05 Sep 2012

Football Drills – Creating Space with the Ball

Description:

This is a fast moving, intense set of football drills to develop player’s skills and abilities to improve creating space for them selves during a game.

Purpose:

To improve players ability to create space for themselves, both when receiving the ball and with the ball

Organisation:

10 – 14 players, two teams of 5, 6 or 7 players
Five players inside the area without balls. Five players outside with balls
Area 30 x 20 with an outside collar area of 5 yards outside – see diagram
Position a number of zones using discs inside the area – see diagram
To start the practice, players inside the area have to make a run to one of the zones and then check out to receive a ball from one of the outside players.
After receiving the ball the player passes to someone without a ball on the outside. If there is no one available, they keep possession of the ball, moving the ball in a different direction – creating space with the ball, until there is an available player
After passing the ball, the outside players make a run into the inside area and then out to the collar area before receiving a ball from an inside player.
Rotate inside and outside players

Key Coaching Principles:

All players to look at the footballs
Awareness of space, other players and where the footballs are
Create space off the ball, to receive the ball in space
Communication between players, both verbal and with hand signals, to link the pass and the movement to create space together
Timing and angle of movement to create space
Recognition of whether to go towards the ball to create space or to pull away from the ball to create space
Create space with the ball. If a pass isn’t on to a free player, move and manipulate the ball in different directions to create space with the ball, before passing
Accurate, well weighted and timed passing

Progressions:

Players can stand in a zone to receive a pass
Outside and inside players can play ‘1 – 2’s between themselves
Make it a challenge – 1 minute without a ball going out of the area

These football drills were designed for FA level 1 and 2 and UEFA B coaches using the ‘Coaches Chalkboard’ on Grassroots Coaching, the easy to use football coaching software. It allows you to design and share 3D football animations that you can create yourself in minutes thanks to its easy to use features. Help your players and other coaches grow in their abilities by creating new tactics and football drills that can be easily viewed and taken in.

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