The Truth About Soccer Practice Games

Here’s a damn easy way to recognize the need to teach soccer practice games when the kids have learnt basic soccer skills and techniques. Players must be exposed to real match-like situations so that they get to know the stress and pressure involved and accordingly become accustomed to soccer training.

The right method is to introduce small-sided games and drills in which the kids get fully engrossed. It is also important that they get to contact the ball as much as possible because this is what will make them comfortable and confident in handling the ball.

These games and drills help the kids learn the art of positional play. They absorb the following:

1. Run away from the player who has the possession than running to him or her. 2. Stir “off the ball” and make a good passing angle. 3. Run onwards and get the delivery of the ball “in space”. 4. Pass to the back to help the team move to the back.

The expression "positional play" also means that a player can play from a specific position. As it is known to everyone, a skilled player has the ability to play in all positions. Therefore, a coach must endeavor to teach young players to play in all positions using soccer practice games.

In the long run, it is rather ineffective to condition any youngster to play only as a defender or a striker.

Below, there are 2 nice soccer drills to teach the players.

1. This game involves 6 players. 5 players make a circle around a player who acts as a defender. Afterwards it’s the defender who attempts to catch hold of the ball that is with the players who try to pass or dribble the ball amongst them. It’s for the coach to see that all players get to act as a defender by replacing them with another, after some time.

In this game, teach the players to draw the defender and then pass. Also, they must be in charge of the ball and keep their head up at the same time. They should attempt to make good passing positions and if possible, camouflage the pass in the end.

2. 5 players and a grid is all that is necessary in this game. The one acting as the defender stands in the grid and the rest as passers on the outside. Then the passers try to make as many consecutive passes as possible across the grid without an interception. Once more, replace the players acting as defenders, every now and then.

See that the players are able to maintain ball’s control to the sides. The players should utilize the outside of the foot together with using hip and shoulder fakes.

Both these soccer exercises are extremely helpful in letting the players have a taste of different positions. The players get better at controlling the ball and become flexible as a result of these exercises.

This is the best and the easiest mode of training the players in soccer practice games. So without wasting any time, join our youth soccer coaching community to find out numerous ways and simple but effective tips to train your players in the best possible way. You’ll find inexhaustible resources in form of newsletters, articles, videos and like that which assist you in coaching you players.

Andre Botelho is an expert in Soccer practice games. He influences over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his coaching philosophy, and makes it easy to explode your players' skills and make training fun in record time. Download your free Soccer Training guide at: Soccer Practice.