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by Gary Rue
garyrue@bellsouth.net
 

NOTE:  Gary did not write these exercises and tips with the idea that someone would publish them.  I subscribe to the Soccer-Coach-L e-mail list and Gary is one of the coaches that posts extremely well thought out replies.  These are some of Gary's posts that I collected for use in coaching my own teams.   I approached Gary and he was gracious enough to allow me to publish them here.  If you like what you see or have a question about one of the exercises you can reach Gary at garyrue@bellsouth.net There are 50+ more pages of Gary's posts categorized at the Home Page of Exercises of the Day by Gary Rue. Click here and enjoy.

Coerver Dribbling Session
1999 NSCAA Convention

• Groups of players dribble to 20 yard line with one foot and back with other
  • Right foot cut across body, right foot cut out
  • Same, with double cut across, then double cut out
  • Inside one, outside other
  • Double touch with one foot before touching ground
  • With defender waiting for first touch, carry to other line at speed (use dribble fakes, etc. at start, defender must recover if he starts too soon)
  • Race to other line or cut back to start line
  • A short touches to B who dribbles to opposite line before A can tag him; first touch is extremely important
  • (Group of 4) A dribbles to B on opposite line and passes to B two yards away; B sprints to opposite line with A backpedaling; B short touches to C, etc.
  • A passes to B and closes down as B tries to touch past A
  • Add 2 players (2v2)
  • Remove one attacker (1v2)
  • Add goal behind shooting line; with a defender waiting for first touch, the attacker tries to get to the shooting line at speed and shoot on goal
  • 2 goals behind the shooting line; A passes to a server wide and receives return pass; B starting behind the attacker follows as the defender; A can shoot at either goal.

Ways to Teach Changing the Point of Attack
Lauren Gregg
1999 NSCAA Convention - 1/23/99

• Warm-up
  • Team in a circle, 1 defender, keep-away
  • 5v2 small area
    
  • <Flank player may be more important at recognizing the need to switch than the central player. >
    
• 6v3+1 central player; look for central player to switch point of attack; 40x50 area, with 6 attacking players wide and three defenders and a central attacker in the middle.
  
• 8v8+2 neutral attackers in a 25x80 channel with 2 20 yard end zones; the neutrals are in the end zones; play is from one zone to the other.
  
• Skip pass functional training of the backs - In a four man back setup, wingback 1 (W1) penetrates, cuts back and plays across field to W2. The center backs shift to ball. W2 drops to nearest center back and spins up field. The center back plays a long ball up the touch to W2, who crosses to
  W1. Add a center midfielder who checks to the center back and drops to the other center back. The second center back then sends a long ball to W2.
  
  • <Wings need to stretch wide when ball is rotating.>
    
• 7v7+2N, 4 goals, 2 big goals on each end, 1 small goal on each touchline. The small goals are about 30 yards off each goal-line. Each team attacks a big and the nearest small goal.

Training the Third Dimension
by Mike Noonan
1999 NSCAAConvention - 1/24/99

• 3 teams (red, blue, yellow); coach gives the players instructions:
  • balls to red, plays to blue, to yellow, to red
  • balls to blue, to red with outside of foot, to yellow who turns plays to and runs around blue
  • ...outside of foot, turns...takeover
  • red plays air ball to blue, to yellow as quickly as possible, takeover with red
    
• 5+5v5 (team that loses ball is on defense)
  
• 5+5 (or less)v5
  • every other pass needs to be to a neutral (midfielder?)
  • can't play ball to same player as last person you passed to
    
• 60x40, 2 wing channels 1v1 in each; 3v3 in center channel; small goals at end of each channel with GKs in middle channel; a third player in each channel plays GK at one of the goals.
  • GKs must use feet or body
  • Players must stay in zones
  • Cannot pass to same player
  • Lift the restrictions a little to make more game like
  • Move player on ends to middle
  • Allow wing players to go anywhere
    
• Game
  • If you pass the ball in the back, the passer must run forward over the halfway mark (line) until 2 passes at least
  • The forward players may have to come back
    
• Noonan said he only practiced his college team for an hour and fifteen minutes each day, running the above format.
  
  Later!
  
  Gary Rue
  Western Hills High School boys coach; Frankfort Youth Soccer Frankfort, Kentucky US gary.rue@mail.state.ky.us
  

Training to Play Against Pressure
Ron McEachen
1999 NSCAA Convention - 1/22/99

• Warm-up: 8v8 full game
  
  All players passing and moving in groups of 3-4; focus on receiving side-on
  • 2 touch
  • turn with the ball - the player does not stop
  • 1 touch - communication comes into play
  • 4 defenders, remove touch restriction; 2 balls
  • go at a defender
  • separate players into two areas and play long ball; switch to long ball after all players have two touched
  • go to long driven ball
    
• 10v5 in penalty area
  • progress to 7v7+1D, 6v9, 5v10
  • neutralize closing defenders by moving on ball touch
  • feint before ball arrives
  • don't get stuck with the ball
  • use the lead foot and toe to pass (at the higher levels)
  • open up the area (make larger) by being side-on
  • look to make longer passes
    
• Divide field into 6 divisions
  1. channel on wing outside one penalty area
  2. penalty area
  3. channel on opposite wing, goal to goal
  4. grid 3 to halfway to opposite touch
  5. halfway to penalty area to grid 3 to touch
  6. full field
  
• Play 8v8
  • coach calls grid
  • players maintain possession and move into appropriate grid
  • 5 consecutive touches
    
• Note: Players can slow the game by spreading out
  
• 6v6 with 3 target players on each end
  • look for long pass to targets
  • don't use targets for drops in the back
    
• 5v5 40 yards, 2 goals
  
• 5v5 or 7v7, middle third, two goals on goal lines
  * play through with combo play or dribble through
  

2v1 The Most Important Superiority in Soccer
Luis Sabillon, LASCA
1999 NSCAA Convention - 1/22/99

• Pass and change lines with initial check to ball in 20x7 channel
  • play with speed
     
• Man in middle that moves side to side
  • first player dribbles and passes to middle man for give and go
    
• 2v1
  • coach the second attacker to see proper support position
  • first attacker needs to commit defender, but not take ball towards his support
  • wall pass, diagonal run or takeover are options
    
• 2v1+1 on small goals
  • when defender wins ball, teammate in goal becomes attacker as one of the previous attackers goes back into goal
    
• Transition
  • 3 teams, one team at halfway, 2 goals, 50 yards apart
  • when ball lost or GK gains control, attackers leave, defenders become attackers, players at halfway move into field to defend (one going into goal)