For those interested in seeing what happens mainly in the uk.

https://sites.google.com/site/youthsoccerlessonplans/executive-docs

Edited by Joffa: 13/3/2012 11:34:24 PM

Fantastic. It's beyond comprehensive. 39 dynamic warm ups in one doc! Countless possession and other drills.

Could almost lock the performance forum with the explanation: 'job done'.

Brilliant research, Dirk.

Thanks a bunch.:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

I've only looked at the Arsenal ones and already I like everything that I've seen.:d :d

Often drills I've seen are complicated to explain. These are easy, but with great structure..

The third one is a 5v2 variation of when KNVB like to play 5v3 with a diamond and a player in the middle.

These are brilliant, because of simplicity, working in diamonds and triangles.=d> =d> =d> =d> =d>

I wonder if Arsene Wenger devised them? He is like a TD and head coach at the same time.

Why can't FFA have this available, free of charge, for coaches here? This is rather than their complex log on system only for accredited coaches, which often doesn't work. I've never been able to access it and yet I have a number to punch in. One of the coaches who comes to FFE and participates says they aren't particularly useful.

A lot of Alfred Galustian's drills (the ones I"ve seen on the FFA website) involve too much inactivity from passive players.

I've seen some better Skill Drills from AG in 442 magazine.:)

Edited by Decentric: 5/12/2011 10:55:02 PM

This link that Dirk has provided is one of the best football training ground sites I've come across on the internet. I'd like to buy you a beer.=d>

At this stage I've only downloaded the Arsenal and Ajax ones and there is heaps of excellent material.

If senior or elite coaches lIke Saasafi, KIss Krash and Gregory Parker are viewing this thread and look at this link, you have a massive amount of excellent training material. The diagrams are easy to follow too.

The beginning Arsenal drills are many advanced variations of Nelson McEvoy's "Player in a Soup" exercise in his book, Teaching Soccer Fundamentals to juniors.

It is a structured way of forcing the players to play in a diamond outside the grid. It can be started as 4v1 in a very small grid for youth/ juniors to do.

The Ajax one is terrific too. To make one drill a fraction better, when players are in a line get them to perform stationary ball techniques.

I haven't looked at any of the other clubs, but some of these have been oustanding on the training track. FFES is working with a few club coaches who want us to take sessions with their teams. With all of these drills in Dirk's aforementioned link, players get fit all by playing football, not running without the ball.

I heard one classic comment from a mate at one club who brings players to FFES. Another coach justified all the pre-season push ups and running etc, instead of ball work, by saying that running and physical jerks were far more important than ball work to develop a footballer. According to this coach, it is because of the tiny amount of time players had the ball at their feet over a 90 minute game!!! ](*,)

Thanks for the bump decentric, I had forgetten about these. The first few drills in the Arsenal booklet will really come in handy in my sessions.

Great find
Chelsea set up great and Michael Beale is without a doubt the best youth coach around, my mate tells me he is George Mells Mentor and talks to him about football and life in general.

Just found this today. You're right Decentric this is great. Definitely going to use some of these for tomorrow's session. Just need to find some time to go through them pre training, and find some relevant drills to what I want to work on, which will probably attacking movement with an emphasis on passing.

Neverwozza, Touchtight, Kriss Krash.


This resource is so good I think I'll ask if a mod can make this a sticky. A lot of the Arsenal SSGs involve more complicated Player In The Soup SSGs forcing players to play in a diamond formation.

I've visited three more state league clubs this week. Almost none of the 7 programmes I've visited do stuff like this on the training track. They seem to think fitness, and, playing football with a football, are mutually exclusive in assisting players to get fit.](*,)

I'll have a look at the Chelsea programme soon.

I've checked out the Chelsea drills. There are plenty I'll use in the imminent future. Another decent academy.=d>


Some local coaches, particularly ones who've attended FFES sessions, have said they've spent hours on the internet endlessly looking for decent content to no avail. This includes the FFA website that registered coaches can access.

I'm now sending this link to any coaches I meet who want good training ground drills.

Apart from FFES, one former state youth coach and maybe one or two others, there are few coaches using this type of drill, particularly the ones with smaller numbers of players. Many of them are extending themes I already know. They are easy to follow too with the diagrams.

I attended three sessions last week at split state league senior teams. None were using structured 4v4s, rondos, dribbling and shooting exercises and player in soup drills, like ones viewed in the academy sessions.

Cheers again Dirk.:)

Many, many coaches who eagerly seek sound training ground practice have been the beneficiaries of this link. I'm posting this to any coach I know who is on email. There are so many great drills. Also, it provides ideas to make more up.


Most players love the ones I've tried too. The SSG drills with the lower numbers of players have been very successful.

If anyone wants a precursory book with simpler examples for younger playres look at Nelson McEvoy's -Teaching Soccer Fundamentals.





Edited by Decentric: 13/3/2012 01:38:27 AM

the cardiff city ones are good, dont be put off just cos they are welsh.

