Basic Lesson Plans for Football
Developed in conjunction with the Tesco Football Coaching Team Five UEFA qualified coaches (all ex professional players)
Basic Lesson Plans for Football
Key
Player movement Cone Ball movement Mini hurdle Attacking player Defending player Variable line position
GK
Goal Keeper
Introduction In order to improve technical ability at football children should be encouraged to work hard at training drills which in turn will improve their overall game and help them progress. Frank Lampard is one of the Premierships most exciting attacking midfielders and is a key player for Chelsea and England. He strongly believes that success in a match is achieved through hard work during training and by thinking about technique when practicing training drills - always practice using both feet! Here are six classic basic football training drills which can be used during a football training session and can be made harder depending on the skill level and age of the children participating. They include the three exercises featured on the Tesco Sport for Schools & Clubs DVD. Use these drills to develop key football skills. The joy of these exercises is that all you need to do is set them up and let the kids learn for themselves Let the game be the teacher! Typically, you can spend about 10-15 minutes on each exercise depending on how long you have. Dont forget to spend 5-10 minutes on a warm up and cool down at the start and end of each lesson!
Pass and Control (Exercise 1 on DVD)
OBJECTIVES: To develop dribbling and passing skills. Organisation Players behind cones. Dribble around cones and pass through gate. Pass to next player. Harder Vary positions of cones. Increase number of cones / hurdles. Skills Chances to experiment with dribbling the ball. Improves awareness. Allows player to experiment with different turns. Coaching Points Play with head up be aware Keep ball close to you Use both feet Try and accelerate after each turn
Running & Shooting (Exercise 3 on DVD):
OBJECTIVES: To improve dribbling and close control as well as shooting technique and composure in front of goal. Organisation: Two lines of players Sets out cones for players to dribble round before shooting Groups go one at a time Harder Put a Goal Keeper in or use targets to aim for depending on age and ability Add a defender in Go further away from goal Skills Create the feeling of scoring a goal Improve dribbling skills Create a competitive situation (i.e. who can score the most goals) Coaching Points Shoot with your laces Keep head and knee over the ball when shooting
Possession / Keep Ball (Exercise 2 on DVD)
OBJECTIVES: To improve close control, one touch passing and awareness. Organisation: Set up grid 20x20m
Split into to 2 teams Keep possession for as long as possible.
Harder Decrease size of grid Limit number of touches per player Create competitive environment, for example ten passes equals a goal Skills Players learn to play while under pressure Players learn to play with fewer touches and improves accuracy of passing Decision making Coaching Points: Make eye contact before passing to team mate Think before you pass Use side of foot to pass
The next three drills are not on the Tesco Sport for Schools and Clubs DVD but are simple to set up. Remember, let the game be the teacher.
Short Passing & Dribbling:
OBJECTIVES: To develop short passing, dribbling and close control in 1-on-1 situations. Organisation: 1v1 - 30x10 Grids Split players in to four groups One player attacks the defender and tries to get past him/her Defender must stay on the line to begin with Harder Allow defender to move from line Add in second defender (see Diagram 2) Skills Improves dribbling skills in 1v1 situation Close control Awareness of when to do trick to beat defender. Coaching Points: Be positive Do trick at the right time, not too early, not too late Accelerate past defender.
Diagram 1
Diagram 2
King of the Ring:
OBJECTIVE: To focus on close ball control and awareness as well as regaining possession. This game should be fun, have a few rounds! Organisation Form a circle with footballs in the middle with one less ball than number of players Kids run around in marked area and on command take control of a football by putting their foot on it. The child that does not get a ball then has 20 seconds (flexible) to tackle one of the other children and steal possession. After the 20 seconds is up the exercise is restarted and the child without a ball is encouraged to work harder and move faster. Skills Players develop awareness of others Develops close ball control
You can end your session with a small-sided game or use the following exercise to offer some variety. Heading for success:
GK
OBJECTIVE: To improve heading while developing support play and decisionmaking. Organisation: Two teams inside 30x10 playing area with goals and two Goal Keepers Throw, head, catch sequence Intercept pass with a catch Harder Add floating players on the outside of playing area to play off Only intercept with a header Decrease playing area Make it competitive Skills Learn to control headers Decisions and support play Communication skills
GK
Coaching Points: Encourage high tempo Encourage communication and quick decision-making.
