over their head and spread their legs.
· To get "unfrozen" another player (teammate) must dribble to and pass the ball
through the spread legs of the "frozen player".
· Once the player is "unfrozen", he/she resumes dribbling in the grid.
· If a player dribbles the ball outside of the grid, that player is "frozen".
Coaching Points
· Players must dribble and keep close control of their ball.
· Players must keep their head up and see where the "tagger" is located.
· Players must dribble away from the "tagger" and dribble toward teammates
who need to be "unfrozen".
Competition, Variations& Restrictions:
· Coach should keep track of "records"
· in how many seconds can a "tagger" freeze all the players
· most number of players still "frozen" after a 30-45 second time frame
Four Square dribbling game
Playing ..· Place coned squares (bases) approx. 10-12 yards from each other.
· Select 2 players who are "it"
· Divide up the remaining players into the 4 squares ... each with a ball
· Coned squares (bases) are approx. 2 yards X 2 yards
· On the coaches whistle, players have 30-45 seconds to try and dribble from their square into as many squares as possible without being tagged by the 2 players who are "it".
· The players who are "it" count how many players they can tag in 30-45 seconds
· The players dribbling the ball may only be tagged once he/she is outside the square (base)
· The player can not be tagged once he/she has dribbled into a square (base)
(he/she must have the ball in the square to be safe)
Coaching Points
· Players must dribble at speed and keep the ball under control to avoid being tagged.
· Players must keep head up and see where the "taggers" are located so they dribble away from the "taggers".
Competition, Variations& Restrictions:
· Add to the game, if a player is tagged, he/she must do 5 step ups
(or 5 jumping jacks or push ups ... some consequence to get back into the game.)
· Coach should keep track of "records" for the number of players tagged in the allotted time and the number of squares dribbled into in the allotted time.
Playing ..
· Split players into 2 even teams ... give each team a name
(see Youth Coach Handbook #3)
· Set up small, coned goals approximately 20 yards apart.
· The coach stands on the sidelines with all the balls at his feet.
· Each team lines up behind a cone on either side of the coach.
· When the coach throws the ball into the center of the field, the first player from each line runs onto the field and plays 1 Vs 1.
· Players defend the goal closest to their line and attack the opposite goal.
· Play until a goal is scored or for 30- 60 seconds depending on the heat and the fitness level of the players.
Coaching Points
· Attackers - attack defenders at speed, make a quick fake, get by the defender and shoot (no out of bounds within reason)
· Defenders - delay, don't commit and channel the attacker to the side, away from the goal creating a poor shooting angle.
· If the defender steals the ball, he/she becomes the attacker and the attacker becomes the defender and 1 vs 1 play continues.
· Play is continuous and the transition from attacker to defender and from defender to attacker must be instantaneous.
Competition, Variations& Restrictions:
· Coach starts to call out numbers. If the coach shouts "2" then the first two players in each line run onto the field and play 2 vs 2.
· Coach then starts shouting "3", "4", "5" creating 3 vs 3, 4 vs 4, and 5 vs 5 games respectively.
· Play games to 5 and the losing team does 5 jumping jacks.
Snake Game
Playing ..
· Mark a grid with cones approximately 15 yards x 15 yards.
· One player joins the coach in the middle of the grid and forms the snake.
· The players in the snake hold hands.
· The remaining players line up along one side of the grid ... each player with a ball.
· On the coach's whistle the players attempt to dribble from one side of the gird to the other without the snake kicking their ball outside the grid.
· Once the players reach the other side of the grid with their ball, they are safe and await the coach's whistle to dribble across the grid again.
· If a player's ball is kicked out the grid (any of the 4 sides), that player joins the snake in the middle.
Coaching Points
· Players should keep close control of their ball ... dribbling away from the snake but within the boundaries of the grid.
· Have the players in the snake take turns selecting a player to go after / target. This keeps the snake focused and raises the excitement level of the game. (rotate targeted players)
MUSCIAL BALL:
Playing ..· Mark off a coned grid approximately 8-10 yards x 8-10 yards.
· All players have a ball and start the game inside the grid.
· On the coach's command, all the players in the grid begin slowly dribbling their ball around the grid.
· After 10-15 seconds of dribbling, the coach blows the whistle. Once the whistle is blown, the players leave the ball they were dribbling and find an unattended ball (a ball left by another player) inside the grid and begin dribbling that ball.
· After 10-15 more seconds of dribbling, the coach blows the whistle again and the players leave the ball they were dribbling and find another unattended ball inside the grid and begin dribbling that ball.
· The sequence continues until the coach adds a variation to the game. (see variations below).
Coaching Points
· Players should dribble so the ball stays very close to their feet ... preferably the player should touch the ball with every step.
· While dribbling, the players should change direction and change speed with the ball, dribble with the inside and outside of the foot and change direction with the sole of the feet.
Competition, Variations& Restrictions:
· After the coach has had the players dribble and change balls several times, the competition begins.
