Being in a small state, and now having consistent access to a number of FFA staff coaches, on a regular basis, amongst them being an assistant national team coach, and a SAP curriculum writer, I can regularly view their training ground practice, only a few kilometres from my residence.


The Aussie coach, uses some interesting cues and player actions. As well as the standard, " Can you receive the ball in a position to play forwards?" he also uses in midfield structured possession play:

"Can you receive the ball almost level with the defender, so your first pass can break the line?"

Often if a player is closer to his/her own goal than the marker, a player needs to bounce it back to a team-mate. With good positioning and vision, one can break the line with the first touch if one has the body shape side on receiving a diagonal ball.







I've heard Ange Postecoglou doesn't like it on TV and read Cruyff doesn't like it, but the Aussie coach also encourages players to always play diagonally, "Never a square ball or a straight ball."

This is in order for a team-mate to receive the ball in a better body position in the hope of playing forwards, and, to have better vision when that team-mate receives the ball.








Edited by Decentric: 28/2/2013 11:55:52 PM

The Aussie coach also tries to get receiving players moving towards the passer to receive the ball in tighter spaces, encouraging the receiver to back him/herself in less space and less time.

This also minimises the opposition intercept.

Even though to me, the male NTC players seemed to have quick ball handling speed, the Aussie coach wanted much faster handling speed again. This is to match other teams at national level and when players trial at A League clubs.


He used w quite a complicated Warm Up drill to increase ball handling speed.

By chance I've found three rippers in Dirk's Academy sessions, that are simpler, with less players, that are excellent for ball handling speed. They are also easier for players to follow the instructions.


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

That is Arsenal: Possession 2; 4v2 Player In The Soup. Encourage players to make the killer pass or line splitting pass through the middle.

Also, Arsenal: Possession 3; 5v2 ( can also be diamond with a dot 5v3). This is good with the possession team having a player in the middle ( or soup).

Change the defenders over to the possession team every minute or so.

Both Arsenal 2 and 3 encourage one and two touch passing.





Dutch Ajax: 1. Warm Up. This is excellent for fast one and two touch passing.


Forget Arsenal: Possession 1. Too many players per ball.


















Edited by Decentric: 1/3/2013 12:10:00 AM

Edited by Decentric: 1/3/2013 12:11:35 AM

Arsenal using a training game that has the challange that once the ball goes over the half way no passes are allowed to be parallel to the touchline or the halfway line.

Alot of coaches mistake using cues etc as destroying creativity , they dont/cant coach and just rely on random movements .

Mmmm those cues are interesting. This is one area I know I have to concentrate more on as a coach. I reckon you should keep 'em coming Decentric.

I used the Arsenal 2/3 and Ajax 1 possession drills last year with a group of U14s. They weren't the most experienced players I've coached but they did pick up the drills quite well. It taught them to pass quickly, move for support as well as defend together. I explained the drills as a small version of the bigger game which could take place anywhere on the pitch.

Interesting you make this comment, Stackerjam.

I've been accused of talking to myself on here by some rabid Bitters elsewhere on the internet!

When we did the KNVB training, the message was that the game would be the teacher. The doctrine was that if coaches set up good structures, players would learn how to play good football. The FFA NC, must have borrowed on France's Clairefontaine for all the cues and player actions.

The local SAP trainer, one of the SAP curriculum writers with Han Berger and Alistair Edwards also uses an interesting player action.

Whereas most of specify one or two touches, thinking two is easier than one, he specifies,

"Take two touches."

This means exactly two, not more or less.

This he explains , is to work on the first touch. I posited that a good one touch pass is just as good. However, he counters that they are keen on developing that first touch taking the ball away from an opponent, or, placing the ball exactly where the player wants the ball to be after that first touch.








Edited by Decentric: 3/3/2013 11:46:32 PM

These player actions were difficult for all the coaches on the regional C Licence in this state. Many are going to be state League, V League senior coaches next year too.

According to Steelinho, who has just finished the C Licence and is going straight onto the B Licence, it was the same in his course.

