Let me show you how to control the ball in a manner so as to shoot or pass effectively and this skill can be perfected through the various free soccer training drills. 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 makes use of 3 players each drill group. The distance between A and B is about 10-15 yards.
B and the defensive player stand in a line 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 start to try and 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 working on coaching drills like Shoulder to Shoulder, players get to learn as to how to win the ball despite being under immense pressure from an opposing player.
Shark in the Middle is a fun game that can be played at any time during a practice and its duration can be adjusted as per the need. This is one of those free soccer training drills that is aimed at developing attentiveness and self-control in players under high pressure situations.
Players assemble themselves in a large circle in the field. Then a player is made to act like a Shark and stand in the center of the circle. There is only one ball in it and given to a person who stands in 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 it to another that he likes and this goes on like this.
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 pass the ball to anyone they like along the circle, be it a teammate right next to him or a teammate at some distance. The players attempt to make as many passes as they can.
This process goes on until the shark gets the ball.
When the ball is caught, the player that caused the ball to be intercepted becomes the new shark and the first shark joins others 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.
To conclude, these free soccer training drills help players to build self-confidence to handle the ball while under pressure from an imminent attack. If you want more information and knowledge please subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community where a lot of learning resources are available.
Andre Botelho is a recognized expert in youth soccer coaching. He influences well over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his unique coaching philosophy, and makes it really easy to explode your players’ skills and make training more fun in record time. To download your free youth soccer coaching guide visit: Free soccer training drills.