Week 3 Curriculum
Tiburon Peninsula Soccer Club
Week 3 Curiculum - Dribbling and Passing
Juggling: Try to keep them juggling the ball for about 5 minutes (or more if you feel like the players responds well to it) by giving the players different juggling challenges.
Example of juggling challenge (older players)
- Drop the ball to your right foot and try to kick it up in the air using your laces and catch it
- Drop the ball to your left foot and try to kick it up in the air using your laces and catch it
If the players are successful please add 1 juggle to make it 2 in a row and then catch the ball. As the players becomes better you can just increase the number or you can have the players try using their right and left foot before catching the ball.
You can also challenge them to do:
- Foot-thigh-foot-catch
- Foot-head-foot-catch
- Foot-thigh-head-catch
You can come up with your own challenges as you see a need for it
Coaching Point: Encourage the players to use their laces and and lock their ankle when the ball hits their foot. Make sure the player puts their foot back on the ground after touching the ball to regain balance. Example
Challenge the players to get as many successful “juggles” within 30-60 seconds. Give them another chance to beat their number.
Exercise 1 A – Foundation: Dribble inside a Square (Skills and ball mastery)
Please note that we would like all players to get 15 minutes of "Ballwork" during each practice. Feel free to “mix it up” between the different ‘skill and ball mastery’ exercises.
All players with a ball in a 30 x 30 foot square
Start dribbling within the square and on coaches command stop and do 10 seconds of:
- Toe taps - Example
- Have the players try 2-3 times and challenge them to beat their previous score
- Inside, Inside, outside
Have the players try 2-3 times and challenge them to beat their previous score Example
- Inside Pulls - Example
- Have the players try 2-3 times and challenge them to beat their previous score
- Right foot cuts using inside and outside part of the foot - Example
-Have the players try 2-3 times and challenge them to beat their previous score
- Left foot cuts using the inside and outside part of the foot
- Have the players try 2-3 times and challenge them to beat their previous score
- Combination; left and right foot inside/outside cuts - Example
- Have the players try 2-3 times and challenge them to beat their previous score
Resume dribbling for 10-20 seconds between stops. Challenge the players to go faster each time
Exercise 1 B – Tag Game
- Example of a tag game
- Example of a tag game
Exercise 2 – Game Team Knockout (use same square)
- Split the players into 2 teams. 1 team (Team A) inside the square with a soccer ball each and the other half (Team B) with the coach outside the square without a soccer ball
- Players inside the square (Team A) dribbles the ball around with close control
- On coaches call players outside the square (Team 2) run inside the square and try to steal the ball from players inside the square (Team A)
- The players with the ball are encourage to change direction, change speed and keep their head up to get away from the players trying to steal their ball. Encourage players to “shield” the ball by placing their body between their ball and the opposing player
Video of how to shield the ball – Example
Exercise 3 – Passing and Dribbling Game
- Split players into pairs with 1 ball
- Set up 4-6 goals around the square
- The 2 players pass the ball back and forth until coach yells “go.” Once coach yells go it’s a 1v1 game and the player with the ball is trying to dribble the ball through either goal. The other player becomes the defender and try to win the ball back and score. Once the a player scores or ball goes out of bounds the game stops. You can play best out of 3 rounds and then have the players change partners
- Video of this game here - Example
Exercise 4 – Steal the “Bacon”
- Set up a field 15 * 20 yards with 2 goals
- Split players into 2 teams
- Each player on each team is assigned a number. There should be the same numbers assigned to each team. Example
Exercise 5 – 1 v 1 v 1 with 2 goals
- Create 1 or 2 fields depending on your numbers. Create 3 TEAMS. About 2-4 players in each team
- Each field should be approximately 12 by 15 feet
- Put goals on each end line (you can use cones for goals) and split your players into 3 TEAMS
- 1 team (Team A) should be placed by the half way line, 2nd team (Team B) by the corner cone and the 3rd team (Team C) by the other corner cone. All teams should be on the opposite side from the coach. Coach stands with all the soccer balls at the half way line opposite from the teams.
- Game starts when coach passes, throws or punts the ball into the middle of the field. 1st player from team A, B and C comes out to play 1 v 1 v 1.
- Player A can score in both goals, player B can only score in the goal closest to them, and player C can only score in the goal closest to them
- Rotate the teams after 3-6 minutes. Rotate the teams 2 times to ensure they all get to be in the middle line.
Game/Scrimmage
Finish practice with small sided scrimmages
Split up the players into teams of 4-6 depending on your numbers or play a round robin if you have 15 players and have one team sit out 3 minutes before playing 6 minutes
Remember – all exercises can be tweaked or modified for your team.