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Football: wide

wide DRILLS
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3 v 3 v 3

Station 6 players in 2 teams of 3 in 1/3 of the area and 3 players in 1 team in the other 1/3. The ball starts in the area at the top of the diagram. The 3 players in possession must attempt to advance the ball into the middle area. The team advancing the ball into this area then carries the ball into the opposing 1/3. Now they must attempt to advance the ball to the end line at the bottom of the diagram beyond the 3 players in the bottom 1/3. Defensive players must attempt to prevent the team in possession from getting the ball to either the middle area or the end line. Play continues from end to end with the winner being the first team to get to 5 points/goals. Develop so that 3 defenders become 2 defenders plus a goalkeeper. Now you have 3 attackers trying to beat 2 defenders and score past the goalkeeper.

Conditioned games

Cobi Jones Speedstar

Station small goals (2 yards wide) in each corner of the area facing in towards the field of play with no goalkeepers. Play a 4 v 4 or a 6 v 6. The teams must try to keep possession and dribble the ball through the cones in order to score.

Possession

Crossfire

Position 4 players from each team randomly within the area. Place a goalkeeper in each of the goals. The white team can score can score in the goals to the left and right of the diagram, while the blue team can score in goals at either the top or the bottom of the diagram. You can choose to make the goals 5 yards wide and play with no goalkeepers in a 6 v 6 within the area.

Conditioned games

Crossing from Channel Players

1) Only wide players allowed in channel. 2) A goal must come from a cross or direct result of a crossed ball. 3) Compete 5 v 5 in middle and limit to 2 touches. Wide players have unlimited touches. 4) Condition game and coach what you see.

Conditioned games

End Zone Party

Set out an endzone 5 yards wide from each endline. Play 4 v 4. One ball per group. The red team is in possession of the ball. The object of the game is to advance the ball to the attacking endzone. A goal is scored when a player dribbles the ball into the endzone and stops the ball with the sole of his foot. No defenders are allowed in this area. You can choose to make the endzones neutral such that either team can score in both endzones.

Dribbling

Minefield Passing

In both the wide channels put one defender and two attackers. Both attackers in the same rectangle must touch the ball before trying to pass to the other attackers. However the ball is not allowed to touch the floor in the minefield area (middle box). If the pass doesn't find its intended recipient because it falls short or is intercepted the player who passed the ball swaps over with the defender in their area.

Possession

Pass, support and shoot

1) Player 8 plays to player 1 who returns the ballslightly wide. Running onto the wide pass player 8 passes the ball down the side to meet the diagonal run of player 4. 2) Player 4 shoots and player 1 makes a supporting diagonal run to the far post for rebounds.

Shooting

Use the width to get up the pitch

Red 1 passes the ball to one of the teams to start the game. There should be 3 players in both wings and 8 players in the centre of the pitch. The wing players cannot be tackled and the central players are not allowed into the wing areas. In order to score a goal the team in possession must make 5 consecutive passes before passing out to their wide man. The wide players must both touch the ball before it is crossed in for the team in possession to attack it, with the other team defending the cross. After an attack on goal has been made the ball returns to red 1 who feeds the ball out to the other team.

Conditioned games

Width and Forward Runs

Place 5 cones across the middle of the area, 10 yards in from each sideline. Play 4 vs 4. The ball is not allowed to travel through or over the discs. The object of the game is to get the ball wide in the near side of the field and attack the flanks of the attacking area. Although the ball is not allowed to travel over the discs, players may make runs over the discs.

Conditioned games

Wide Slalom Run Agility - Socc...

Poles set far apart in a zig zag formation. Player runs from one to the next focussing on change of direction and pace.

General

Play ball wide Crossing and Fi...

Player 1 playes the ball to player 2 to draw the defender player 2 passes the ball back to player 1 when the defender comes close to player 1 player 1 passes the ball wide to player 3 who runs down the wing and crosses the ball into the box either to the near or far post depending on where the defender moves to.

General

Football: Passing wide to cros...

