Mass Youth Soccer Academy - Receiving Low Balls
Coaching Points: Ankle locked, contact ball in middle, cushion ball as it arrives. Non-kicking foot pointing in direction of target, to side of ball. Keep feet moving before ball arrives. Positive first touch away from pressure, rather than stopping it. Practice with BOTH FEET and get head up after receiving. Non-kicking leg slightly bent, and kicking foot bent enough so that foot contacts the ball in the upper half. When receiving balls with back to goal, try to receive sideways on and look over shoulder before receiving the ball. Receive ball facing the way you want to play.
1) Gates Game---10 to 20 small 2-yard goals are placed around the playing area. The group is split up into pairs, each pair attempting to move around the area completing as many passes through the cone goals to their partners as they can in 1 minute (keep score). Must receive with inside of foot to begin, then receive after a feint. Then receive with the outside of the foot. Can emphasize feinting and letting ball run across body to change direction of the play. (10 Minutes)
2) Dutch Circle---Half of the players create a 25-35 yard outer circle and have balls. These players must always be alert and on their toes. The other half of the players are in the middle of this circle and do not have soccer balls. The inner players check to players on the outside to receive a pass from them. They receive the pass and then play to any player on the outer circle who does not have a ball (except player who passed to them). They then check to another person on the outside who has a ball and repeat this process for about 2-3 minutes until coach switches players on outside and inside. Focus on both front foot and back foot receptions and add in feints (i.e. ball runs through legs, ball runs across body, or take ball early). Work on receiving with both feet and receiving sideways on. (14 Minutes)
1 minute waterbreak
3) 5 Goal Game---4v4+2 in 25x30 grid. Five 2-yard goals are spread out throughout the grid. The plus 2 players are always on the attacking team. The teams score by passing through any of the goals to a teammate. Must receive with inside of foot, then outside, weak foot inside/outside are different expectations that can be put on the players. First team to 10 points wins. Players need to be able to see where the open goals are, and receive with a "picture" of what is around them. With this in mind, if the players are advanced enough, the player receiving through the goal must play 1 touch. Coach could require receiving player to perform a feint before touching ball. (14 Minutes)
1 minute waterbreak
4) Bread and Butter---Typical 4 vs. 4 but with an additional 4 players who stand on outside of field and can be used by either team as outlets (with only 2 touches). If a team gets scored upon, they become the team on the outside and the outside team plays on the field. Use approximately a 20x25 yd area. Stress correct technique, receiving sideways on, and facing where they wish to play. May restrict the players to 2/3 touch to force quicker decisions, and better body position before the ball arrives. Keep score and make the game competitive. (20 Minutes)
5) Review---Ask players to teach you the technical coaching points to insure complete understanding in the group.
