HFG Coaches Resource Guide

HFG Soccer

Table of Contents      

Coaching Philosophy Code of Conduct Expectations Sample Games and Drills Unwritten HFG Rules General Info

Youth soccer coaching Don’ts 1. Failing to consider the health and safety of your players. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of your players. Playing areas, fields and equipment, (especially portable goals) should be inspected for defects before you use them and if the defects cannot be corrected, you should not use them. Soccer balls, for example, should be discarded before a piece of the outer covering catches a player's eye and you should make sure players do not play with anything that has a spike on the end - slalom poles should not be used as javelins! And children should not be exposed to extreme weather conditions. I sometimes get asked what is the best way to keep players warm on freezing match days. My answer is that if it's freezing, you shouldn't be playing! Similarly, if your players are very young you should not train or play if it's very hot – small children do not have an effective cooling system and will quickly dehydrate in hot weather. Follow HFG weather policy at all times.

2. Making players wait in lines and/or giving lectures. Young soccer players come to training sessions to play soccer, not stand around waiting to get a touch on the ball or listen while you lecture them. You can get away with using games or drills that have an element of waiting in lines if you keep the lines very short and fast moving but bear in mind that the younger your players, the shorter and faster the lines have to be. When introducing an activity, try to remember that you have 20 seconds at most to gain your players attention 1 when introducing a new task during training sessions. If you fail to make the task meaningful or understandable in that time, they will begin to tune you out and you will need to start again. So think carefully about how you explain games and drills. It's best to start by telling your players why you want them to do something ("we need to do this because it will help you become better at... ") followed by a demonstration. Then check their understanding ("does everyone know what to do?") before starting the exercise. How long should games/drills last? The younger the players, the shorter your games need to be. For five year olds, for example, I like to change the activity every five to 10 minutes. Older players should be able to maintain focus on an activity for longer but you should always move on within a reasonable period of time – do not turn training activities into tests of endurance!

3. Being late and/or tolerating lateness. Youth soccer coaching is all about having standards. As a minimum, you should expect your players to turn up for training and matches on time and ideally they should arrive early. There is nothing worse than having to repeat yourself to a player who turns up late – it's a waste of your valuable time and is also disrespectful, both to you and the rest of the squad. You need to lead by example so get to the training ground or pitch before your players, set up your equipment and start your sessions dead on time. Don't wait for anyone and tell latecomers to stand to one side until the next activity begins. Tip: encourage good timekeeping by setting up a couple of goals and letting anyone who arrives early play a game before the session officially starts.

4. Not giving game time to players who train. Players who turn up at training sessions deserve to play in matches, end of story. Saying that they're "not good enough" or "the score is too close, I can't make any changes" is never an excuse for keeping a young player on the bench. Your players are children, not professionals, and they all deserve a chance to play in matches with their friends.

5. Not communicating your coaching "philosophy" to parents. You can't run a youth soccer team without the support of parents. And you won't have their support if you don't tell them what approach you are going to take to your coaching. Before the season starts you need to have a meeting with parents to discuss your plans and expectations for the season. Encourage questions and let them know that you have given a lot of thought to how you're going to coach their children. Listen to their suggestions – you do not have a monopoly on the best ideas – ask them to help you by bringing their children to coaching sessions and matches on time. Also they can help with field maintenance, raising money or sponsorships for the team. The more involved your parents are, the more time you will have to actually coach their children and the less likely you are to suffer defections to rival teams.

6. Not smiling :( Don't be afraid to smile. A smile lets your players know that you are happy coaching them and that soccer is a game to be enjoyed, not a life or death struggle. So be happy in your coaching. Enjoy the time you spend with your players.

Code of conduct - (Establish expectation early) A code of conduct for players I will:       

Play according to the rules and spirit of the game. Be on time and be prepared for matches and training sessions. Display self-control in all situations and never use foul or abusive language before, during or after a game or training session. Train and play to the best of my ability, have a positive attitude and encourage others to do the same. Respect the opposition. Treat them as I would like them to treat me. Respect the referee and never dispute their decisions. They are only human and make mistakes. Turn up for training and matches in appropriate and clean clothing. I will always wear cleats and shin guards.

