Soccer Skills Training Drills for Quick Reactions and Technique

LEGEND MOVEMENT WARM UPS DRIBBLING PASSING POSSESSION DEFENDING FINISHING 1V1, 2V2, ETC

Implement quick touches/work on quick reactions Players will partner up and stand 5 yards from one another. Red team and blue team. No ball to start. Coach will then give 3 dynamic exercises (high knees, jumping jacks, bunny hops) for players to perform while facing off. Then, coach will call either blue or red. Whatever color is called, that team must turn and sprint back through their safe zoned cones. The other team will attempt to tag them if too slow. Do a few rounds and then introduce a ball. Instead of dynamics, players will now perform inside stationary dribbles, toe taps, sole roles. When coach calls their color, players must turn and dribble through their coned safe zone. Make distance closer between partners Add pothole cones that players must avoid when turning back to dribble Players are awake and alert Good quality touches when performing skills Accelerate after making the turn

Variation 1 Quick touches on the ball with many variations Set up 3 cones 5-6 yards apart. Have two lines at the end of each cone to have multiple players going at the same time. Each line will start on the right side of the cones. Multiple variations with dribbling and passing combos Speed dribble to the other side R/L foot only Inside Outside Free dribble to middle cone, turn with drag back to line you came from Dribble to middle cone, sole role across to other side between the cones and end on opposite side Dribble to half/pass to other side Lead pass between cones to opposite line, switching balls and lines Variation 2 Use inside of the foot NO TOES Plant foot pointing at target Receiving player should be on their toes ready for the ball Proper weight and accuracy to make it easier for your teammate to receive

Lot of quick touches, emphasis on different dribbling technique 20 yard diameter circle. Each player will begin with a ball. Players will work on various dribbling techniques every 30 seconds beginning with free dribble. R foot / L foot Tik Tok dribbling Toe tap dribbling Inside/outside dribbles to halfway point Laces - speed Introduce two defenders. If an offensive players ball is cleared out of the circle, that player is a defender. This continues until there is one player standing. Swap defenders each round. Same as before, except now if a player s ball is knocked out they now become an offensive passing option instead of a defender. With the last ball, challenge the players to see how many passes they can get. 20 yd Quick touches NO TOES Change of direction Head up to identify space/defenders

: Lot of quick touches, dribbling and passing : Set up 4-5 cones about 1 foot apart in a straight line. Have a far cone about 8 yards away from the close group of 4-5 cones. Right foot only Left foot only Inside touches Outside touches Speed dribble to end and turn Speed dribble to end and pass to next player Quick touches Ball under control Close touches while increasing speed

Introduce New Dribbling Skills 2 cones per player. Each 3-yards apart. Each player will begin with a ball and will follow coaches instruction on each dribbling skill. Start with foundations. Inside/Outside Sole Rolles Combine these two L-Turn Start slow, increase speed once you feel comfortable Small touches

Lot of quick touches, dribbling and passing 7-10 yd Set up 8 cones as shown here and have two players in each channel on each side. Players will alternate directions with person in their line. Begin with free dribble. Tik Tok dribbling, both ways Toe tap dribbling, both ways Inside/outside dribbles to halfway point Laces - speed R foot ? L foot other direction Right foot passing with partner 2-3 yards apart Left foot passing Turns L turn, pull back, scissor, inside chop, creative turns Dribble to first cones, turn and pass to next person 7-10 yd Quick touches Use inside of the foot NO TOES Plant foot pointing at target Keep the ball close and keep an accurate pass Exploding into space when turning

Quick controlled touches & Change of direction 4 cones placed 2.5 yards apart in a single file line. 2-3 players each line. The first player will start by dribbling through the cones, with quick controlled touches. Upon, getting to the end, the player will finish into the mini net. R foot / L foot Tik Toks Toe tap dribbling Inside/outside dribbles Make it a race. First team to 5 8-10 yd Quick, controlled touches Technique > Speed Head up and eyes looking forward as best you can Proper technique when shooting on mini net - inside of the foot

