Dan Lucia - Long Term Development

A great speech on youth development in Ice Hockey by Dan Lucia. It's totally relevant to youth soccer development as well.

Rick Smith - Warming Up Goalkeepers

As the weeks have passed since the season has started, I have recognized from watching various warm-ups before a game, that there are area's of concern when dealing with a goalkeeper's warm-up/preparation. I am not in anyway implying that every warm-up should change, but see minor areas that could be avoided to ensure your Gk has the best opportunity to prepare for a game. What I have provided below is a generic warm-up that may be of use to you (some in which you may already adopt in your warm-up). We need to educate every player on the team as to the importance of warming-up correctly and a Gk is no exception to that rule.

Generic Goalkeeping Warm Up

Time available – 40-45 minutes?

Factors to consider
•How much space is available?
•How much time do you have?
•Are there 2 Gk’s working together?
•Is the Assistant coach warming up the Gk?
•What age-group does this apply to – U-12+ (adaptations to the warm-up can be made for younger age-groups)

Stage 1 (0-10 minutes)

•Jog (with team) Dynamic stretching (avoid static stretching in this period) Ball Familiarity (allow Gk to individually work with a ball)
•Varied movement (forwards/backwards/side-steps/sprints)

Stage 2 (10-15 minutes)

•Collapse saves (sitting/kneeling/standing)
•Receiving low/mid/high delivered balls

Stage 3 (15-30 minutes)

•Receiving crosses (either thrown or kicked)
•Shot stopping from angles/in front of goal (include forwards/wide midfielders here?)
•Kicking/Punts

Stage 4 (30-40 minutes)

•Team interaction

It is recommended that a Gk complete a least 8-10 repetitions of each activity (from each side – right/left) to ensure that the movement is rehearsed.

Older age-group Gk’s (for example U-14+) need the time to mentally prepare for a game and should focus their warm-up on specifics (as listed above). Involving Gk’s in activities that have no relevance to goalkeeping will not best prepare the individual for the game ahead.

Having the Gk in goal and the rest of the team 10-15 yards away taking constant shots will not motivate the goalkeeper into a state of readiness. Take the Gk to the side of the goal to work on specifics while the team does this activity, then bring the Gk back in when an activity that will provide an equal opportunity for success is used.

One area you may be question is that your Gk is also an outfield player and will swap with another team-mate at half-time, so why focus on the format listed above? The major reason I can give for this is that if we do not educate the Gk's right and they lose the desire to play in goal, who do we look to when players start to focus on specific positions? Our actions may have resulted in no one wanting to play the position due to a lack of knowledge on our part and a sense of under-achievement from the Gk's perspective.

I hope you find this useful.


Rick Smith
UEFA A Goalkeeping License
Rio Rancho Soccer Club Director of Goalkeeping

Preventing The Swarm When in Possession

Warm Up:
Follow the Leader - This session starts to give the players ownership for the decisions they make. Players stand in pairs, or groups of three with a leader in front. The lead player calls what action players must use to move to around the designated area. They are asked to incorporate as many of the warm up moves we have used in recent weeks (skip, run, jump, high kness, butt flicks etc). No matter what action is suggested by the leader, both he and the other players must carry it out. Reverse the roles at regular intervals.

Short Passing - The players are asked to get into pairs, or threes and to get a cone each and one ball for each group. The players are then asked to go a find some space put the cones on the floor and to start passing the ball to each other. Progressed to receiving on one-side of the cone and passing on the other, by getting the ball out of their feet on the first touch.

Work in small groups:
Target Game - Set up an area approx 30 x 20 (dependant upon age and experience, with an end zone at either end. Players will be taken through a series of progressions that will take them from passing the ball by hand to using their feet. Split the players into small groups 3 or 4 players  with one ball for each group. I like to play this on one pitch to create the "chaos" of a normal game.

1. Then challenge them to move the ball from one end zone to the other by throwing and catching the ball with the emphasis on the players moving into space, but being close enough to receive a pass. Once they reach an end zone they turn and attack the other.
2. This can then be progressed to rolling the ball along the ground, because they can make longer passes this way the players need to make different decisions about space and distance.
3. Next the progression is to get the players to put the ball on the floor and have the players pass the ball to each other.

For each of these steps the objective is to pass the ball to a player running into the end zone.

Work in small areas:
Target Game -  Dependant on the number of players you have you may have to use more than one pitch. Using the same set up we now start to introduce some opposition into the games. Initially starting off with 1 defender for each group (i.e 3v1 or 4v1). This can become quite tiring for the defender so rotate them regularly. We then work through the same progressions as above:

1. Challenge them to move the ball from one end zone to the other by throwing and catching the ball with the emphasis on the players moving into space, but being close enough to receive a pass. Once they reach an end zone they turn and attack the other.
2. This can then be progressed to rolling the ball along the ground, because they can make longer passes this way the players need to make different decisions about space and distance.
3. Next the progression is to get the players to put the ball on the floor and have the players pass the ball to each other.
   

You can reward the defenders with a point for each time they recover the ball and return it to an end zone, where play restarts.

In the coming weeks, we will use the Target game as a template for a number of progressions that will lead to the players competing in the Target game under normal conditions.

Group Work:
Normal Match –  Focus on the skills learnt in the session, giving particular praise to players passing well and moving into space when their team is in possession

Our diagrams are produced using session template software available at Academy Soccer Coach. Click here to visit their website and access free soccer downloads.

