The athlete completes a straight pass against the wall before playing an angled pass. The athlete would then work across the other side of the cone to complete the same on the other side getting loads of repetitions on both right & left foot.
Weight of pass - distance between passer and receiver (pass appreciation)
Quick feet
Contact on the ball - using the inside of the foot, standing foot next to the ball and striking the centre of the ball
The player will start around half a pitch length away from the coach. The coach will hold two tennis balls, When the coach drops the first tennis ball the player will accelerate towards the coach.
The coach can then decide whether to drop the second tennis ball or not. If the second tennis ball is not dropped the player will just continue sprinting until they reach the coach. However, if at any point the coach drops the second ball the player must decelerate and come to a stop as quickly as possible. The player should come to a stop using their arms for balance and a slight bend in the knees.
Variation 1: When the second ball is dropped the player must come to a stop and then reaccelerate again.
Variation 2: The player can decelerate but stop on one leg, focusing on balance and stability
Variation 3: When the second ball is dropped the player decelerates and changes direction to reaccelerate back to the start
- Be explosive
- Arms and knee drives, big initial stride lengths to accelerate
- Soft "landing" when decelerating and coming to a stop
The player will play a 1,2 with the coach to set them up to take a positive touch forward before dribbling past the coach.
Progress by increasing the reactions be either calling a colour for them to attack, using coloured cones or advancing to use the defenders body & field position to help them decide which direction to attack.
First Touch : Using the first touch to 'engage' the defender. This means getting the ball moving forward and tempting the defender to overcommit. Advanced players will look to create dribbling angles using the first touch to drag the defender to a particular side before getting past them in the opposite direct.
1 vs 1 : 4 keys to beating a defender (speed, skill, strength & change of direction). The player will be better at certain ones so lean into their strengths.
We can use a combination of the 4 in any situation (e.g. step overs use skill, speed and change of direction)
Decision Making : Proactive means knowing where you want to go and tricking the defender to achieve this. Reactive means using the defenders body & field position to help make the decision for you.
The player should start 5-7 yards away from the mannequin. The coach will start by passing into the player, who should then dribble into the mannequin and practice a individual skill before finishing. Our 5 core skills are:
- Body feint
- Scissor move
- Step-over
- Chop move
- Maradona Spin
You can ask the player to layer & combine the skills to challenge them. You may also vary the height of your service into the player to change the scenario for them.
- Can the player be as dynamic as possible? Beating the mannequin at speed.
- Is the timing of the skill effective?
- Ultimately, is the end product of the player good?
