AGES 4 TO 6 - WEEK THREE

Drill 1 - Cops and Robbers

Warm Up:
Refer to the “Warm Up” section for a variety of fun warm up activities for your team. Use a combination of exercises “with” and “without” the ball. Relate the warm up to the skill of the day. Be creative, energetic, and make the warm-up a fun start to the practice session.

Exercise Objectives:
This is an introductory exercise for dribbling. The major focus is on vision, change of direction, change of speed and control over the ball.

Field Preparation
Entire Group
Area 20 x 20 yards
Cones or Flag poles
Supply of Balls

Coaching Pointers:
Select two or three volunteers to be the “cops.” All the “robbers” line up at one end with their “diamonds” (soccer balls).

The robbers attempt to dribble their “diamond” from one end to the other without having their diamond kicked out by a cop. If their diamond gets kicked out, they go to jail (a designated area outside the grid).

If a robber successfully dribbles across the grid 5 times, then a jailbreak occurs and all those in jail get to re-enter the game.

Drill 2 - Transformers

Exercise Objectives:
This is an introductory exercise for dribbling. The major focus is on vision, change of direction and control over the ball.

Field Preparation
Entire Group
Area 20 x 20 yards
Cones or Flag poles
Supply of Balls

Coaching Pointers:
Mark off a square about 20 x 20 yards. Line up the players at one end of the square. The object of the game is to dribble the ball from one end of the square to the other, then stop. If a players ball is kicked from the square then he or she is to sit down on the exact spot and become a Transformer. A Transformer may not move his bottom from the ground, but if he succeeds in picking the ball from a dribblers foot, then that person is also out and must sit down also. Last child with a ball is the winner.

Drill 3 - Dribbling Knock Out

Exercise Objectives:
This practice is designed to improve the player’s technical ability in a variety of dribbling moves.

Field Preparation
Entire Group
Area 20 x 20 yards
Supply of Balls
Cones

Coaching Pointers:
The entire group is positioned in a grid 20 yards x 20 yards. All but one player has a ball. The practice is started with one defender placed in the center of the grid (Mad Max). The defender tries to kick the dribbling player’s ball out of the grid. Once the player has been dispossessed, he then becomes a member of the Mad Max gang and has to help him kick the ball out of the grid. The last player remaining in possession of a ball is the winner.

Encourage the players to seek out defenders and not hide in corners. The dribbling players should use a variety of dribbling moves while scanning the grid for open spaces and defensive players. The winner of the practice becomes Mad Max in the following game. Players should also look to screen the ball whenever needed, using their arms to hold off pressurizing defenders.

Small-Sided Game (no goalkeepers)

Exercise Objectives:
Finish with small sided game 3 v 3 (No Goalkeepers). The practice should be concluded with a small-sided game reinforcing the coaching points from your drills.

Field Preparation
Entire Group (split into teams of three or fours)
Area 20 x 20 yards
Use Small Goals, Cones or Flag poles
Supply of Balls
Colored Bibs

Coaching Pointers:

Divide the players into teams of three or fours, no goalkeepers.
Each field should be approximately 20 yards x 20 yards.
Use corner flags or cones as goals.
Small-sided round robin tournaments can be used.
Every team plays each other.
Each game 10 minutes in duration.
Total time, 30 minutes.
At the end of your session, review all coaching points made during the practice.

Schedule

Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five
Week Six
Week Seven
Week Eight

Download Season Manual