Change of Direction Set up four cones diagonally 5-7 yards apart. 2-3 players on each side. One player begins with the ball. Dribble around each cone and layoff to the next person in line at the other end. Begin by having players dribble with whichever foot they would like. Have them go 3-4 minutes R foot only L foot only Introduce a competition - first team to get to 10 or 12 wins. Each time the ball is dribble from one side to the other that counts as 1. Emphasis sharp turns around the cones Bigger dribbles in between cones and close touches around the cones Game like speed

Change of Direction 20 yard diameter circle. Each player will begin with a ball. Players will work on various dribbling techniques every 30 seconds beginning with free dribble. R foot / L foot Tik Tok dribbling Toe tap dribbling Inside/outside dribbles to halfway point Laces - speed Introduce two defenders. If an offensive players ball is cleared out of the circle, that player is a defender. This continues until there is one player standing. Swap defenders each round. Same as before, except now if a player s ball is knocked out they now become an offensive passing option instead of a defender. With the last ball, challenge the players to see how many passes they can get. Quick touches NO TOES Change of direction Head up to identify space/defenders

Quick touches on the ball utilizing dribbling, passing & turning Set up as shown in image. Groups of 3-4. Have players create a line and have one player at the top who will be the bounce player . With the ball, player 1 will dribble the the triangle set of cones and either go R/L. After this move they will play a pass to the bounce player and then receive the ball back, turn, and pass to the next player in line. 1. 2. 3. Require a skill move before changing direction On the bounce pass receive on opposite side from where you passed Keep ball close and controlled Proper passing technique Game speed Creativity

6 5 4 Loads of touches and work on proper ball striking Set up 6 cones as shown here and have one player with a ball at each one. The rest of the players will form a line near cone 1. The first player will work from cone 1 through 6 receiving the ball and playing a pass back to the player on the cone side shuffling between cones. Once the player gets passed cone 3, the next one will go. One through all the cones, player gets back in line. Rotate after 2 minutes. 1 2 3 Right foot Left foot 2 - touch Ball in air Quick touches Use inside of the foot NO TOES Plant foot pointing at target Weight of pass

Dribbling and passing at angles Place 4-6 cones 8-10 yards from one another in a zig zag pattern. 3-4 players at the starting line and 1 player at each of the other cones. 3 soccer balls at the starting line. Players with a ball speed dribble to the diagonal cone and lay the ball off to their teammate. They replace that player as they speed dribble to the next cone. The second player in line begins when the ball in front of them gets to the third cone. When the ball reaches the last cone the player then speed dribbles back to the starting line. Execute for 3 minutes How many times can the group get through the rotation in 2 minutes. Passing : same idea as the dribbling but now pass to each cone. Lat player will still dribble back around to the first cone Speed dribble with laces. Toes pointed to the ground Head up to see where you're going Game speed

15 yd Passing. Moving, and repositioning Create as many 15x15 yard grids as needed. 5 players/grid. 1 ball/grid. First two rules by coach are to keep the ball in the grid and to never stop moving (repositioning). Even as coach adds rules, other rules still stay in place. When a player plays a pass, they are to check out around one of the 4 outside cones. Which team can get 40 passes first. Players must still always move and check out after playing a pass. Have groups assign numbers 1-5. They now must play passes in number order. 1->2->3 -> 4->5. See which group can get 8 full revolutions (40 passes). All rules still apply. Call a number. That number goes to defend the opposite square, therefore creating a 4v1 rondo. The team to keep the ball in longest wins a point. Play first to 3 points. When the rondo begins all other rules go away. 15 yd Free flowing and actively repositioning into open space. Checking out creates more open space. Scan to know where teammates are at all times. Communicate.

: Focus on receiving on the back foot to pass in another direction. Good firm passes with good control as well : Set up a square with cones about 12yds. Have 2-3 players at each cones with multiple balls near each cone. Start with a dribble to about halfway and play a pass to the next line. Players go to the right first Switch directions to the left Go back to the right and add a give and go each cone Switch directions to the left Use lead passes through cones set in the middle (advanced) Receive on the back foot Good weight on the pass Good first touch to set up a better pass Eyes up and always on your toes while receiving.