A code of conduct for parents I will:            

Be my child's best fan and support them unconditionally. When I take my child home after a match or training session, I will be supportive and focus on the positive aspects of their game. Give my best effort to encourage practicing soccer at home to enhance the learning experience. Do my best to promote good nutritional habits and sleeping habits especially on nights before games. Help my child to focus on the performance and not the result. I will remember that winning is not as important as the performance. Encourage the effort, not the outcome. Not criticize my child's coach to my child or other parents. If I am not happy with the coach I will raise the issue with the coach. Encourage my child to speak with the coach. If my child is having difficulties in practices or games, or can't attend practice. I will encourage them to speak directly to the coaches. Support all the players on the team. I will not criticize anyone and remember that children don't mean to make mistakes. Respect the opponents' facilities. Not criticize the opponents, their parents or their officials. Never audibly dispute a referee's decision. They will make mistakes occasionally. We all do. Not coach from the sideline during matches or practices. (Leave this to the coaches. It only leads to confusion and could erode your child's confidence. Coaches coach and parents parent. Not enter the field of play unless there is a medical emergency.

PLEASE REMEMBER - the game is for the children. It is not for the glory of the coach, manager or parents.

Expectations What age specific skills should you teach? What age specific games to play to help demonstrate skills? Other Non-soccer objectives to set for your players Fun, Attitude and Atmosphere Overall health and fitness Team work

Age specific skills There are a number of skills that should be taught and they can vary somewhat based on age and player skill level. Some skills will have a higher priority than others and some will be learned to incorporate into games while others may just be introduced. The skills you teach early in the season in practices will be the foundation to build on so your players can become well-rounded, versatile soccer players and teammates. Good idea to demonstrate a skill, play a game or do drills to reinforce the skill then scrimmage and ask players to use the skill learned. Learning these skills will help kids be well-rounded, versatile soccer players and teammates. 1. Dribbling – moving and Controlling the ball with the inside or outside of both feet a. Keep looking where you are going when dribbling. Important to keep the ball in front of you so you can see both the ball and where you are going. Try to see where your teammates and opponents are to know where to pass or shoot. b. Keep the ball close to your feet c. Shield the ball from opponents with your body d. Run at speed where you can control the dribble. 2. Speed dribbling – Used when you need to move fast, away from chasing opponents and have a large amount of field in front of you and/or only the goalie in front of you. a. Push ball out several feet in front sprinting to the ball. Not too far so you lose control. 3. Cutback or Hook – Change direction with this dribble a. Fake as if you will shoot, with same foot kick the ball with the inside of your foot, cutting across your body in front of you to change direction. 4. Scissors - Change direction with this dribble. One foot comes inside out, over and in front of the ball. Once this foot is in place the opposite foot moves to the other side of the ball and redirects with the outside of the foot. 5. Cruyff Turn – (starting with the ball out in front of you.) a. Take a few steps back from the ball and line it up as if you were going to kick a cross or pass to a teammate. b. Approach the ball and plant your non-kicking foot next to it, just as if you were going to kick it. c. Swing your kicking leg toward the ball.

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d. Use the inside of your kicking foot to drag the ball back behind your planted leg and into the open space opposite the direction in which you would have kicked it. e. Turn your body away from your defender and run after the ball. f. Take one or two touches to settle the ball and begin dribbling in a new direction. Reverse – move ball in opposite direction with this control move a. With foot on top of the ball roll foot backwards so ball travels behind you. Push – a. with foot close to ball, push your left outward to send the ball in a sideways direction – left or right. Roll or Drag – Moving the ball in one direction by using the foot on top of the ball and dragging it in the direction the player wants to go Fakes and Accelerations – a. Fake with your body to pretend you are going one way, then if your defender goes that way you move in another direction. b. Change your speed to dribble away from a defender. For example, go slow to bring them closer, then sprint past them. Receiving or Controlling a pass a. Shuffle or move to get in front of ball b. Head up to see incoming pass c. Use inside, outside or top of your foot to receive, loosen foot and control the ball Receiving Bump – “Ricochet” - Slow the pace of a hard pass and move it in another direction. a. With ball coming toward you, move to be in path of the incoming ball b. Keep your feet loose and soft c. Let incoming ball strike the inside or outside of your foot so you can redirect the ball in front of you to gain control or make a quick shot or pass. Passing – Short controlled passes should be made using the inside of your foot. a. With non-kicking foot, step directly beside the ball with toe pointed towards your target. b. Face your target squaring your hips and shoulders; turn out the kicking foot keeping ankle firm. c. Swing kicking foot back and strike ball at its center d. Follow through with your kick towards your target e. Keep foot and ankle firm (clinch toes) f. Lead your teammate with passes in front of them in the direction they are headed. Power Kick – for long passes, shots and goal kicks – a. Approach the ball from an angle, step next to ball with toe pointed towards your target b. Face your target squaring your hips and shoulders; keep kicking foot firm. c. Kicking foot goes back and forward with toe pointing down hitting slightly underneath the ball, striking it on top of the foot (shoelaces). d. Follow through with your kick towards your target Positioning a. Try to stay in a triangle shape, giving space to the dribbler and allow her to pass to teammates and accept the pass from teammates. b. Shuffle side to side to move in front of ball to accept pass or rebound. c. As you move to get open, call out passer’s name and/or shout to get noticed. d. On defense, position yourself between the ball and the goal. e. Most of the time, anywhere on the field, you are facing the goal you are shooting on.