The best local guy apart from the FFT staff coaches, for player actions and cues, is a young guy of 18 , who has been in the NTC program for years. He has picked up a lot from his coach, who is also the Australian under 20 assistant coach. He was in the SAP course I did recently.

This is an interesting concept.

I am trying to eradicate them all over the pitch.

The most common coaching cue from elite coaches is so ubiquitous, I'm not sure whether it can be termed an elite practice or not?

However, it is useful and crops up a lot. Even with the NTC players a few days ago , when I did an assessment.

"Can you get your body shape in a position to play forwards?"

Another useful control for two teams if you want one to gain more possession than the other, because that is your focus for the session is;

"Can you shoot on goal in less than 10 seconds?"

By doing this the focus team constantly restarts the play.

This is used in a hypothetical 8v8 (including keepers) scenario. I tend to use this a lot within the FFA structure of Game Training.

In the KNVB third stage of practice it is always 7v7, or building up to the second team having 7 players. The defensive and midfield lines play the midfield and attacking lines.

This is excellent for working on players understanding the concept of the midfield triangle.

Edited by Decentric: 15/3/2013 04:17:02 AM

Interesting comment again, Dirk.

From watching our SAP trainer coach on a number of occasions, it became apparent to me that I didn't have enough coaching cues and player actions (although I didn't know what they were then). Now that I am coaching some of the players who were cut from the program this year, their game sense is very good.

They have been constantly challenged to think.

Another useful coaching strategy from one of the Socceroo coaches is this.

Many of us have found it difficult to keep a formation compact, particularly in a SSG, like 4v4, with a lot of space. The big area is great for conditioning.

However, as many have found out, once a team gains possession of the ball, BP, they are keen to attack with numbers. When they lose it, BPO, most of the team doesn't want to defend. The session can lose intensity.

The Socceroo coach resolves this by always stating that the the whole team, without the keeper, must be over the halfway line before they can score. Their is great incentive for the team to remain compact. This is also a brilliant conditioning exercise on a big pitch.=d>

One of our other local coach educators is now a Matildas assistant coach. I watched his NTC team play exquisite football a few weeks ago against my daughter's team.

I was observing him train his team tonight. One tip for shooting, or kicking the ball for distance, is taking a big last step. A couple of players in my team, were shooting with their heads over the ball, which is good, but lacked power.

When I suggested the big step, there was a decided increase in power.

and for the defending team the goals count double if they have a player in the opposing half
ala paul cooper gubog games.

Another game for Running With The Ball, is Rugby Soccer.

This is a SSG, where a team cannot pass forwards. They can pass sideways or backwards, like rugby, but to move forwards a player has to ball carry.

http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/au/fitness/pre-season-guide-small-sided-game-1


This is a link for this practice.

Imagine it on a much bigger pitch in a more prescriptive formation.

Could you expand on this? Sounds interesting!

No forward passes are allowed.

The only way a team can move forwards is to run with the ball, also known as ball carrying. Instead of shooting for goal, a team scores a goal by dribbling over the line and puts one's foot on the ball.

Of course a team can pass sideways and backwards.

Hope this helps.:)

I've just learnt a few beauties and successfully tried them on the training track. One issue I'm having is coaching about a half a dozen players who've been in the most elite player programs, SAP/Skilleroos. I'm coaching a second tier elite team. The problem I'm having is coaching players who have had professional FFA supercoaches before and who haven't made the NTC.

The only way I can atone is attending the supercoaches' sessions and transfer their content to my sessions.

The other players I coach, who have come from clubs are much easier. They have not had access to FFA supercoaches.


One really good one for first touch is to have two players in lines like for file passing.


&&&o__________________&&

& denotes a player

o denotes a ball

Have the two groups about 8-9 metres apart.

Instead of the player passing solidly and running to the back of the line, as in file passing, the first player gives a fairly gentle pass to the opposite player about 8 metres away. Then the player passing must put pressure on the player receiving the ball. This is achieved by running hard, straight at them. In file passing players run past the player at the opposite end of the line.