: Speed dribble and passing pattern that allows player movement into new space SETUP: Set up a 10yd by 10yd square. Place 2 or 3 players at each corner. Place cones on one side as a marker for halfway. Place a cone directly in the middle so players can use that as a reference place. Speed dribble to next spot and lay ball off to next player R/L Only Dribble halfway and pass Skill move at the center Play one give and go (mark a cone) Give and goes at every cone Condense the X. Players use passes the whole rotation. 10 yd Focus on weight of pass Good first touch Using the right parts of the foot to make good passes Eye contact and demanding the ball

Improve passing technique and accuracy Set up 8 cones as shown here and have three/four players on each side. Players will work together to complete passes between the gates. Upon passing the ball to their teammate, they will follow their pass and get behind the next player. As a warm up, the players will start with speed dribbling. 7-10 yd Each group will complete 25 passes Create a competitive environment by challenging the teams to see who can get to 25 first. Passes that do not go through the gate will not count Use inside of the foot NO TOES Plant foot pointing at target Receiving player should be on their toes ready for the ball Proper weight and accuracy to make it easier for your teammate to receive

A technical activity that will activate the concepts of passing, receiving, turning, and dribbling all in one. In a 25x25 yard box have an equal number of players on the outside of the grid as you do on the inside. All players on the outside begin with a ball. Players on the inside will begin in the 5x5 coned area in the middle. Players on the inside will begin by checking out to an outside player and calling for the ball. Outside players will play a 5 yard pass. The receiving player will play 2 touch (receive and pass) back to the outside player that played them. Once completed, the inside player will check back to the central box before then finding a new outside player to receive a pass from. Outside players are to perform toe taps or inside foundations while waiting for an inside player to check to them. Players will switch on coaches call every 1 minute. 25 yards Inside players will receive, turn, with the ball, dribble 3-5 yards into space before turning and playing back to the outside player that played them. Inside players will receive on the half turn, dribble 3-5 yards into space and then play back to the same outside player. Inside players will receive on the half turn, dribble into open space and find a NEW outside players to play into. Focus on a controlled good first touch to optimize your rep. Accelerate when checking to the ball. When dribbling, find open space. Scan to find open players and stay alert to your surroundings. 25 yards

Improve beating a defender 1v1 Divide group into two teams and set up as pictured. Coach plays pass into attacker. As this happens, the defender comes out 1v1 occurs. Teams will rotate roles after 5 minutes Have a clock countdown Introduce 2v1 Positive first touch towards goal Quick Decisions/sharp change of direction Proper shooting technique Head up to know where defender and goal is

Create scoring opportunities from 2v1 situations Have players divide equally among the 2 attacking cones to begin. Players will attack 2v0. Players must pass at least once before scoring. Introduce 2v1 scenario - divide players into two teams. Coach plays ball to attackers and one defender steps in. Have team attack for 4-5 minutes and then switch Introduce clock countdown Work together to get a shot on target Quick decisions/sharp change of direction Take space - if defender doesn t close down take space / if defender does aim to pass to teammate

: Improve ball control and confidence dribbling the ball : 12 x 10 yard area. Create two goals on each end. Break group up into 2 teams and designate which side will attack and which will defend. Attacking team starts with the ball. Teams score by dribbling through one of the two goals. Once a player scores, coach calls next two players to go. If defense wins the ball the defender can score on the opposite end. Play for 3 minutes then rotate. Use all surfaces of foot to keep close control Use change of pace and direction to get away from defenders Be creative

Play in a variety of situations Have players divide equally into two teams. 30 x 40 yard grid. 1 player from blue dribbles out 1v0 and shoots in the shooting square. After shooting, 1 player from white will attack and play 1v1. After a shot, or goal is scored, a second blue will go to make 2v1. After a shot, the 2nd white will come in to make 2v2. After a goal is scored or ball goes out reset and start again. Quick decision Beat player by change of direction and speed In numbers up situations, make defender commit and play open player Shots on target

