Creating Space

How many times do you watch your team train like pros and when it comes to a match, they just follow the ball, it’s something that I had with my team and took a while for the team to remember positions but more importantly create space.

There are plenty of sessions available to achieve this subject and when working with a team it is important to use different sessions to keep enthusiasm and interest high. I will be updating my blog with other related sessions in the near future.

Warm Up

Create an area 30yd by 20yd, splitting the area into 3 10yd by 20yd areas (plan below)

The aim of this session is simple, get the ball from one area to the other area by avoiding the middle area. Sounds simple but normally this sessions doesn’t click straight away, please do stick with it. If needed, break the session down to pass by pass until it clicks, once it does click you can start counting the successful passes.

This session can be split into two groups with more coaches and have 2 players in the two wider groups and 1 in the middle. If the session is too easy for the players, move the cones in a couple of yds and if to hard move out a couple of yds

Please click on picture to see in clear

Please click on picture to see in clear

Please click on picture to see in clear

Please click on picture to see in clear

Skill

This session is fantastic way to get the players thinking differently and expanding their game.

Use Mini Soccer dimensions for your pitch and use 3 goals on each side of the pitch,

The aim of the game is to get your players to score in any of the 3 goals there attacking and defend any of the 3 goals there defending, The skills you will want to see the players using include:- Head up, vision, communication, creating space, shooting, defending, passing, receiving. The main skill you need to focus on is creating space and make notes about other areas if training issues arise. If you coach too many things in one session you will never maximise the objective of the session in the time you have with the players.

If you notice your players grouping in one area of the pitch ask everyone to spread out or ask one player to stand of the other side and get the pass across to him, this will lead to a goal and normally lead to a more open session after.

I have attached a few screenshots of the session for you to imagine the layout

Please click on picture to see in clear

Please click on picture to see in clear

Please click on picture to see in clear

Please click on picture to see in clear

Match

Adopt the normal pitch layout

Ask the players to use what they have learnt from the warm up and skill element of the session and you can see who has and hasn’t picked up the skills

I have had a fantastic response from my team since I tried this session