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Anticipation - Don’t follow or run towards your passes, instead move to an open position to anticipate a return pass. Try to maintain your vertical lines up and down the field. g. Offense - Forwards – Generally stay between the other team’s goal and midway between the midfield line and our penalty box. h. Midfielders - Generally stay between the midfield line and our penalty box. If two midfielders, one can be an offensive midfielder and play between both penalty boxes, while the “defensive” midfielder stays behind the midfield line. One midfielder is the shark and other midfielder stays back to help defense. i. Defense – If one defender, stay near top of penalty box to help the goalie. Defend the opposing player with the ball to the outside towards the sideline. j. Goalie – Stay at least one step from goal line; in goal box between the ball and the goal. Give and Go – 2 v 1 - Pass (Give) to a teammate as you run (Go) towards the goal or vertically up the field. After drawing the defender, your teammate passes back to you. .Throw ins a. Both hands must be on the ball b. Stand outside of the sideline with both feet on the ground. Feet can be spread apart with one foot in front of the other to be able to rock back and forth c. Throw the ball from over your head on to the field. The thrower must not touch the ball again until it has touched another player. d. Once you throw it in get back in position. Goal kick – If the ball is kicked by the opponent and it goes over the end line nearest to the goal we are defending, we then try to clear the ball up the field from the goal area. a. The ball is kicked (Power kick) from any point within the penalty box by our player. b. The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player c. The ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area d. Opponents remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play Goalie – a. Ready Position i. Always stay between ball and goal ii. Can use your hands anywhere in the Goal box iii. Ready yourself by standing in a “gun slinger” stance with feet close together, bent knees, hands up just outside your hips and curl your fingers iv. Crouch low to scoop ball with both hands around ball and cradle it to your body. b. Free kick/throw - After making a save, the goalie must distribute the ball quickly back to teammates. The goalie should distribute ball towards the sidelines where midfielders are positioned. Not up the center of the field i. Roll it – Bend low and bowl the ball to your intended target ii. Throw it – Cradle ball between hand and forearm Throw overhand similarly to a baseball throw or three-quarter throw. iii. Kick it – Punt or place on ground in front and power kick it. Cannot touch it after it leaves your hands. Offensive Corner Kick – Try to kick to a teammate so they can score a goal. a. The ball must be placed inside the corner arc nearest to the point where the ball crossed the goal line. b. The ball must be kicked by a player of the attacking team c. The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves d. The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player

20. Defensive Corner Kick – Try to prevent the other team from scoring. a. Must remain at least 10 yards from the corner arc until the ball is in play. b. Stand and move with one opponent to prevent them from scoring. Before the kick, stay between opponent and goal. Once kicked position yourself between ball and goal 21. Communication – Talk to each other. a. Let your teammates know when you are open to receive a pass. b. Call out who you are passing to so they know it’s intended for them. c. If two midfielders or defenders, decide with each other who is attacking the ball and who remains back to help out the goalie/defense and stays between the ball and the goal.

22. General Advice

Encourage the effort, not the outcome!!

a. Younger Age level expectations (but still applies for U9-U11) - To be able to coach a team of four- to six-year-olds who look up and pass the ball around like a mini-Manchester United seems to be a Holy Grail for many youth soccer coaches. But if you listen to coaches shouting "pass!" and "spread out!" to players who are trying their hardest to get within touching distance of the ball, you will realize there is a disconnect between what the coach wants the players to do and what the players want to do. Why is that? As I've mentioned before, very young children (up to the age of about seven) are egocentric. That doesn't mean they are selfish, they just lack the ability to see the world from another person's viewpoint. They certainly don't see what you see when you look at a soccer pitch. They just see the ball, and they want to play with it. Children up to the age of seven have other characteristics that a soccer coach needs to be aware of. Four- to seven-year-olds have, for example, a relatively high centre of gravity. This means they will sometimes seem uncoordinated and no amount of practice will change that. They also have a limited control of their body's motor systems. A youth soccer coach should, therefore, spend time on balance and co-ordination activities that do not require the use of a ball. Playing games that involve balancing a bean bag, for example, will indirectly improve your players' ball skills. Players from the age of seven begin to appreciate that other people may have a different view of the world from their own. This is the time when they begin to understand the concept of a 'team'. Up to this point, there is no team, only 'me'. But before you encourage your seven-year-olds to move away from the ball and each other, they must: 

Be able to control a pass without the ball bouncing away from them.