Maintaining possession in a numbers up scenario. I would explain this to the girls as a game of keep away 5 players to a 12x12 yard box. 4 players work together offensively while the 5thplayer is given a pinnie and defends. The 4 offensive players will attempt to collectively connect as many passes as possible without being dispossessed. If the defense wins it, the offensive team will start over. Defender will switch every 45 seconds. 12 yards 12 yards Make it a competition by having a defender from a different group defend. Offensive teams will attempt to connect more consecutive passes then the other group. Play for 1 minute. Team that connects the most consecutive passes in that minute will be rewarded a point. Send in new defenders for the next round. Adjust your angle to provide support to the player with the ball. On your toes and ready to receive. Move the ball away from where the pressure is coming from. 12 yards 12 yards

Maintaining possession in a numbers up scenario. Emphasis on quick transition from offense to defense 4 v 2 to a 12x12 yard box w/ 4 mini nets (adjust number of players and size of box to your team's skill level) . Set up as shown in image. The 4 offensive players will attempt to collectively connect as many passes as possible without being dispossessed.Two defenders try to win the ball. When they win it, they try to score as quickly as possible into one of the four small goals. The four attackers can try to win the ball back and resume possession play. Defenders switch with two attackers as they score. (or 60-90 seconds). 12 yards 12 yards Can create a point system - 1 point for every 4 passes / 2 points for defender goals Offensive Adjust your angle to provide support to the player with the ball On your toes and ready to receive. Move the ball away from pressure Quick transitions - attack to defense and defense to attack Defense - pressure cover principles 12 yards 12 yards

30 yd Possessing the ball in numbers up situations 30x30 yard grid. 3 teams of 3-4 players. 2 teams will begin on offense and work together to complete as many passes as possible against the defensive team. Every 5 passes is a point for each of the two teams. Defensive team will remain in for 1.5 minutes. If they are to win the ball, they can pass to coach to earn themselves a point. Rotate defensive group. 30 yd Alternate passes between teams. If White and Black are on offense, black must play white and white must play black. 5 passes is still a point. Move out of dead space. Put yourself in a supportive position. Play with urgency and move the ball away from pressure. All passing coaching points. Accurate, weighted passes. Players always ready to receive.

30 yd Improve passing through traffic and switching point of attack 30x30 yard grid. 2 teams of 4-6.. Each team will start with a ball. The objective is to work together to pass from one side to the other. Red will be working from one side to the other while green do the same. 30 yd Remove one ball and now play 3v3 + targets. If a team can make it from one side to the other the receive a point. Move to open space and always adjust angle to receive pass It s okay to play backwards if there is pressure on you Communicate.

Create understanding of space & purpose of spreading out 20x20 grid (adjust based on skill and # of players). Coach begins as defender. Offense looks to score on any of the 4 mini nets in the middle. If defense wins the ball, they aim to keep it for as long as they can. Play for 1 min 30 sec and rotate defenders. 20 yd Set 1 or 2 defenders Add a 3rd defender Must complete x amount of passes before scoring Spacing: players should spread out across the area so they can score on any goal Move ball quickly (quick decisions) Do not force the ball - if you are guarded look to find open teammate Proper passing technique - inside of foot, plant foot aimed at target 20 yd

Keep possession in numbers up situations Create a 30 x 25 yard grid and split the group into two teams. Each team has their own designated half. Blue players start with possession and white players send two defenders in to create a 5v2 rondo. Once defenders win the ball, they play it back to their half of the grid and begin to possess while blue then sends 2 defenders over. Every time the team in possession links 3 consecutive passes, they earn a point. Increase number of passes to earn a point if necessary. Play for 7 minutes. Team with the most points wins. 25 yd Which team can get 40 passes first. Players must still always move and check out after playing a pass. Call a number. That number goes to defend the opposite square, therefore creating a 4v1 rondo. The team to keep the ball in longest wins a point. Play first to 3 points. When the rondo begins all other rules go away. Free flowing and actively repositioning into open space. Checking out creates more open space. Scan to know where teammates are at all times. Communicate. 30 yd