Youth Soccer Training - Player Development

Here are some messages I believe every adult involved in youth soccer should know:

• Give the players time.
• Dont shout from the touchline. You dont shout at kids when they are learning to read, so why is it appropriate when they are learning to play a game.
• Let players unwind and reflect before you start talking about what they could have done differently in the game.
• They are children so they do not see things like you. Try getting down to their level and watching the game - you will see something different
• Learning is long term not short term.
• Making mistakes and understanding consequences is an important part of their development.
• A game is short term. If the adults make all the decisions for the players by telling when to shoot, pass, tackle etc you disempower them for short term rewards (A win!)
• Disempowering players means they never learn to be self-reliant and trust themselves.
• Player performance moves upwards and downwards in cycles, just like your performance would at work. 

If every adult at youth games understood and took action on these points the game would be more enjoyable for the players. Unfortunately even adults who are aware of this information choose to ignore it because "Its what they have always done" or "Its expected".

Can you add anymore? If so, please leave a comment

Youth Soccer Training - Offside Referee

After years of coaching and running the line at youth football games, I have become more and more incensed by the complete lack of understanding that so many people involved in the game have of the offside law. Having been constantly berated for not calling offside or for calling offside against players by adults whose knowledge of the laws of the extends to what they heard on TV, I think its time to start educating people.

The following is an exert from an article in the Guardian by Keith Hackett.

Let's be clear about this. Match officials do know the laws and apply them to the best of their ability - but time and again pundits criticise perfectly valid decisions. The Match of the Day analysis of the Aliadière decision was a case in point. They suggested the goal should not have been given, that the striker should have been flagged for 'gaining an advantage' after being in an offside position from the long ball. That is simply wrong.

It is immensely frustrating. The law, clarified by the International FA Board in 2005, is a good, effective one, but it seems to have totally eluded some in the media. Officials understand it perfectly, and so could the lads in the studio if they wanted to - it's set out in black and white for anyone who can find the time to read it. Many pundits do a great job, but I hope they respect my right to point out when they are misleading fans, and winding themselves up with old or wrong information.

The law really is simple and well defined. First and foremost, it is important to know the key principle: it is not an offence in itself to be in an offside position. Assistants will not flag the moment someone strays offside. A player is only penalised if he then becomes active.

The source of most confusion is clearly in the definition of 'active'. Pundits keep falling back on the dictionary definition of the word, or their own version of it, rather than the one set out in the laws. It's intensely frustrating to see them spreading misinformation - misinformation that leads to the sort of abuse that drives officials out of the game.

To be clear, the definition, in the laws, is this: in deciding whether to flag, assistants must watch out for three things, any one of which would make an offside player active.
First, is the offside player interfering with play? As advised by the IFAB since 2005, that means playing or touching the ball. Attempting to play the ball does not count - he must actually play or touch it.

Second, is the player interfering with an opponent's ability to play the ball, by clearly obstructing the opponent's line of vision or movements, or by making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent?

And third, is the player 'gaining an advantage'? This last point is specific, and is not what Match of the Day seem to think it is. It applies only to an offside player playing a ball that rebounds to him from an opponent, the post or the crossbar. If he does not play the ball from the rebound, then he is not penalised for being in that offside position. Nothing else counts as 'gaining'.

And that's it. If a player ticks any one of those three boxes, he is offside. The three-part definition is remembered as 'PIG' - if a player doesn't Play, Interfere or Gain, he is fine.

The law is a real positive for the game - the pundits should love it. The active definition helps games flow - there are fewer stoppages for offside now - and it makes negative play far less profitable. No sensible team today uses the arms-aloft offside trap made famous by George Graham's Arsenal in the 80s and 90s. That trap was totally against the spirit of the offside law - it was never intended as a device for earning cheap free-kicks. The active system means that the offside trap is now a dangerous tactic to use and allows the benefit of the doubt to be always with the attacking team.

I'm honestly very proud of the officials who put themselves forward for what is a thankless task. They are hard-working, dedicated and honest, and deserve so much more respect than they get. All I'm asking is that pundits and phone-in critics read the laws before complaining. Failing that, if they really do know better, they should step forward, sign up and have a go themselves.

Keith Hackett is general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited

You can read the full article here

The law that covers offside within the game is one of the shortest of the 17 FIFA laws that govern the game, but it undoubtedly causes the most confusion and controversy take a look at FIFA's own interactive web pages on the offside law.

http://www.fifa.com/lotg/football/en/flash/start.html

Youth Soccer Training - Coaching Progressions

I am trying to put together a list of high level progressions/conditions for games. I am not looking for specifics like 1 touch, 2 touch etc (I have grouped these as number of touches) in the list below. Can you help with anymore? Add a comment if you can


Space


1. Smaller or Larger Area


2. Wider or Narrower area


3. Target areas


4. Safe Zones


5. Shape of the pitch


Task


1. Move the ball using the hands


2. Number of Touches


3. Left or Right Foot (Stronger/Weaker)


4. Communication or Silence


5. Directional or Multi=Directional


6. Number or Sequences of passes


7. Type of pass or shot


Equipment


1. Ball Size


2. With or without Bibs


3. Cones or gates


4. Obstacles


5. Goals (Larger, smaller. Greater, fewer or style)


People


1. Numbers


2. Neutral Players (inside or Outside)


3. Even or Overloaded groups