Someone should pass these on to Jim Magilton:idea:

:lol:

But let's face it, you'd prolly have Leigh Broxham scratching his head going "ummm boss, what's 'off-the-ball movement' and 'pos-itttttiii-oooo-anal play' mean?" if MV used these:lol:

Sorry for dragging this OT; all jesting aside, I'd be willing to bet a decent amount of dosh that not a single HAL club - maybe not even the Roar - use these or similar. Shame all round really:(

Edited by ba81: 13/3/2012 08:40:15 PM

At a game this weekend, I received feedback from coaches who were very appreciative after I sent them this link.

They've simply been blown away with the content, qualitatively and quantitatively. They've also found some exercises to have been excellent on the training track.








Edited by Decentric: 27/3/2012 12:01:35 AM

I just noted this thread has had nearly 100 visits since I posted just a over a week ago. Good to see it being used by coaches.

A pretty prominent coach I know, a former regional NSW TD, was rapt in these drills.



Most local coaches happily brandish their new FFA Senior Licences, then get back to what they did before - push ups, burpees, sit ups, squats, hill runs, tuck jumps, lap running and their favourite - 100 metre sprints down the pitch.](*,) They seem to think that fitness and playing football are mutually exclusive.

Some senior players in the split state league, which next year will become the T League for men, want to come to the Community Football Programme to get some decent touches and rediscover/develop their technique. They aren't doing it at club training.

What are these supposedly FFA accredited coaches doing about learning football by playing football?](*,) I've been giving gratuitous earfuls to the state FFA TD citing specific examples of what his recently accredited coaches (anonymously) are doing on the training track, pointing out the isolated good examples. The question than arises, "Why aren't they being convinced at FFA courses to follow the NC?"

Sadly, they aren't being monitored by any FFA coaching staff during weekly training sessions. What is more, many senior players must see little value in training and gain little enjoyment from it . Many local players retire at 25-26. I'm convinced that if they were doing a lot of the exercises in the aforementioned Euro academy sessions, they would enjoy training a lot more and keep playing for longer.

Tonight I tried the Arsenal Possession 2 and Possession 3 'player in soup' drills.

Instead of 2 two players in the middle I used one player in the middle in a very small grid, about 8x8 initially, for possession 2. In possession 3 it was really useful having the player in the middle on the same team as the players on the outside of the grid which I increased in size to about 12 metres by 12 metres.

It worked superbly. There were a lot of touches and many inside and outside of the foot passes too. The one touch and two touch passing increased in speed as time went on. It was also hard on players aerobically and anaerobically - a good fitness exercise.

The defensive players had to work on defensive jockeying body shape. One had to shut down the player on the ball, whilst the other had to cover one of the players on one of the outsides flanks of the square.

Some of the players in the middle were initially unwilling to execute bounce passes.

Edited by Decentric: 23/4/2012 11:53:14 PM

And ultimately that's the whole point - developing the players' technical ability whilst simultaneously maintaining/improving their fitness level.

Makes one wonder what on Earth possesses coaches to think that emulating an AFL or NRL team's pre-season regimen is the way to go...

Can't believe I haven't seen this until now! Great resource, thanks a lot!

I will keep my eyes open for anything else along these lines - I scour the net every once in a while to try and find stuff like this. If I come up with anything, I'll put it up.

Thanks again!

It is amazing isn't it?

I'm intending to report specific drills that I use on the training track.

The UEFA site is good too, but some of the old videos are now defunct. There was an excellent one instructing short passing.







Edited by Decentric: 14/5/2012 11:46:30 PM

https://sites.google.com/site/youthsoccerlessonplans/executive-docs


This is the first Chelsea exercise from the first Chelsea link.

Free choice dribbling and ball carrying drill. Players found this really hard physical work and were really struggling, all the time with a ball at their feet.

For the crazy cones I used flat ones, close together for players to use quick feet, a bit like a Coerver exercise that a female player demonstrates on the internet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSas8t5I7n4&feature=related


I didn't have mannequin cones, so I didn't do the that part of the drill.

Players had to use stationary ball techniques if they were in a queue. These include tap taps with the inside of the foot to inside of the foot, inside outside of the foot (Matthews Cut), Brazilian drags or rolls, Brazilian stepovers, etc.
I can't recommend this highly enough, because players never stop moving. If they can watch other players train, they are developing vision, whilst subconsciously having the ball at their feet.









Edited by Decentric: 15/5/2012 12:46:45 AM

https://sites.google.com/site/youthsoccerlessonplans/executive-docs



This is the second Chelsea Academy drill.

It is a shooting drill. The only difference was that after they had shot, they had to collect the ball, then I stipulated that players had to dribble round the outside of the pitch back to the next station to their right.

At the half way mark on the outside of the pitch was a pole. Up to the pole they could use a choice of three dribbling techniques - Brazilian rolls, Mathews cuts, taptaps. Then at the pole they had to sprint, taking big touches but keeping their head up, which is what occurs at Everton Academy which another Community Football Programme coach has visited. If there was a queue again at their new station, they had to do stationary ball techniques whilst waiting.

On each flank I had a player doing lay offs in front of the queue. At the middle, I erected poles for slalom dribbling then shooting.