· In the competition the last player to find and gain possession of an unattended ball and begins dribbling ... faces consequences. (3 jumping jacks or push ups)
· Remove one or more balls from some of the players in the grid and when the whistle blows, the players that
PASSING GAMES:
CLEAN SLATE
Playing ..· Split players into 2 even teams ... give each team a name.
· Mark a grid 15 yards x 15 yards with a 3 yard no man's land marked in the middle of the grid
· Each player should have a ball before the game begins
· On the coach's whistle, the players on each team begin kicking the balls on its side of the grid through the neutral zone and into the grid of the opposing team. (Coach keeps neutral zone free of balls)
· Play games lasting 2 - 3 minutes
· When the designated time is up, whichever team has fewer balls in its grid wins the game ... losing team does 5 jumping jacks.
Coaching Points
· Quickly track down loose balls
· Kick balls targeting the open spaces, forcing the opposition to work hard in returning balls.
· Reinforce proper kicking/passing techniques
Competition, Variations& Restrictions:
· Use more balls.
· Must use 2 touches or must leave the ball for a teammate to kick.
· Inside of the foot passing only
· Instep drive kicks only
· Kicking with left foot only
· For more advanced players, increase the size of the neutral zone.
Five Passes:
Playing ..· Split players into 2 even teams (play 4 vs 4 up to 7 vs 7)
· Mark a large grid with cones (approximately 40 yards x 30 yards)
· A neutral player is placed at each end of the field.
· To score a goal, a team must make 5 or more consecutive passes to teammates and then must make the 6th pass to one of the neutral players without the ball being touched by the opposition.
· After 5 consecutive passes are completed, the players from that team may pass to either neutral player to score, no need to alternate between neutral players.
· A player (team) does not get credit for a pass if the ball is passed back to the player
from which it came. (But they still keep possession and play continues)
· Any time a team is dispossessed of the ball before completing 5 passes, the opposition starts at pass #1.
· Once the neutral player receives the pass that counts as the goal he/she must pass
the ball first time (one touch pass) to the same team that scored the goal and that
team begins play again at pass #1.
Coaching Points
· Players keep their heads up, know where your teammates are and pass to the open player.
· Play quickly
· Teammates must support the player receiving the pass
o A minimum of 2 players give close support options
o A minimum of 1 player gives long support
Thus spreading the defenders and opening the field
· Players make runs to open space to receive passes
· Make quick (change of speed) runs to get open to receive a pass.
(Don't be a Johnny Jogger) who always jogs the same speed and is easy to defend.
Competition, Variations& Restrictions:
· Play games to 5 and losing team does 5 jumping jacks
· Restrict players in the grid to 2 touches ... if a player touches the ball 3 times
they lose possession of the ball.
· Restrict players to 1 touch soccer.
FAST FEET
Playing ..· 4 players per group
· Group the better skilled players together.
· For ages 8-9, the red, blue and green players should stand about 5-7 yards from the purple player and about 2 yards from each other.
· For ages 10 and higher, the red, blue and green players should stand about 10 yards from the purple player and 2 yards from each other.
· The purple player receives a pass from a player with a ball. The purple player then passes the ball to the player that does not have a ball.
· Immediately after the purple player has passed the ball to the player without a ball, the remaining player passes the ball to the purple player who then passes the ball to the player without a ball.
· Play should be fast and continuous
· For ages 6-9, the yellow player should play 2 touch soccer (trap/stop the ball then pass).
· For ages 10 and up, the purple player should play 1 touch soccer.
Coaching Points
· It's very important that as soon as the purple player has passed the ball to a player without a ball, that another ball is immediately passed to the purple player.
· All players, especially the purple player, are on their toes.
· Rotate players after 15-25 good passes.
Competition, Variations& Restrictions:
· Have the purple player stand very close (2-3 yards) from the red, blue and green players so it forces quick passes, players to be on their toes and the purple player to keep his/her head up to see which player does not have a ball and should be targeted for a pass.
FOUR GOAL GAME:
Playing ..· Split players into 2 even teams (play 5 vs 5, 6 vs 6 or 7 vs 7)
· Mark off approximately 40 yards x 40 yard grid)
· Make goals 3 yards wide (use cones or corner flags).
· Place a goal near each corner of the gird (as shown in the animation)
Coaching Points
· Players play a scrimmage but each team shoots/attacks 2 goals and defends 2 goals.
· Players should attack the open goal.
· If one of the goals a players is attacking is defended by numerous defenders, the attacking player should switch the field of play by making a long pass to a teammate near the other goal and that player should attack the less defended goal.
· It is important that attacking players provide field width and passing options to their teammates and DO NOT clog up one goal area.
· By spreading out, the attacking players create space and passing points for their teammates.
Competition, Variations& Restrictions:
· Make uneven teams ( 6 vs 8, 7 vs 5, etc.). This ensures one team always has a numerical advantage so there should always be a player open to receive a pass and attack.
· A team must complete 5 passes before shooting on goal.
SHOOTING GAMES: