Free Soccer Training Drills: 2 Things You Must Know
Here’s a really simple way to control the ball to pass or shoot and this skill can be mastered through performing various free soccer training drills. In this article, Shoulder To Shoulder and Shark in the Middle are two such soccer drills that have been discussed in detail for you.
Shoulder To Shoulder is a drill that is intended for defensive as well as offensive players. The main goal of this exercise is to teach offensive player to practice fast shooting under pressure and let the defensive players practice clearing the ball.
This drill uses three players per drill group. The distance existing between A and B is 10-15 yards.
B and the defensive player stand in a line shoulder to shoulder. B and the defensive player, standing next to each other, face away from the goal on the left side of the field. When the coach whistles, A throws the ball at the back of 2 players. B and the defensive player initiate and attempt to take control of the ball. B’s aim is to shoot on the goal while the defensive player’s objective is to turn with the ball and dribble it above the center line.
By actively choosing coaching drills like Shoulder to Shoulder, players learn to win the ball despite being under immense pressure from an opposing player.
Shark in the Middle is a fun game that can be played at any time during a practice and its duration can be adjusted as per the need. This is one of several free soccer training drills that aims to make the players more attentive and in control in high-pressure games.
Players form a large circle in the field. One player is selected to be the “shark” and stands in the center of the circle. One ball is used here and it is given to a random player standing inside the circle.
When you blow the whistle, the player who has the ball passes it to the player just along the circle. Then, the second player passes the ball to a third player of his choice and so on.
Then you blow the whistle again and it means that the game should start. The sole purpose of the game is to keep the ball away from the shark. The player may select to pass the ball to anyone along the circle, be it a teammate right next to him or a teammate far away. Players try to make as many passes as possible.
This process goes on until the shark gets the ball.
When the ball is captured, the player that caused the ball to be intercepted becomes the new shark and the first shark finds a place along the circle.
Shark in the Middle is one of those football drills that call for quick thinking and the understanding of how sharks think.
In conclusion, these free soccer training drills help players to build self-confidence to handle the ball while under pressure from an oncoming attacker. If this material was useful please subscribe to our soccer coaching for young adults to enhance and develop your knowledge on coaching soccer available through various mediums like articles, newsletters and videos.
Andre Botelho is a recognized expert in youth soccer coaching. He influences well over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his unique coaching philosophy, and makes it really easy to explode your players’ skills and make training more fun in record time. To download your free youth soccer coaching guide visit: Free soccer training drills.
