Saturday, July 18, 2009

www.learnsoccerdrills.com

HEADING SOCCER DRILLS v1.5

Newsletter

SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS

U7-U8-U9 Soccer Heading Drill:

Heading drills can be a challenge for young soccer players, so before going into an actual soccer heading drill I would recommend discussing some basics.

1. Getting in position to head the soccer ball. Discuss moving so the player is facing the ball and their body is directly in front of the soccer ball.

2. Keeping your eye on the soccer ball all the way to the forehead - it will be tough, but they should really try to keep their eyes open all the way in to the point of contact.

3. Contact should occur at the upper front part of the forehead, not on top or the side.

4. If possible, they should be trying to strike the soccer ball with their head by moving the head back and then forward. It is a soccer timing skill. The point here is as they gain confidence they should not just be standing and waiting for the ball to hit their head. The below soccer drill will help emphasize this.

A good soccer heading drill to get the basics down is to split players up into partners with each two person team having a single ball. Have one player sit on the ground with their legs straight out. The other player should then stand in front of them (about 2-3 yards). The player standing should lightly throw the soccer ball under handed towards the player sitting. The throw should be a little short so the player has to move towards the ball to hit with their head, rather than waiting for the soccer ball to hit their head. This is a good starting soccer drill for headers.

Once you feel the players have the basics then do the same drill except this time instead of sitting have the player rest on their knees. Again, throw the soccer ball short so the player must lunge or lean into hit. They can cushion themselves from hitting the ground by extending their hands to the ground (almost like a push up). For the players you feel are advanced, challenge them to direct the ball to the left or right of the thrower. Again, this soccer drill will teach them to move forward to the ball and keep their eyes open.

SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS

U9-U10-U11 Soccer Heading Drill:

This soccer heading drill will teach directional heading. Split the players up into groups of three with each group having one soccer ball. They should form a triangle with each player being about 5-7 yards apart. One player is going to be the heading person and facing the other two, one player will be tossing the ball towards that player. When the soccer ball is tossed towards the heading player they should lean back and head the ball at the third player. They should be striking the ball with their head, redirecting it towards the receiving player. Repeat the process 10 times and then switch players so that everyone gets a chance to head the soccer ball. This is a good soccer heading drill and should move quickly. Once the header is received by the player they should be throwing it back to be headed again. Emphasize putting some power into it and on target. You can even tell players to mix it up by heading some to the ground at the players feet, and then others up high. Challenge them. Also, have the receiving player trap the ball. It is good practice.

SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Trapping & Receiving Soccer Drills



TRAPPING/RECEIVING SOCCER DRILLS v1.4

Sign up for this free Newsletter at www.learnsoccerdrills.com.

U6-U7 Soccer Trapping & Receiving Drill:

Have the players form 2-3 lines, depending on the number of players and coaches. You want to keep the lines small (3-4 players). A coach is going to stand about 7-10 yards from the players in line, facing them. Have the coach roll the soccer ball at the player, and the player should then trap the ball with their foot. They can either trap it by using the bottom of their foot or receive it with the inside of their foot. In either case the goal of this soccer drill is to gain control of the soccer ball so it rests on the ground in front of them. The key to this soccer drill is to start by rolling the ball at the player. Once they understand the basic concept explain that you are now going to roll the ball not just right at them but possibly to either side, at which point they will need to move into position to trap or receive the soccer ball. This soccer drill will teach the basics of moving into position to properly trap and receive a ball on the ground. Once received the player can pass the ball back to the coach and go to the rear of the line.

The 2nd phase to this drill is to move closer (5 yards) and now throw the ball lightly at the players feet (do not bounce but loft it gently so it heads toward their foot in a arcing manner). They should be able to trap the soccer ball to the ground by watching it closely and then placing their foot on top of the soccer ball right as it hits the ground, trapping it between their foot and the ground. Use your best judgment to determine if your players are ready for this. At this age it can be tough to trap to the ground from the air but it is good to at least introduce it to them. It is a timing issue to trap the ball from the air to the ground, so try practicing this for 10 minutes a session and you will start to see a difference.

U8, U9 & U10 Soccer Trapping & Receiving Drill:

This is one of my favorite soccer drills for this age because you can do it as a team practice or individually. I still take my sons and daughter out and do this with them. Split the players up into two groups if you have a lot of them. You will need to have a Goal/Net for each group. Also, you have a choice to use an actual goal keeper (good practice for them) or you as a coach can be in goal. Have the players line up about half way between midfield and the goal, facing the goal. They can be further from the goal if you want, depending on how far you want to send the ball to them. The coach will be in goal, or by the keeper with a stack all of the soccer balls. As the coach you are either going to roll the ball hard at the player, or send the ball in a high arcing manner at the player (simulating a kick). The player will then trap the ball by using either their chest, bottom of the foot or inside of his foot, maybe even their thigh or knee depending on how quickly they can get to it.

The key to this soccer drill is to direct the players to be aggressive and not wait for the ball to come to them on the 2nd or 3rd bounce, but attack the soccer ball and gain control. Move at the ball, trap or receive it to the ground in front of you and then once control is gained dribble forward and shoot on goal (this is where it can be good practice for a keeper also). Point out that typically the person that can control the ball where they want it is going to win the initial battle, so they should be trapping or receiving the ball so it is in front of them and on the ground.

You can also choose to have the keeper send the ball out instead of you. If you have a keeper that can kick it consistently then I recommend doing it, otherwise have them or yourself throw ball out high and hard. Remember, the real goal of this drill is to help players aggressively trap and receive the soccer ball in a controlled manner so they can move forward. Don't just throw it at them, make the player run and adjust to the ball, teaching them to move themselves into position to properly receive or trap the ball. It is okay if it bounces 1 time or even 2 (depending on the kick/throw), but if it starts to bounce 3 or 4 times then the player needs to understand to move towards the ball quicker