Let me show you how to control the ball in a manner so as to shoot or pass effectively and this skill can be perfected through the various free soccer training drills. In this article, you will find 2 soccer drills, Shoulder To Shoulder and Shark in the Middle discussed in detail for you.
Shoulder To Shoulder drill is meant for offensive and defensive players. The objective of this drill is to teach the offensive player to master fast shooting under pressure and the defensive players to clean the ball.
This drill uses three players per drill group. The distance between A and B is about 10-15 yards.
B and the defensive player make 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. At the whistle of the coach, A throws the ball behind the other 2 players. B and the defensive player 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 an enjoyable game which the team can play at any time during practice and you can set its duration as per your requirement. This is one of those free soccer training drills that is aimed at developing attentiveness and self-control in players under high pressure situations.
Players assemble themselves in a large circle in the field. A player is then designated as a shark and made to stand in the middle of the circle. There is only one ball here which is given to the player who stands inside the circle.
When you blow the whistle, the player with the ball passes it to the other player along the circle. Then the second player passes the ball to another player he likes and so on.
Then you blow the whistle again and it means that the game should start. The aim of the game is that the shark should not be allowed to touch the ball. Player may pass the ball to anyone along the circle, be it a teammate right next to him or a teammate at a distance. Players try to make as many passes as possible.
This practice continues till the time the shark possesses the ball.
When the ball is hijacked, the player that caused the ball to be intercepted is the new shark and the first shark joins others along the circle.
Shark in the Middle finds a place among those football drills that require a sharp thinking and an idea of the experience of the shark.
To end the discussion, these free soccer training drills help players to build self-confidence to handle the ball while under pressure from an approaching opposition. Subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community to for more such youth coaching tips and tactics.
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.