Set up:Cone off an area 2 areas: Width 44 yards length 20 yards one above the other. At each side of one area have an extra square of 5 yards.Set up a 2 goals, one at the top of the areas and one at the bottom.Red team players: GK, 2 Defenders in the bottom area, 2 Attackers in the top area and 2 wingers, one in each 5 yard square. Blue team players: GK, 2 Defenders in top area, 2 Attackers in bottom area.Description: Red team start with the ball.Passes:GK -> Defender (or straight to winger) -> wingerWinger crosses to one of the Attacking players who can either pass the ball to the other Attacker or take a shot.If Blue team win the ball then they can go for goal although they don't have the same wide options.

General

Use the width to get up the pi...

Red 1 passes the ball to one of the teams to start the game. There should be 3 players in both wings and 8 players in the centre of the pitch. The wing players cannot be tackled and the central players are not allowed into the wing areas. In order to score a goal the team in possession must make 5 consecutive passes before passing out to their wide man. The wide players must both touch the ball before it is crossed in for the team in possession to attack it, with the other team defending the cross. After an attack on goal has been made the ball returns to red 1 who feeds the ball out to the other team.

General

9 v 9 Wide Play Conditioned ga...

Setup: 50 x 40 with wide zone for full backs / wingersExplanation: Ball starts with either the coach or either GK.Once the ball is in play, the defending team are tasked with getting immediate pressure on the ball from front to back.1st and 2nd defenders show press aggressively and force the opposition to play backwards or side wards or long.Look for clear communication from players in positions behind to help support the closest players to the ball.Aim is to win the ball back and counter attack quickly or regain controlled possession.

General

Football: Double cross - Twice...

Player 1 starts the drill of by passing the ball to the wide player. The wide player then crosses the ball into the box on their first touch for both the attacking players to run onto and attack (near and far post runs). Immediately after the two strikers have headed for goal the opposite wide player then delivers in another cross into the box. After the second cross players swap roles (crossers join the queue and the attackers become the two next crossers).

General

Football: Advancement of full ...

Objective: To defend against a winger or opposite full back overlappingDetail:This practice uses 7 players (2 full backs 2 wide players 1 CB 1 Att 1 GK)Use the same area/side of the pitch as above.Serving full back serves the ball from half way line. Defensive full back starts 10 yards outside of 18 yard box.Attacking full back passes the ball to wide player. As ball travels defending full back pressurises ball. Full back can now pass to centre forward or overlapping full back.Defending centre back and wide player are added.Full Back: Having pressured wide player, if opposing full back overlaps, defensive full back tracks overlapping run.If wide player passes or dribbles inside to centre forward full back tucks in close to centre back.Wide Player: If full back overlaps, wide player to pressurise opposing wide player and force the ball down the line.Centre Back: Move within 10 yards of full back to remain compact whilst positioning ball side of centre forward.

General

Pass Wide, Cross and Attacking...

Players line up in 3 queues, with the ball starting with player 1. Player 1 makes a 1-2 pass with player 2 before passing the ball down the line for player 3 to run onto. Player 3 times their run to meet the pass and gets the ball under control before swinging a cross into the box for the players 1 and 2 to run onto and head into the goal.

General

Crossing from Channel Players ...

1) Only wide players allowed in channel. 2) A goal must come from a cross or direct result of a crossed ball. 3) Compete 5 v 5 in middle and limit to 2 touches. Wide players have unlimited touches. 4) Condition game and coach what you see.

General

Hit the cone Passing and Recei...

Player 1 passes the ball wide of the cone to player 2. Player 2 has to try and play the ball onto the cone with their 1st touch

General

Wonder Wingers Crossing and Fi...

Set up 4 meter wide channels along each sideline. Play 3 vs 3 in the middle area (between the channels) with a goalkeeper at both ends. Station one player in each channel. The object of the game is to get the ball to your wide player as quickly as possible. As soon as the wide player receives the ball they should sprint to the goal line and cross the ball in towards the goal to their team mates who are attacking the near and far posts.