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Be able to pass the ball accurately over 10 yards.

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Be able to shield the ball from pressure.

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Understand WHY they need to space themselves out on the pitch.

But many coaches, especially the ones you see screaming from the touch line, don't do this. They expect a group of players with rudimentary soccer skills to spread themselves out and pass to each other simply because they are told to do it. It doesn't work that way. You have to give your players the tools first. Only when you can put a tick against every one of the above learning points can you expect your players to even consider moving away from the ball by a few feet.

Games & Drills Soccer - Challenge Drill Purpose: Procedure:

Develops dribbling skills with speed and works on the defender getting back in front of the ball on a breakaway. Setup Player A, 20-30 yards in front of the goal. Place Player B, five yards behind Player A. The coach stands even with Player A and passes the ball towards the goal. Player A must collect the ball, sprint towards the goal, and shoot before Player B can catch him. This drill can be done with or without a goalkeeper.

Soccer - Cone Race Drill Purpose: Procedure:

Teaches players to kick the ball hard and follow it all the way to the goal. All players have a ball and start in a line at one end of the field. At the other end of the field (30 or 40 yards away) set up 10 cones in a small circle. At the whistle have all players kick their ball as hard as they can and run after it. The players need to keep kicking and running until they get to the other end of the field. Once they get to the cones and the end of the field, they need to kick the ball through the cones until the knock them all down. Once all of the cones have been knocked down then they race back to the other end of the field. (Variation - set up two or three defenders between the players and the cones.)

Soccer - Give and Go Drill Purpose: Procedure:

Works on passing, moving without the ball and combination play. Setup three cones. Place four players behind cone A. Set cone B up about 10-15 yards downfield, and lineup two players at cone B. Set up cone C about 20-25 yards downfield from cone A and lineup two players at cone C. The first player in line at cone A passes the ball to the first player inline at cone B and continues up the field, the player at cone B receives the ball, tuns and returns the ball to the player from cone A. This player controls the pass and then makes a long pass to the player at cone C. The player at cone C, then dribbles with the ball to cone A. The player from cone A goes to the end of the line at cone B, the player from cone B goes to the end of the line at cone C and the player from cone C stays in line at cone A.

Soccer - Gotcha Drill Purpose: Procedure:

This a great drill for conditioning, dribbling, passing and aggressiveness. Each player will need a ball. Player "1" is "it" and is the only player to start with a ball. All of the other players are around the outside of the grid area. Player "1" dribbles and tries to hit the other players below the waist with the ball. When hit, that player gets a ball and joins player "1". The game is over when all players have been caught. The last player caught starts with the ball for the next game. If the task it to difficult for one player at the beginning of the game, start with two players. Encourage deceptive passing of the ball, ook one-way and pass the other, use the outside of the fot. Players not caught should run, jump and use zig-zag movements.

Soccer - Head Over Drill (Practice a throw in?) Purpose: Procedure:

Helps improve heading skills with subtle defensive pressure. Position three players in a line. With player 1 and 3 approximately 10 yards apart, and player 2 positioned in the middle of them. Player 1 tosses the ball over player 2 to player 3, who will return the ball by heading it. Repeat several times and then change roles.

Soccer - Herky Jerky Drill Purpose: Procedure:

Demonstrates how changing speed can be used to create space. Set up a 10 X 10 grid with cones. Place 3 or 4 players in a single file line. Have the first player start and tell each follower to stay as close to the person in front of them as they can without passing. Have the leader jog at a constant speed the first time around the grid. The second time around tell the leader to change speeds fast, slow, fast. After they finish talk to the group about how much harder it was to stay close to the person in front of them when the speed was changing.

Soccer - Horse in the Middle Drill Purpose: Procedure:

Teaches players how to read the defense when making a pass. Great drill for conditioning and getting a defender to see the field better. Put together groups of three. Set-up a rectangle with cones, 10-20 feet long and 5-10 feet wide, depending on age group. Position a player at each end of the rectangle, giving one a ball. Position a player in the middle and try to have the two end players try to pass the ball back and forth to each other without the defender getting the ball.

Soccer - Invisible Man Drill Purpose: Procedure:

Helps develop passing and collecting skills with subtle defensive pressure. Place four cones in a square 10 yards apart to make a 10 X 10 area. Position three players in a straight line spread out in the 10 X 10 area. Players B and C should be looking in the direction of Player A. Player B (the middle player) can move laterally but not forward or backward. Player C moves either right or left to receive a pass from Player A. Player B then faces Player C, and Player A moves either right or left to receive a pass from Player C. After several times change defenders (Player B).

