| Coaches that use knockout drill during their training | | | | kick the ball is not an effective means of practice. |
| sessions run a great risk of destroying the | | | | Yet it is one seen on many training paddocks. It is |
| confidence of the weaker players on their team, and | | | | definitely more challenging to supervise a number of |
| creating disharmony within the team. Knockout drills | | | | small groups, particularly if you do not have any help, |
| are drills where players get progressively eliminated | | | | but a coach can rotate amongst the groups to aid |
| until you are left with a winner. Your winner will most | | | | supervision. Dividing your team into groups of 3 or 4 |
| likely be the best player on your team. My | | | | players, rather than 1 group of 12 to 14 players will |
| experience with coaching children is that the great | | | | potentially increase the number of ball touches for |
| majority of coaches already know who the best | | | | each players by at least three times. How much |
| player on the team is. So my question is do you | | | | more quickly will your players improve by this |
| want to find out what you already know, or do you | | | | method? |
| want to improve the ability of the players in your | | | | If you want to introduce an element of competition |
| team? If your answer is the latter, then you have no | | | | into your practices and you have been using |
| reason to use knockout drills. | | | | knockout drills for a long time this may be a little |
| My aim with any practice is to maximise the number | | | | difficult to come to terms with. All players respond |
| of touches on the soccer players that all players | | | | better to competition (except the ones on the |
| achieve. All soccer drills should be engineered so as to | | | | sideline!!). Another means of getting around this |
| achieve this goal. Without argument, there are many | | | | problem is to use a rotation of players. Maybe you |
| valuable skills that a player must learn which do not | | | | have three team of four playing four vs. four. If you |
| involve touching the ball, however of the major skills | | | | want an extra element of competition have one |
| (trapping, passing and tackling) all require the player | | | | team sit out, replacing the team that does not win, |
| to be able to control the ball in an effective manner. | | | | and so on. Or if you have three teams of four set |
| So for this reason, I have always tried to create | | | | up two fields and rotate the teams around the fields. |
| sessions which get players touching the ball more. If | | | | So for those coaches that have been using knockout |
| you have a weaker player on your team and you | | | | drills in their practice I hope you have been very |
| want them to improve, get them kicking the ball | | | | successful with these. I would also hope that you |
| more. Encouraging them to kick a ball outside of | | | | may experiment with using some of these |
| practice sessions will also speed their improvement. | | | | techniques, and that you continue to see |
| Another effective way to achieve the goal of | | | | improvement in your players. For new coaches I |
| increasing touches on the ball for all players is to | | | | would strongly encourage you not to use knockout |
| divide your team into small groups at practice. This | | | | drills, but rather to use small groups, soccer drills that |
| may mean that you have to enlist the aid of your | | | | maximise the number of ball touches for all children |
| team manager or parents to help with supervision. | | | | (not just the stronger ones), and rotation of small |
| Having players stand in line to wait for their turn to | | | | teams. Good luck with your coaching. |