As the receiving player receives the ball, they must take the ball diagonally with their first touch, away from the advancing player . It is easier to do this with the inside of the foot.
Of course, at first it is easier to do this with the preferred foot. After receiving the ball diagonally with the first touch, the second touch should be a gentle pass towards the facing player at the opposite end of the line, then putting pressure on them by running straight at them.. This exercise repeats and repeats.

Progress it to also do it with the non-preferred foot as well.

Then the next step is to do receive, and play diagonally, with the outside of both feet.

To progress it further, ask the player who has just passed the ball, to run to one side of the player receiving the ball, to force him/her onto one side, taking the ball away from the attacker with the first touch.

This is an exercise done by our SAP/Skilleroos coach, one of the national SAP NC curriculum writers. He is a veritable supercoach, young, and improving quickly. He is already better than he was late last year.

i did this with a boys under 14s rep team, who feed into the state team.

I also did it with a female senior state league club team.




Edited by Decentric: 26/5/2013 11:17:00 PM

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/forums/default.aspx?g=posts&t=56047

In Gregory Parker's excellent training session for under 11s, if one goes to Figure 2 in his diagrams, one can use the diagram as a reference point.

Gregory advocates receiving withthe furthest foot in this diagram.

It is a usefull starting point to have success.

To extend the presuous SAP/Skilleroos quasi-file passing, first touch exercise, try setting up a Dutch passing square.


&&o^------------------------------^&&









&&^------------------------------^ &&o


^ denotes a cone

& denotes a player

o denotes ball



To start with have players receiving the ball with their furthest foot on the far side of the cone, then passing it to the next player at the next cone and following the pass.

Have two players at each cone and use 2 balls to maximise touches and minimise time wasted standing at cones.

Like the previous Skilleroo exercise, the passing player, puts pressure on the receiving player by running at them. The first touch goes past the cone and the second passes to the next player in the passing square.

With more elite/older players I also have them standing on the near side of the cone to the player passing the ball. The player then needs to take the ball diagonally around the cone with the inside of the nearest foot. This takes the ball away from the opponent.
Don't worry about breaching the old adage, always receive withe the furthest foot. The SAP mantra is take the ball with the foot to most effectively take the ball away from the opponent.

Also, introduce receiving with the outside of the foot and beating that first maker/cone. This is also the reverse shoulder feint/body swerve. It automatically wrong foots opponents, with a first touch turn.

Most importanlty after five miinutes or so, reverse directions of the passing square in order to become proficient on both sides of the body.

Eventually, to make it competitive, have a coach/adult counting the number of effective first touches and passing with the second, with every group at each passing square, competing with other groups. I use one minute for this.

An easy one from an assistant Matildas coach, is to say to players you always want them moving when they don' t have the ball in BP, or team Ball Possession.

He believes the ball carrier needs support.

Apart from tactical reasons, this helps to keep the interest in younger players too.

Edmondson: Producing players the target
http://www.cornerflag.com.au/edmondson-expectation-is-to-produce-

Amidst criticism following a string of defeats, EAP team manager Dave Edmondson has hit back at the heightened expectation that has been put on the developmental side to produce results.

“You can look at the start of the season and say we’ve had wins, and that’s probably our biggest issue that we’ve started the season with wins. You guys and everyone else who’s been watching expected us to be the doormats of the league, because that’s what’s happened in the past,” he said.

“No points, getting battered every week, suddenly we get a couple of wins at the start of the season and then you expect us to win the league – We’re going to wear a couple losses during the year, but I’ll lose 10-0 every week if I produce three players for the Matildas. And that’s all we’re here for.”

Much of the criticism has also fallen on the style of play being implemented by the EAP, as they continue to stick to their philosophy of playing out from the back, even when at times it seems to be the cause of their problems.

Mixing things up is not on the agenda however, as the EAP are following a clear mandate sent down from the FFA.

“The way we’re trying to play – to say that we’ve found out is ridiculous because all we need to do is go and look at FFA’s National Curriculum and that’s the way we play. It’s no secret and we’ve not hidden anything, we’re a development side and that’s the way we’re playing,” Edmondson said.