It was confusing for the Nepalese players . It was really, really hard, anaerobically and aerobically, all the time with a ball at players' feet.

Split state league senior female players said it was harder physically than anything they've done without the ball at their stupid, useless club training sessions!!!! I'm pleased, because I'm constantly suggesting to most club coaches they can do all training with the ball, apart from specific defensive positioning and specific formational work (only for a brief period) as formational work is done in match scenarios.

If anyone does this exercise , take note how tough it is on player's physically.

Also, for those sceptics who believe in running without the ball to get fit, you can do this exercise and flog your players on the training track.
They will get fit, receive and shoot the ball from both flanks , improve giving lay offs, develop dribbling skills, speed and stamina, and shoot in simulated match scenarios, improving shooting with innumerable shots at goal with a keeper in it, probably run a number of kilometres, all with a ball at their feet. It gives keepers a good workout too.

For the younger kids, rather than lay offs at a crossing angle, they were given balls to run straight onto and lay off players were directed to pass to them so that they could shoot straight in front of goal.

Edited by Decentric: 15/5/2012 12:28:15 AM

Edited by Decentric: 15/5/2012 12:31:15 AM

https://sites.google.com/site/youthsoccerlessonplans/executive-docs


With the Arsenal, Players in Soups, Drill 1, 2 and 3, I tried some interesting variations. Drill 1, or Possession 1, doesn't provide enough touches for players for my liking. It could be tried with two balls.

For Drill 2 called Possession 2, I started it by only having one player in the middle.

Drill 3, called Possession 3, I had an extra player on the outside, because of odd numbers. I wasn't happy with the speed of ball movement and intensity, so I added a second ball. The intensity increased markedly, but maybe other aspects fell away.

It really is an excellent precursor to rondos.

Edited by Decentric: 15/5/2012 12:26:42 AM

Edited by Decentric: 15/5/2012 12:32:52 AM

Try the KNVB thread too.

I've recently found out it is new FFA NC Advanced Coaching B and C Licence content.

The seven a side stuff is excellent for structuring formations and structural work. Also, have a look at Gregory Parker's training sessions in the 442 Performance section (not the forum).

I've had a look at about six club sessions.

I found the Arsenal, Ajax and Chelsea sites the most useful.

Atletico Mineiro is old fashioned.

The first Man United site is short on drills, with poor diagrams and limited instruction.

The second Man U one by Rene Meulensteen was better, but still short on detail.



The Ajax Academy site is a blow out. It explains in diagrammatic form some of Henny Kormelink's Dutch Soccer Skills Books 1,2 and 3 in more detail and better diagrammatic form.

I've used variations of a number of the Ajax drills before, but some of these are just better versions. At last I've found a superior version of file passing, which also incorporates passing in triangles as well as return passes.

Some of those moronic keyboard warriors from other Australian football sites, who ignorantly denigrate KNVB and the FFA NC, ought to observe these Ajax drills.



Edited by Decentric: 17/5/2012 07:28:08 AM

https://sites.google.com/site/youthsoccerlessonplans/executive-docs

Chelsea Academy

Lose The Defender

If one goes to the first Chelsea site, there is a drill I've been doing for years called Lose The Defender. It is about the 31st drill from the top of the page.

Some of you will have used it too. It is a good drill to take it in turns for one player dribbling and another jockeying


Even better one of our club coaches came up with an excellent extension.

Instead of both players being separated by a line, have both players move across the pitch about the same distance apart as when they have the line in between them.

The defender can't tackle, just jockey. Advocate getting into a side on position, light on one's feet for the defender.

The attacker tries also sorts of deception techniques, but doesn't go past the defender.

At the other side of the pitch players change roles.

It is a really tough aerobic exercise, players find it really hard work. It also develops defensive positioning, distancing, ball carrying and feinting.








Edited by Decentric: 17/5/2012 08:34:21 AM

Thanks mate, I haven't checked that one out yet so I will head over there now.

And on those that denigrate the ideas behind the Ajax youth system - No comment, haha.

https://sites.google.com/site/youthsoccerlessonplans/executive-docs

In the Ajax Academy Exercises, drill 1. Warm up is great to follow juggling and 100 passes between two players as listed in KIwi Chick's Player/coach thread from Atletico Mineiro - also an academy site on this thread, but nowhere near as good as Ajax, Arsenal and Chelsea's.

This drill 1. Warm Up encourages passing and movement in triangles. Players get a lot of touches passing and moving in a game sense scenario.






Edited by Decentric: 17/5/2012 02:04:08 PM

https://sites.google.com/site/youthsoccerlessonplans/executive-docs


The Dutch (Ajax) academy session is 10th from the top of teh page from the aforementioned link.

Drill 3. Crossing and Movement Finishing

This is the 3rd Ajax drill.

It works well. It may be useful to look at Drlll 4. 1-4-3-3 The Ajax Way to explain the striker /shadow striker connection and the cross over runs between the two players before doing this.

One can also change the drill so the players cross from the left too.

I've sent this drill to Tassie split state league senior coach, who was having trouble with his strikers doing cross over runs.