subject: The Truth About Free Soccer Training Drills [print this page] Let me present some free soccer training drills using which you can control the ball effectively as well as shoot and pass it. This article talks in detail about two of the best known soccer drills, Shoulder To Shoulder and Shark in the Middle.
Shoulder To Shoulder is a drill that is suitable for both offensive as well as defensive players. The main purpose 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 that lies between A and B is 10-15 yards apart.
B and the defensive player line up joining 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 begin to make efforts 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 practicing 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 interesting game that can be played any time during the practice and its duration can be worked out as per the need. This free soccer training drills is one of many that helps the players be attentive and self-control in players under pressure situations.
Players form a large circle in the field. One player is selected to be the "shark" and stands in the center of the circle. There is only a single ball and it is given to the person who stands inside the circle.
When the whistle is blown, the player who has the ball passes it to the other one along the circle. Then the second player passes the ball to another player he likes and so on.
Then the whistle is blown again signaling the start of the game. The aim of the game is that the shark should not be allowed to touch the ball. The player may choose to pass the ball to anyone he wishes to, be it a teammate right next to him or a teammate far away. The players try to go for as many passes as they can.
This goes on till the time the shark gets the ball.
When the ball is possessed, the player that caused the ball to be intercepted goes on to become the new shark and the first shark goes 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. Subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community to for more such youth coaching tips and tactics.