Soccer - My Head Drill Purpose: Procedure:

To Help develop the skill of striking the ball with the part of the forehead known as the hairline, with no defensive pressure. When you first introduce this drill you may want to start with a beach ball or a foam ball and slowly move towards using an actual soccer ball. Scatter your players around so that they have plenty of space. Have players get on their knees, each with a ball. Players toss the ball slightly above their heads, striking it gently, and then catch the ball before it hits the ground. After they have mastered correct heading techniques have them repeat this action from a standing position.

Soccer - Pressure Drill Purpose:

Teaches defenders to close on the ball quickly and keep pressure on the ball.

Procedure:

Divide players into groups of three. Player 1 is standing by the coach who rolls the ball or tosses to Player 2. Player 2 must control the ball and make a pass to Player 3. After the coach gets the ball to Player 2, Player 1 immediately tries to close on Player 2 to prevent Player 2 from controlling the ball and making the pass to Player 3.

Soccer - Receive and Turn Drill Purpose: Procedure:

Works on passing, moving without the ball and combination play. Set up three cones. Place four players behind Cone A. Set cone B up about 10-15 yards down field, and line up two players at cone B. Set cone C up about 10-15 yards down field, and line up 2 players at cone C. The first player in line at cone A passes the ball to the first player in line at cone B. The player from cone B who received the ball turns with the ball and passes to the player a cone C. The player at cone C then dribbles the ball back to cone A. The player at cone A goes to the end of the line at cone B, the player from cone B goes to the end of the line at cone C, and the player from cone C goes to the end of the line at cone A.

Soccer - Red Light Green Light Drill Purpose: Procedure:

Fundamental foot skills for dribbling. Helps teach young children to keep the ball close and under control. Just like the game we played in our youth, the coach or one of the players is "IT". He or she stands at one end of the field with his or her back to the others and calls out red light, green light one two three and then turns around. The players meanwhile have been dribbling toward him or her and must stop, with their foot on top of the ball, when the player turns around. Anyone moving must go back to the beginning and start over. If a player reaches the person who is "IT" they are the winner.

Soccer - Shooting Gallery Drill Purpose: Procedure:

Helps develop instep shooting technique, practice attacking and defending with small groups. Two teams of four players. Evenly distribute 12 cones in a 10 X 10 circle. Goals are scored by knocking down cones, players are not allowed into the circle but must shoot from outside of the circle. Start off with two balls (one for each team). Each team can score points by knocking down a cone. Balls that stop in the circle are dead and cannot be retrieved. If a ball goes completely through the circle it can be played by the team retrieving it. The player that doesn't have a ball can either defend or try to get open for a chance to shoot at a cone.

Soccer - Star Drill Purpose: Procedure:

Helps develop passing and receiving skills with subtle defensive pressure. Position five players to form a five point star. Place on defender in the middle of the star. Challenge your players to make as many consecutive passes as possible without losing the ball or allowing the defender to touch the ball. Players are not allowed to pass the ball to the player next to them. Explain to your players that this is because they need to have spacing in a game when making a pass or they will not clear the defense.

Soccer - Three Play Drill Purpose:

Teaches teamwork and passing the ball while moving.

Procedure:

Line-up players in groups of three. Set-up a rectangle 10-20 feet long and 5-10 feet wide. Place a player with a ball at each end of the rectangle. Station one player in the middle. Begin by having one of the players on the end pass the ball to the player in the middle. The player in the middle must return the ball immediately and then turn to receive a pass from the other player. Continue until the group has completed 5-10 passes to each side. You can make it competitive where the group to make 5 passes to each end first wins.

Soccer - Wall Shot Drill Purpose: Procedure:

Develops the ability to create space for shooting. Line-up two offensive players (player 1 and 2) about 10 feet in front and on each side of the goal. Place a defender (player A) in the center of the offensive players. Place a fourth player (player B) 20 feet from the goal. Player B must pass to player 1 or 2 and then move to an open space for a return pass. Once player B receives the return pass he should take a shot on goal.

Clean up fields The last set of coaches should please make sure the fields are cleaned before leaving. Certainly pick up any remaining equipment or personal belongings but also please clean trash off the fields.

Resources Hfgsoccer.com

Contact info Andy Walsh U9-U11 [email protected] 410-215-8645 (cell)

Certifications/First Aid/CPR training Nice to have coach or parent with training. Also note any physical limitations as indicated on the registration spreadsheet