Balls Out Of The Air and Switching The Field

I. Ladder Work

II. Heading Technique and Balls Out of the Air

• Each player has a partner and one ball
• Technical progression for heading the ball
• The final step is to have the partners standing 10-15 yards apart and one partner throws the ball high up in the air and the other partner has to head the ball back.  

Make It Competitive

Players must stay outside of the 10 or 15 yard grid in order for a turn to count

• +1 point for each time that one partner can head the ball back and the other partner can catch the ball 
• +3 points each time one partner can head the ball back and the other partner can juggle the ball once and then catch it
• +5 points if they can juggle it twice and catch the ball

III. Switch The Field To 2v1 Wide & Cross

Set Up

• Use half of a field
• 4 teams of 3 players
• 3 teams are attacking and one team is defending
• Make a wide channel for the 2v1
• Create a goal for the defenders to score in if they win the ball

Procedure

• A coach or extra player plays a ball into a center mid who has checked to her
• The center mid receives the ball and plays a big switch to the far outside mid
• The outside mid who started inside bounces outside and receives the ball close to the side line
• As the ball is traveling to the outside mid the red defender moves out wide to put pressure on the ball and she should be about 10 yards away from the wide player when she receives the ball
• One of the blue forwards makes a run to towards the outside mid to create a 2v1 on the wing versus the red defender
• The two blues go 2v1 and look to either combine around the red defender or the blue outside mid can play the forward down the line to beat the defender with the pass
• If the defender wins the ball she can score by passing the ball through the cone goal 
• After a successful 2v1 the blues cross the ball into the middle for the 2nd forward to finish first time 

Make It Competitive

+1 for a cross and a shot on goal
+3 for a cross and a goal 
+5 for a header goal 

Defense +3 for a goal

Key Points 

• The cue for the outside mid to get wide is when the center mid opens up the field.  The run by the wide mid needs to be quick and they need to curve their run wide to create a passing lane.
• The forward needs to read whether or not to run to the line to be played in by the wide mid or if she should combine with the wide player to beat the defender
• The cross into the box needs to be placed in an area where the forward will be successful

IV. 6v6 With Wide 2v1 Channels To Goal

Set Up

• 2 teams of 5 players and a goalie
• Wide channel that is from the outside of the 18 yard box to the side line

Procedure

• Teams play 6v6 and try to get the ball out wide
• The team that is defending cannot send anyone wide until the ball enters the wide channel
• When the ball enters the wide channel the defending team can send one player to create a 2v1 for the attacking team
• Teams must get the ball to one of the wide channels before they can score 

Make It Competitive

+1 point for a goal 
+3 points for a goal from a cross
+10 points for a header goal 

Rain Rain Go Away . . . Futsol Training

I. Synchronized Ball Dancing

Set Up

• 1 Ball per player, each player working with a partner

Procedure

• The partners are given a series of ball moves to work on together, attempting to execute the moves in as synchronized a fashion as possible

Make It Competitive

• Have the partners create their own sequence, have them work on it for a few minutes, then bring the team in to watch each pair work and rank them.  The ranking system was 
  • Thumbs Down - They were not together at all and lacked speed
  • So So sign with the hands - They were together part of the time, but lacked speed
  • Thumbs Up - They were together and had decent speed
  • Super Loud Cheering - They were together, had speed, degree of difficulty was high
• After everyone has performed send them back to their groups and have them practice their routines again and let the groups make any adjustments, that they see fit, in order to improve their rating when they perform again.

Comments

Every time I contemplate running this activity I think to myself "This is silly and they will never get into this."  But every time I do it, this activity continually amazes me with players who have a competitive fire.  The pairs work really hard and, without realizing it, they get tons of touches on the ball.  

We spent 20 minutes on this activity and the girls were asking to keep doing it until their groups could get the Super Loud Cheering rating.  The groups who received the SLC rating wanted to expand into groups of 4.  We will have to bring this activity out in warm ups at the tournament this weekend.