Build on possession and connecting passes 20 yard diameter circle. Create two teams of 4v4. Each team has one player in the middle and the rest on the outside. To start, the coach passes a ball into the pitch. The two players compete for possession. The player who wins the ball attempts to pass out to a teammate. 20 yd If successful, the teammate enters the pitch to make it 2v1. The winning team is the one that has all four players on the pitch and completes 4 consecutive passes. Limit touches Quick touches Communication Head up to identify space/defenders Proper technique

Develop proper 1v1 defending Area big enough to play 1v1. The ball is played in by the defender into an attacking player who has to try and dribble past the defender into the marked off area. Defenders try to win the ball and pass into the small goal Progress to 2v1 and 2v2 Shut the space down Force the attacker wide to restrict their space Get within touching distance of attacker Be patient Win the ball

20 yd Improve winning the ball quickly on defense 20x20 yard grid. Split group into 3 teams. 2 teams start with a ball and 1 team becomes the defending team (without balls). Object is for the defending team to get all of the balls out of the area as quickly as possible. Attacking team plays together as one group. Can pass from color to color. 20 yd Passing from team to team Less balls to start so more combination play by attacking team Defending Deny space and time Delay - don t over commit Defensive body position Communication Attacking Head up - know where teammates are Move the ball to move the defenders around Communicate

Focus on winning the ball quickly Set up as a goal kick. Defending team has 8 second to win the ball back. If they do, they try to score on goal. The attacking team will be trying build out of the back and score on the mini nets. Deny space and time Don t over commit Win the ball as quickly as possible

1. Practice playing out from defense from our own box Place two mini nets at half. Set up in formation, in defensive third. Coach will toss a ball towards the defensive end line. Defender will practice recovering the ball and working it out to the side instead of the middle. The offensive team will aim to play out and score on either mini net 2. 1. 2. Add in defenders Play live When under pressure play to the sideline not into the middle Scan to know who is behind you Communicate & move to create angles 3.

Improve finishing Set up as pictured. Players will get in line at top cone. The attacker will receive a pass from the coach, dribble at the triangle, make a sharp change of direction (left or right) and then have a shot. After the shot, the player should return the ball to the coach. Player performs skill at top of the triangle (feint, rollover, scissor) Coach steps in place at top of the triangle. Player now plays a pass to coach and directs which side they want the ball laid off for a strike Challenge group to score 7 goals Focus on a good first touch to dribble at the cones Proper shooting technique - either inside of foot or laces Shoot across goal

Work on controlling balls in the air Have players divide equally among the 2 attacking cones to begin. Coaches will either bounce or toss the ball in the air to the player in front of the line. The players are to control the ball, weave through the cones, and shoot on target. The player to score first earns 1 point for their team. Rounds of 3-5 minutes. Change cone arrangement Get the ball to the ground as quickly and effectively as possible Sharp change of direction Shoot with instep or laces

Introduce Give & Go concept while finishing Have players divide equally among the 2 attacking cones to begin. Each player with a ball. Player will play and give and go with the coach towards net and have a shot. Players will switch lines each time. Have players take turns in coaches spot Challenge team to 10 goals in 4 minutes Shooting technique - hit with laces or instep Timing of run Shoot across the goal

Fun shooting game to end practice - one time shooting Have players divide equally among the 2 teams. Line up facing the goal. Each player from each team has two chances to score a goal. They must shoot it first time. The action starts on coaches command, whether the first shot is in or not the coach will play the second past. If the player misses both they are out, if they make one they are onto the next round, if they make both they can call out a player from the other team and that player has to make both as well. Lean over the ball Shot on goal Shoot with instep or laces

Establish new corner routine for games When the corner taker puts their hand up and drops it, make movement in the box