Following the heavy 5-0 defeat to Sandringham on Monday night, Edmondson felt the players could learn from the experience, and that the loss of confidence following Stephanie Tanti’s spectacular opener was the key aspect of the defeat, rather than the philosophy.

“The learning experience from tonight is that we have to be brave enough to do that for 90 minutes in a game, not just when its easy, because for the first 15 minutes of the game [Sandringham] couldn’t get a touch. We then make one mistake, give a goal away, we shrink, it’s got nothing to do with the way we’re playing,” he said.

“It’s got nothing to do with the fact that we play out from the back because we proved for 15 minutes that we can do it against one of the best teams in the league. But when we go hiding, when we’re too afraid to do it, then it fails. The girls will learn from that.

“When these girls come out of this, they’ll be better than any of these [WPL players]. But it’s a tough experience for them. Tougher for some than others obviously because they’re in positions that are exposed playing this type of football.”

When they do get it right, Edmondson feels they can send shivers through the competition. This is evidenced by recent progression shown in training and in performances in the final third over the last couple of weeks.

“The last couple of weeks we’ve been creating more chances, we’ve been getting balls into the box, we’ve been putting ourselves in better positions to score, and that’s against your South Melbournes, it’s against your Bundooras,” he said.

“If we score first in a game I fear for whoever we’re playing against. Because if the confidence grows, the stuff that they can play, we played the boys team Tuesday, won 4-2 – they started the game like they started tonight. Really confident and they’re playing and the ball’s zipping around and they’re playing out from the back and they’ll receive the ball under pressure.”

So with all the excitement around these talented young girls, he reiterates his point about the expectations being put on the side while singling out some star performers.

“Our expectation is not to be there but our expectation is to produce players. And I think if you watch Beattie Goad against Bundoora last week, unbelievable. If you watched Eleni Fakos, if you watched Alex Natoli on Wednesday against the boys, these players are going to play international football,” he said.

The EAP’s next test in the WPL is against Ashburton, and they’ll be looking to show more signs of their progression come that Sunday afternoon.

Here is another beauty, from an assistant Matildas coach.

This is in the Warm UP/Passing Practice/Technique Practice or Stage 1 of a four stage practice.

The grid is half a full sized pitch. Split your team into two groups of 6, 7 or 8, each with different coloured bibs. Have a ball for each group. Each group plays over the whole half pitch and overlaps the other group of 6, 7 or 8. It is then like creating two teams.

A team starts passing the ball to other players within that team. When a player receives the ball, the other players should get into position so that there is a player right, left and centre, to receive the ball (passing lanes).

The middle passing option should have two players. One should be short ( close to the player in possession of the ball) and the other long (further away from the player receiving the ball).

This means the player on the ball has four passing options.


As soon as a player is about to receive the ball, the rest of the 6, 7, or 8 member team should try to get into position to create these four passing lanes - right, left, middle short and middle long.

The ball is kept moving all the time. It forces the players to move off the ball all the time.

The middle players, short and long, should be at an angle to the player on the ball, not taking up a position to receive straight balls.

The right and left players should also be at an angle, not take up a position to receive square balls.

Also, the body shape, or body position, of the player on the ball should be so that they are in a position to play forwards, not having to turn.



When I saw this exercise with the NTC, it looked interesting. When I did it with my own team, I saw infinitely more value in it.=d>






Edited by Decentric: 13/8/2013 11:27:46 PM

For some reason I cannot cut and paste this link, but Arthur has posted the aforementioned practice exercise in his Football Articles And Research Papers thread.

It is the 9th post from the top of page 13.

It is the passing drill in the video taken by the coach with the Northern English accent.

Just look at the above post for the extra details from the Matildas coach which makes it better.


1. Players should try and pass to the player with the best option of creating good body shape to play forwards.

2. The off the ball players should always try to create a left, right, middle short and middle long option.

3. Off the ball players should never stop moving.


Young adolescent boys seemed to really like this exercise.





Edited by Decentric: 14/8/2013 08:10:50 AM