General

1-2 and cross Crossing and Fin...

Set up as shown. Player 1 starts with the ball in the middle of the field and plays a 1-2 pass with player 2 before passing out wide to player 3. At this point, players 1 and 2 run towards the penalty area, ready to receive a cross, while one of the defenders goes out wide to put pressure on the crosser. Player 3 will cross the ball into the box where players 1 and 2 will try to beat the defender to it and score.

General

Change Soccer Conditioned game...

Position 3 players who link arms or hold hands on the goal line. Play 3 v 3 until coach shouts, "Change!" then the chain breaks and the team previously out on the field becomes the chain in goal. The original chain players now become field players. 3 players from each team form a human chain by linking arms or holding hands. These players are stationed on the goal line in front of a goal approximately 8 yards wide. The team in possession must attempt to score past the human chain defending the opposing goal. Goals and saves are each worth 1 point(players in the chain are not allowed to use their hands to defend the goal and must control the ball within 5 yards to score).

General

Cobi Jones Speedstar Possessio...

Station small goals (2 yards wide) in each corner of the area facing in towards the field of play with no goalkeepers. Play a 4 v 4 or a 6 v 6. The teams must try to keep possession and dribble the ball through the cones in order to score.

General

Switching the play Passing and...

Players work in groups of 4 (see progression).Player 1 starts with the ball then passes out wide. Player 2 receives the ball dribbles forward then checks back and plays the ball to player 1 who switches the ball to player 3. Keep repeating this sequence.

General

Pass, support and shoot Shooti...

1) Player 8 plays to player 1 who returns the ballslightly wide. Running onto the wide pass player 8 passes the ball down the side to meet the diagonal run of player 4. 2) Player 4 shoots and player 1 makes a supporting diagonal run to the far post for rebounds.

General

Football: Full backs defending...

Objective: To defend as a full back in a 1 v 1 situationDetail:This practice uses only 4 players (2 full backs 1 winger 1 GK).Use half a pitch down either side.Serving full back serves the ball from the half way line into the winger.Defensive full back starts 10 yards outside the 18 yard box.Serving full back passes ball into wide player, and as ball travels defending full back pressurises the ball.Close down wide player quickly cutting off the line preventing wide player getting passed into coned area.Slow down within 2-3 yards to prevent wide player getting past, but close enough to prevent building up speed.Jockey and lead with nearest foot if ball can be won.

General

1v1 - First touch and Striker ...

Set up two lines of players as show in the image, about 30m from the goals. The first player dribbles with the ball at pace and then puts their foot on top of the ball, to leave it dead in front of the other player. The first player continues their run around the cone in front of them and then runs back inside the area. The receiver uses a positive first touch to move into space and then try to finish through one of the wide goals. The first player should have continued their run and now tries to put pressure on the receiver's shot.

General

Combo Pass, Cross and Shoot Cr...

The drill starts with player 3 moving to the red cone and then coming back to receive pass from player 1. Once player 3 has received the ball player 2 runs forward in support and receives the ball from player 3. Player 2 controls and then plays a long switch ball to the wide player 4 who is on the move down the line. The wing player then runs down the line and swings in a cross for the 3 other players to run onto and attack!

General

2 Goal Finishing Shooting - Fo...

Set up a second goal as shown in the diagram.Player 1 starts standing behind a mannequin, positioned outside of the penalty box left hand corner.Player 2 is about 10m further down the pitch in line with Player 1. Player 2 passes the ball to player 1 and runs to the inside side of the mannequin for the lay off.Player 2 takes a shot at the left goal.At the same time as this Player 1, loops behind their run and enters the penalty box to receive a cross from Player 3, at the far right side.Play in both directions to practice crossing and shooting from each side.

General

End Zone Party Dribbling - Soc...

Set out an endzone 5 yards wide from each endline. Play 4 v 4. One ball per group.The red team is in possession of the ball. The object of the game is to advance the ball to the attacking endzone. A goal is scored when a player dribbles the ball into the endzone and stops the ball with the sole of his foot. No defenders are allowed in this area.You can choose to make the endzones neutral such that either team can score in both endzones.

