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Weston Soccer Club
Back to Basics
The WSC emphasizes the development of ball skills in young players as the best way to improve and to enjoy the game. Weston High School boys varsity coach Renato Capobianco, holder of the US Soccer “A” License and a former coach in the national team program, suggests that the following exercises form the foundation of our teaching for players of all ages in the WSC. They’re simple enough for our youngest players to do, and important enough that the national team still uses them. Make them a consistent part of your practices and watch your players improve.
Dribbling Skills
Quick Feet – Pass ball quickly between inside of feet while running in place.
1) Quick feet with pull over
2) Quick feet with sprint away with outside of foot.
3) Quick feet with pullover, then pull back.
Outside/Inside – Key introduction to using outside of the foot.
Touch the ball with the outside then inside of right foot, outside then inside of left foot, repeat. This alternating creates a zig-zag pattern and is teaching them to cut/change direction.
1) Walking – Emphasize lateral cutting.
2) Jogging – Continue to emphasize lateral cutting, introduce arm movement to sell the cut.
Straight Line - 30 yards runs with ball.
1) Outside of foot
2) Outside of foot - alternate feet with each touch.
3) One foot – alternating outside/inside of foot.
4) Inside/Outside alternating feet
5) Free dribble, sole of foot pullback, once each way.
Passing
Two Cone Passing – 5, 10, 15 yards – players pass the ball then run to opposite line. Keep the lines short to keep players moving and maximize touches!
1) One touch passing – inside of foot.
2) Two touch passing – inside of each foot, receive with one foot, pass with the other.
3) Two touch passing – same foot, receive with outside, pass with inside.
2 Player – 1 Ball (both players are stationary)
Same 3 exercises as Two-Cone passing above, plus:
1) Side foot passing out of the air. Tell your players to make accurate, gentle two-handed tosses that their partners can return easily.
2) Instep passing out of the air.
3) Thigh trapping-instep pass on ground.
4) Chest trapping – instep pass on ground
5) Heading back to partner
All these exercises can then be used while half of the players are moving. Pair players up and number them 1 and 2. 1s stay in one place with the ball as 2s run around to different 1s and perform the specified exercises. Again, emphasize proper service from stationary players, whether it’s with the feet or hands. Do not allow #2s to get more than 3 yards from the servers when it’s time to receive a pass – we want short, accurate feeds and gentle returns! After 30 seconds alternate 1s and 2s. Encourage kids to change direction. They may tend to just go around in a circle to the next stationary player.
Possession Games
1) Rectangle shaped grid – keep away. Always employ 1-3 neutral players to help teams keep possession…so with an 11-player team, you might play “4v4 plus 3”. That means that the team with the ball would always have a 7v4 advantage (their own 4 plus the 3 neutrals). Neutral players don’t defend and only pass the ball to the team that gave it to them – when the ball switches to the other team, so do the neutral players. Emphasize to players that possession should be easier (because you have more players than the other team) IF you look around and/or call for the ball.
2) Rectangular grid – form a 5-yard end zone on the narrow ends of the rectangle. Each team places a player in the end zone it will attack. Nobody else may go into the end zones. Each team has to find their designated end zone player with a pass in the end zone. Encourage the end zone player to move around to the open spaces of the end zones to be found with a pass. This helps players look to play the ball behind defenders. 1 point for a complete pass in the air, 2 points for a completed pass on the ground.
3) Square grid – Make a 5-yard square in each corner of the grid. Place a neutral player in each 5 yd corner square. The object is to find the player in the corner square with a pass and have “corner player” pass the ball back out to someone ELSE on the team that passed him/her the ball (not the player who passed it in to him/her). This encourages supporting a pass with early support runs and “3rd player involvement” – having a player anticipate receiving the pass out from “corner player”.
4) Place a touch restriction on the “corner players”. Make sure to play this game with neutral players as well.
Speed Hoops – Footwork/Agility/Injury Prevention*
When doing speed hoop footwork, emphasize quiet steps and keeping the feet close to the ground…no high knees.
1) One foot in each hoop
2) One foot in every other hoop
3) Two feet in each hoop – lateral
4) Two feet in every other hoop – lateral
5) Two feet in/two feet out
6) Two feet in/ two feet out - backwards
7) Two feet in/two feet out – lateral
8) Two feet in/two feet out, every other hoop – lateral
9) Lead foot in/out – lateral
10) Near foot to hoop in/out – backwards
* Use these exercises to strengthen quad muscles and reduce susceptibility to knee injuries. Research has shown that girls are particularly vulnerable to Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries. Teach all children to land/plant/cut without letting their knee cave in sideways. Strength and technique can keep our children healthier!
Need help understanding how to run or teach any of these games and exercises? Write to John Power at
. I’ll be happy to help.
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