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Setting up your soccer practice
A well-prepared football or soccer practice is conducted with a progressively perplexing flow. Rather than mixing soccer drills at random, a training session must be targeted towards a specific part of the game like finishing or passing. The best way to conduct a soccer practice is by starting with simple technical exercises and building up to group tactical situations. The latter much closer resemble the real game of soccer, thus providing a bridge or a translation from practice to match performance.

The following are proven drills specialized in the different aspects of the game. It must be noted that when coaching very young kids (younger than 12) it is best to have a soccer practice based on technical development, rather than concentrating on one particular aspect like passing or shooting. Therefore, if you are coaching young kids, consider the youth soccer drills section.

Finishing or Shooting Soccer Drills

Drill 1: Simple Shooting Drill

Description: This is a good drill to start off a shooting practice. The "finisher" passes the ball over to a distributor who sets it up for a finish. The ball must be struck outside of the penalty box. Explanation: In the beginning of the drill, the player taking the shot must be required to control the ball before finishing. When the players get comfortable enough, make it a requirement to finish with a single touch. This provides a smooth progression from technical execution to performance demands.  Task: finish from outside the box Purpose: technique, composure Complexity: simple

Drill 2: Counter 3v2 with a Wing

Description: The attackers begin in line, at three different points: on the wing, 20 yards inward and in the middle of the pitch. Two enemy fullbacks are initially located at the edge and Events of the penalty box. The ball starts from the player in the center. He gives it to the left enemy defender who immediately lays it to the outside attacker. From that point, the fullbacks begin attempt to clear the ball to the opposite half of the pitch. The attackers are required to score using not more than three consecutive touches per single player.  Task: for the attackers - finish using less than three touches per player; for the defenders - to clear the ball Purpose: composure, direct attacks Complexity: medium   Explanation: The initial pass between attackers and fullbacks is important from a psychological point of view. This interaction promotes a composed type of play rather than kick and rush football. Having a winger out wide stimulates a more complex tactical movement such as plays involving crossing.

Drill 3: Standard 5v4 Attack

Description: The keeper boots the ball at a "pack" of attackers gathered close to each other. The attackers are allowed to break up immediately after the punted ball lands. Simultaneously, four defenders (starting by twos at the Events flags) enter the pitch trying to gain possession and complete 7-10 passes. Inversely, the attackers are required to score before making 7-10 passes. Explanation: This drill provides a good introduction to the overall concepts of defense and offense. The attackers are required to spread out whereas the defenders must maintain a compact shape.  Task: for the attackers - finish before executing 7-10 passes; for the defenders - gain possession and make 7-10 passes Purpose: direct attacks, group play Complexity: complex

Passing Soccer Drills

Drill 1: Pass and Move Drill

Description: There are three lines of players behind three cones, arranged in a triangle. The player in the front of each line passes the ball over to the next. As he completes his pass, he moves over to the back of the line that is opposite to the direction of his pass. Explanation: This drill incorporates many fundamental aspects of passing. First of all, all passes are made in a triangle, which is the basis of all ball movement. Secondly, the players are forced to move right after releasing the ball. This enforces the dynamic concept "pass and move."  Task: keep the ball moving from cone to cone; after a pass from Line 1 to Line 2, the player passing must go to back of the opposite Line 3 and so on Purpose: technique, rhythm Complexity: simple

Drill 2: Combination Passing

Task: to advance with the ball while preserving width Purpose: maintaining attacking shape, passing to space Complexity: simple to medium  Description: Three evenly spaced players advance the ball forward through combinations of dribbling and passing. There are many variations of this soccer drill. As shown in this particular diagram, the ball is always dribbled to the middle and passed to the outside. An important fact to notice is that when running past a player dribbling with the ball (Steps 3 to 5) you must always run behind him (Step 5 occurs after 4.) Explanation: Combination plays are great for young players because they teach many fundamental principles of attacking. Preserving width, for example, is important because it challenges and pulls out the enemy defense.

Drill 3: Keep away

Description: Two teams of players try to maintain possession of the ball in a confined area. Task: keep possession of the ball and complete a X number of consecutive passes Purpose: vision, onball & offball movement Complexity: medium  Explanation: This drill is used to develop passing in a dynamic game-like atmosphere. Demand that the players get spread out in attack and compress around the ball when defending. Restrictions could be implemented for increasing the difficulty. For example, prohibit the players from making back passes (where the ball cannot be played back to the player who passed it.) Imposing a limit on the consecutive touches per player is also a good way of increasing the challenge.

Defensive Soccer Drills

Drill 1: Man in the Middle

Description: Five attackers, arranged in a circle, must keep the ball away from two pressuring defenders, who are staying inside the circle. If an attacker gives up the ball or kicks it out of circle he becomes a defender. The defender who caused him to lose possession takes his role. Explanation: When a pass is made, the defenders have to adjust (Step 2) to prevent a through ball whereas the attackers have to give support (Step 3.) At first, it may seem that the drill is only for kids, but in fact many professional teams use it. The drill is a great warm up for passing and tackling skill.  Task: keep the ball away from the two defenders; for increased difficulty, the attackers must try to play the ball between the defenders Purpose: warm up drill, tackling, quick passing Complexity: simple Complexity: simple

Drill 2: Turnovers

Description: This is a relatively simple (and fun) defensive drill. Four defenders and a goalkeeper are challenged by three attackers. The attackers start with the ball. Their goal is to score in the central goal. The defenders' job is to regain possession of the ball from the attackers and finish in either one of the two smaller goals. The team which gets scored on first must leave (and be replaced by another round of players.) The goalkeeper works in conjunction with the defense. If the ball ends up in his hands, he must quickly initiate a counter attack towards one of the smaller goals.     Task: for the attackers - to score in the center goal; for the defenders - to finish in one of the smaller goals; whoever gets scored on first leaves the pitch Purpose: turnover counter attacks, group defense Complexity: medium  Explanation: The main focus of this drill is on the defenders and the way in which they organize a counter attack. The transitional process of regaining possession and exploiting it must be practiced by defenders so that they know their positions and tasks in dynamically unfolding situations.

Drill 3: Group defending

Description: Two squads of players start in a confined rectangular area or grid. Basically, both teams are playing keepaway with the exception that the team in possession of the ball is allowed to leave the predefined zone. To keep things even, if an attacker receives the ball outside of the box, he must play it back into the zone with one touch (two touches for younger players.)  Task: keep possession of the ball by knocking it in and out of the grid; the team without the ball must stay inside of the box; players outside of the grid can only play it back in with one touch (or two, one for controlling and one for passing) Purpose: compact group defending Complexity: complex     Explanation: This drill encompasses many features of real match situations and forces the players to work in conjunction. Compactness is the major principle of playing group defense. In the drill, the defending team is required to compress inside the box (forcing the opposition out.) The attackers have no choice but to spread outside of the grid. Young players may have trouble understanding the importance of spreading out in attack. To stimulate them, you can enforce an additional rule demanding that at least one attacker has to stay outside of the box at all times.