General

First touch with instep of foo...

Put the players in pairs with one ball between 2 The players should try and pass the ball slightly wide of each other. The receiving player has to play the ball with the inside of their non kicking foot across their body own body with their first touch and then kick the ball back to the other player with their strong foot.

General

Pick your spot Shooting - Foot...

Depending on where the pass is played to players must shoot in a particular area of the goal. If the pass is played wide the shot should be driven into the opposite corner of the goal (so a feed to right should be scored in the left corner of the goal). If the pass is central the shooter should not hit the ball with their laces but instead place the ball in a corner of their choice.

General

Attacking the Crossed Ball Cro...

Organize groups of 6. Station goalkeepers in a goal at each end line. Place 2 players inside the area and 2 wide players outside the area. Goalkeepers should have a supply of balls. Repeat in another area for a total of 12 players. White goalkeeper distributes the ball to player white 1, who advances the ball up the touchline with his first touch and crosses the ball to player white 2 with his second touch. Keepers must stay on their line throughout the practice. Repeat in the opposite direction from red goalkeeper to red player 1 and red player 2. The wide player should attempt to vary his crosses to near, middle and far post positions.

General

Pass and Move Between Cones Pa...

2 players with 1 ball players stand behind their 2 cones. Players have to take the ball wide of one of the cones to then try and score a goal by passing the ball through the 2 cones of the other player who on receiving the ball takes it wide of the their cones to pass the ball back.

General

First touch set up - Outside o...

Working with one ball between 2 players pass the ball to each other. When they receive the ball the player should try and control the ball with the outside of their foot, using their first touch to push the ball slightly in front and wide into space, for the player to follow and then play to their partner. After each pass players should run back to the same spot to receive the ball.

General

Four Goal Game with spare play...

Two teams of seven players play on half a pitch with no keepers.Each team must have a wide player on each wing.A spare player should be put into a separate colour (see yellow player taking the center in the image).They are always playing for the team in possession of the ball to give them the extra man.

General

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wide SESSIONS
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Goalkeeper Footwork Drills

The best keepers in the world use their feet to make saves and to always be in the right position. Their agility and bounce comes from the timing and accuracy of their footwork. Work your keepers with this session.

Channelling the opposition

Develop your defenders understanding of how to channel the attackers away from danger areas to slow down attacks and isolate the opposition players.

Using width when attacking

Stretch your opposition and drag defenders out of position with this wide attacking session, complete with two great conditioned games!

Goalkeeping Shot Stopping From the Angle

To improve the goalkeeper making saves from shots from the angle.

Switch Play - Use the full width of the pitch!

Make the most of the space on the field by getting your players into the mind-set of switching the play, rather than trying to hammer down the same congested channel each time.

Spreading out to maintain & exploit space

Take advantage of the space. Get your players into the mindset of spreading the play to utilise the space to attack by creating links between the wide men and center forwards.

Goalkeeping Dealing with Cutbacks

Get your goalkeepers dealing with cutbacks by staying on their feet and anticipating the change of angle.

Decision Making In & Around The Box

Improve combinations in wide areas and finishing in around the box!

Shooting: Crossing and Finishing

Deliver the pas to set up a simple finish for your strikers. Scoring goals will win you the game so make sure you are providing the easiest chances to give your strikers the best chance of putting it in the net.

Attacking Headers in the 16 Yard Box

You don't need to be Peter Crouch to score from corners. Work on scoring from wide angles with this attacking headers session

Crossing & Finishing

Exploit the flanks and get your wide players whipping balls into the danger areas for your forwards to put away. Work on the delivery into the box and the forwards movements to anticipate and reach the cross.

Dealing with Long Shots

Goalkeeper positioning is vital when dealing with shots from long range. Develop your keepers concentration, positioning and movement to be solid behind the speculative efforts

Defending as an Individual

Get your defenders taking responsibility for their man to dictate the play and slow attacks down. Work on players footwork and decision making and emphasise the importance of a defenders mindset.