II. Figure 8 Open Up Relay

Set Up

• 3 teams of 3 players
• Space is 30 yards long 
• 2 cones in the middle that are 10 yards apart for the central player to check around
• 2 cones on each outside that are set up 10 yards apart

Procedure

• The outside player with the ball starts out doing a Figure 8 around her cones
• As she is doing that, the central person checks around the far cone from the player with the ball and receives the pass, turns and plays the far player

• When the far player receives the ball she sprints up towards the top cone, circles around it and continues to make a Figure 8 around the bottom cone
• As the outside player is completing the Figure 8, the central player checks around the far cone
• When the Figure 8 is complete the ball is played into the central person who opens up and plays the ball to the other side

Make It Competitive

• See who is the first group to switch the field 8 times

III. 2v2 With Outside Players - Switch The Field

Set Up

• 4 teams of two players each 
• 2 teams are on the end line of each side and act as neutral targets
• 2 teams are in the middle 

Procedure

• The ball is played into one of the teams (in this picture the blue team) and the blue team attempts to switch the ball to the green targets on the far side of the field to score a point
• If the blue player is unable to turn, she can play the ball to her partner, or she can play it back to one of the yellow targets
• If the defending team (red) wins the ball, they must get the ball to an outside target and then they are on offense
• Targets must play the ball within 2 seconds of receiving it 
• Targets are allowed to play the ball to their partner target or they can switch the ball to the far targets if no one is open

Make It Competitive

• Play for 2 minutes or the first team to three points wins

Key Points

• The central players need to check sharp and at an angle that will allow them to switch the field.  Do not receive the ball facing the person who passed the ball to you.   The key that I tell the girls is to face the center of the field or the side line.
• The attacking central players want to position themselves where the defending players cannot see both the ball and the attacker.  Make the defenders choose whether they are looking at the ball or the player.
• Outside players need to know before they get the ball what they are going to do in order to play quickly.  If the outside players took too long on the ball or turned the ball over I had them do 1 up down before they could get the ball again.  The idea was to get the outside players to understand that they are under no pressure so they should not turn the ball over. 

IV. Futsol Scrimmage

Players missing: Squirrel, Emma G, Adrienne, Emily, Josie

2v1 Lead Pass & Slotted Through Pass Training 5/8

Skillzys® Focus

• 2v1 Lead Pass
• Slotted Through Pass

I. Ladder Work and Individual Ball Skills

II. 2v1 To End Lines

Set Up

• Grid is 15x15 yards with an 5 yard end zone at one end
• Each player has a partner
• One group is the defending group and the rest are the attackers

Procedure

• Players go 2v1 and attempt to dribble the ball across the end line

Make It Competitive

Attackers
+1 point for dribbling across the endline
+2 points for beating the defender with a pass 

Defenders
+1 point for stealing the ball and playing it into the pugg goal 

 III. 2v1 To Goal 

Set Up

• Same as before and it is set up inside of the center circle

Procedure

• The girls go 2v1 and and they must beat the defender inside the starting grid before they can go to goal

IV. 3v2 To Goal

Set Up

• Same as above but now there are two defenders and the attacking team has one player who starts as a forward and two players who start as midfielders.  The ball begins with the midfielders.

Make It Competitive

Attackers
+1 for getting into the 18 yard box
+3 for beating the defenders with a pass into the 18
+1 point for a goal

Defenders
+1 point for winning the ball and scoring in the pugg goal 

 V. Scrimmage

Award one point for each time a 2v1 lead pass is made or a slotted through ball to go along with the goals.

Training 5/4

I.  Technical Receiving Balls Out of the Air

II. 2v2 With 2 Neutrals

III. 2v2 To Goal From The 1/2 Line

IV. Scrimmage

Fall 2009 Establishing Another Presence

As Mark did with the 94 team from before, I wanted the 99's to start out in their own age group during the fall league for two reasons:

1. So we could see how other teams were at our true age group and 
2. so other teams could see us.  

While I figured going in that the league would not be close for us, I was surprised that no one was even somewhat competitive.  

We have been training this group for the last two years so it was nice to see that all of the training is paying dividends.

The only minor difficulties we had came when we played games in the snow and ice for our last two league games and the State Tournament.

We ended up winning the Fall State Tournament by beating Burnsville 4-2 in the championship game. 

Our goal differential for 9 games in the fall was +52 

MYSA U11C2 2009 Fall League

MYSA State Tournament

Saturday's games were played on a field where half was covered by a pool of water and the other part was filled with snow.  This was too bad because we could not get a good read on how well the other teams could play.  Sunday's field did not have a lake on it, but it was pure water and mud.  

State Tournament Results PDF

MTE vs Lakeville: Win 2-0

MTE vs Eden Prairie: Win 3-1

Final- MTE vs Burnsville: Win 4-2