Best soccer training tips


Soccer conditioning

Players line up side by side along the touchdrill above. Now take your total practice
line.squad and have them divide into equal teams
of  3  or  4  players  each.
Space 3 cones about 10 yards apart and then a
fourth cone 20 yards from the third cone. IPlayer #1 from each team starts the race on
usually set up about three lines of thesethe touch line and dribbles quickly to the
cones just so the kids have an idea where tofirst cone (to the cone, not around it) and
stop.cuts the ball with the inside of his foot,
dribbles back to the touch line and cuts the
In unison they sprint to the first cone andball with the inside of his foot, dribbles to
do 10 standard military style push-ups, popthe second cone and cuts the ball with the
back up and sprint back to the starting lineoutside of his foot, dribbles back to the
and then sprint to the second cone and do 10touch line and cuts the ball with the outside
sit-ups, pop up and sprint back to theof his foot, dribbles to the third cone and
starting line and then sprint to the thirdcuts the ball with the inside of his foot but
cone and do 10 jumps pulling the knees up asbehind his other leg. He then dribbles back
close to the chest as possible (land softlyto the touch line and again cuts the ball
each jump and push hard off ground). Theybehind his other leg. He then "sprint
then sprint back to the starting line anddribbles" around the last cone and passes the
then sprint to the fourth cone and back.ball to the next player (Player #2) in his
There is no rest during this entiregroup who is waiting at the touch-line. He
repetition. Once they have completed thatdoes the same routine (inside, outside,
repetition they may take a one minute restbehind the back and speed dribble) and then
and then start a second rep. (Do five repspasses to the next player (Player #3) in the
like  this.)group. The group that completes their relay
and sits down wins the race. They MUST all be
Each practice increase the amount of pushups,sitting down in the touch-line area in order
sit-ups,  and jumps until you get to 30 each.to  be  considered  as  finished.
Make sure the players have warmed up andLosing team or teams are to do some sort of
stretched before this. I usually let the kidspunishment. I like giving a soccer ball to
mess around with the ball a little until mostthe winning group and allowing one of that
everyone is ready with cleats on. Thisgroup to punt the ball as hard as they can.
includes short passing and juggling but noThe losing team(s) must sprint to the ball
long  passes  or  shots  on  goal.and AROUND it without touching it. The last
player  can  dribble  the  ball  back.
I then make them do a easy half mile jog,
stretch, and then another half mile jog. INOTE:
usually have the kids do some "build-ups"
after stretching. They will run about 50On the first second and third cones he is to
yards or the width of the field slowlykeep the ball close to his feet when
building up to about 50% of their fastestdribbling. On the last he is to sprint
speed.all-out 100% and the ball will be out front
in  typical  full  speed  sprint.
They have about a 5 second rest to make sure
everyone is back on the line and then do itVARIATIONS:
back  the  other  direction.
Have all the players do the drill right
Then do the same building up to about 75% offooted only. The next time through have them
their  speed.do  the  drill  left  footed  only.
Then  about  90%.VARIATION:
This gets the legs used to going at top speedOn the behind the back cut they should fake a
and you have less chance of an earlyshot as they cut the ball. They can throw
hamstring pull. Then go to the cone drilltheir hands out wide to make it appear they
above.are  shooting.
Conditioning  Drill  Number  2VARIATION:
Relay races with balls - Working on cuttingWe also do this drill as a cutting drill
the  ball.WITHOUT the soccer ball which makes it an
ideal off-season drill for high schools in
Inside, Outside, Behind the Back and SpeedAlabama where you can not touch a soccer ball
Dribbleat school except during specific months of
the school season.
Use the same arrangement of cones as the



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