Defending Overloads in Flank Areas

Attack minded full-backs are the new trend in football so make sure your defence are prepped to deal with the overloads on the flanks.

Prevent Opponents Playing Through Midfield

Sometimes you have to play negatively. If their midfield gets on top of you, it’s time to break it down and stop them playing.

Crossing and Finishing

Utilising the width with wingers able to deliver a pin-point ball for your strikers is a proven way to breed success.
wide ANSWERS
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How does one create width during a match?

How does one create width during a match?

Archived User Coach

Some 11 year olds are joining our team and are moving?

Some 11 year olds are joining our team and are moving from 7-a-side to 11-a-side. What should I practice with them to help this transition?

Archived User Coach

Free-kicks from wide areas

Hi, I need some help with ideas on delivering free-kicks from full-back positions into the goal area. Do you have any tips on the movement of the forward players? Thanks James

Archived User Coach

Looking for mini-soccer 7-a-side formation ideas...

Hi, My team plays in a mini soccer league which is 7v7. Whats the best formation to play in the environment. We have played 2-3-1 all season but i was looking at 3-1-2 this season using the left and right backs as wingers aswell. Any one got any thoughts? Cheers

Archived User Coach

Where to play our tallest strongest player

We have a tall strong player in our under 12 team, he is well built but we are not sure what his best position is ie out and striker or centre back he tends to go on long runs and can withstand strong tackles but he does try to do too much and can tire, he doesn't always pass when he should and often will shoot wide where placing his shoot would be better any suggestions ?

Archived User Coach

Warm up routine before football match

Hi has anyone got a good warm up routine for a under 18 team before a match?

DAN BRYAN Coach, England

Annual training plan for U15 players?

HI all, how can I prepare an annual training plan for football under 15 aged athletes? If you have a sample plan please attach it to your answer. Thanks!

Archived User Coach

How to teach players the correct positioning in 7 a side?

How do I teach players about positioning in a 7 a side game

Scott Coach, England

How to defend high airballs? For u-17?

Hello coach, My question is - How to defend high airballs? Actully we prefer to play small passes and ground balls more. So we face problems with airballs. Teams here play more airballs. We win , but feel the pressure of the airball situation. Kindly suggest some drills for the same please.Thankingyou.

Archived User Coach

Best way to defend against a speedy forward?

Hello,I regularly play a team that has a speed forward with a good shot. I wanted to get some opinions from anyone who has had success limiting these types of players. He is probably a step or 2 faster than my normal defenders. Regularly racks up goals by being one of the fastest players in the league.In the past we have tried a 4-4-1 with a man mark. Sticking a speed guy on him the full game. It has slowed him down but also limited us on offense. We lost each game by a goal.I was also thinking about using a 5-4-1 formation with more defenders to cut down on thru ball lanes for him.Any other thoughts?ThanksChad

Chad Bruns Coach, United States of America

Attacking and recovering with midfielders

When my team attacks the near the opposing teams 18 box, we always seem to give the ball away to the other team and my midfield is never covered adequately. What is the best way to balance trying to attack but still maintaining shape from a defensive standpoint?

Hunter Williams Coach, United States of America

4-3-3 and U23s - basic coaching methodology

I'm coaching a u23 development squad and due to the nature of them bringing eligibility rules this year, we have a squad of variable quality. Any tips/drill/s plans around effectively coaching 433 would be awesome.

Daniel Rock Coach, New Zealand

BUILD-UP PLAY

How does this session encourage build-up play?

Nder Isaac Ibrahim Coach, Nigeria

Defending drills

Does anyone know any good defending drills not for a team but for an individual it has been hard to find any drills other than the basics of defending and some ones to do with jockeying and body positioning.

Isaac Goodrich Coach, Australia

How to defend against wide pla...

how to defend against wide play or wide areas? any ideas? Thanks

jose guerrero Coach, United States of America

how can I progress this sessio...

Cedric Pisani Coach, Malta

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