LANE SOCCER
Using lanes to teach spacing and separation to young players.
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Lane Soccer - Use two rows of cones and divide the field vertically into three equal size rectangles. Play 3v3. Each team can have one player in each of the three zones. They can receive, pass and dribble but can't go out of their zone. They must run and get open and mark defensively inside their zone. After a few scores, swap the players to a new zone and a new 1v1 match-up. This taught my players to immediately get wide the minute that their team stole the ball and to space properly.
Variations:
I recently dusted off this drill that I usually use with younger players and re-used a variation of it with my older U17 boys team to teach transition, communication, fitness, spacing and specifically off-the-ball movement.
1. Play 4v4 - Widen the center lane and play 2v2 in the center lane.2. Play 4v4 - Allow two players of each team to be in any lane at one time. If a third player from that team wants to enter that same lane, one of the two players from his team must leave the lane before he can enter it. This requires lots of communication and ingenuity to get numbers up quickly on your opponents. It also teaches players to make "ball side" runs within their lanes to receive the ball.
3. Set up three teams of 4 players and two teams play on the field and winning team stands. Winning can be one, two or three goals. We play just one goal wins a game. When playing "Winners Stand" we add these conditions for balls played out of bounds: Balls kicked over the end line outside of goal result in corner kick or goal kicks, BUT balls kicked across the touch-line mean an automatic loss for team that last touched the ball. The team sitting out must be ready to immediately defend their goal (or attack) when the ball goes out of touch.
Additional helpful ideas from Coach Orlay Johnson:
I love Ken's lane games and have used them almost every practice in some shape, manner, or form. Yes, you can use four lanes, but three is a little easier to deal with and forces more team play (see below). One of the best adaptations of lanes is to help the defense understand the complexities and advantages of zonal play, or flat back four, or whatever you want to call it.
I am really into running practices where players are forced to make various decisions on how they will play. So i used something similar to Ken's 1 and 2 options (above), but focus on defense and give them restrictions on how they play - one would be you must stay in your lanes, but one player can move lanes and be a stopper or sweeper, then after a few minutes tell them to switch to straight zonal defense. Then a combination. Another day you might tell them that the defense has to protect one of your defenders who is slow or hurt (tell her she can only walk, not run). Another is to switch from 2 defenders in center lane, to 2 in left lane, and see how long it takes the offense to figure it out (longer than you'd think).
Anyway, it forces the kids to think. Also it gives them something to bitch about - how dumb the coach is to force them to do this - and that this will destroy their ability to ever play well again, or to get into Stanford, or go to homecoming, or whatever....
Orlay Johnson 10-8-2004
Other drills for young players are in the articles, drills and manuals at http://www.decatursports.com/drills/young.htm
Ken Gamble
Web Administrator Ken Gamble