You can tell when players are under pressure - their first touch begins to go astray. It’s a telltale sign and one of the most costly mistakes that can be made in the game. For that reason, it’s important to try to recreate in training the pressure that players face in matches.

And then there’s tiredness. By the end of games players are often weary, and stop thinking about what’s in front of them - they kick the ball wherever they can... building play with good passing is an afterthought.

So this exercise is great for two reasons – it tightens up concentration whilst helping to increase players’ stamina. Rehearse this well and you’ll find your team pushing themselves and each other in pursuit of victory.

How to set it up:• The playing area for this session depends on the age of your squad. For any players above the age of 10, use the centre circle of an 11-a-side pitch, decreasing the diameter for younger children.

• Split your squad into two teams – in the example show we’re using two lots of six players.

• Six cones are placed inside the circle in a zigzag formation as shown.

• One team (the inner circle side) places a player on each cone.

• The other team (the outer circle side) stands in a line at any point on the centre circle.

Getting started:• The team inside the circle scores a point each time the ball goes along the zigzag, from the bottom man to the top, and back again.

• The length of time they have to do this is determined by the outer circle players. This team takes it in turns to run around the circle until every member of the team has completed a circuit.

• For the first run, the inner circle players throw the ball to each other up and down the zigzag making sure no player is missed out.

• Next they do this two-touch with their feet so they are passing the ball and receiving under pressure.

• Teams now switch positions with the running team now attempting to beat the number of points scored.

• Run this through two or three times. While players running around the circle should generally experience the same drop-off of pace with each go, you should look for the points scored by the inner circle team to increase as they gain more practice.

• For an additional challenge, have the outer circle team dribble a ball around the outside of the circle on each circuit – this way both sides are rehearsing ball skills whilst under time pressure.

Why this works:This is a great passing exercise; a really good way to work your

players so they are passing quickly in order to defeat the other team. It’s an unopposed game yet players are still aware of the pressure being placed on them, and this builds the logical awareness that at no place on a football pitch can a player truly relax.

Keep an eye out for good communication between players, and a determined work ethic in terms of passing, running and receiving.

direction of pass direction of run

direction of pass direction of rundirection of pass direction of run

Pressure passingA race against the clock for precise passing manoeuvres...

... to the new issue of Soccer Coach Weekly. While UEFA

Technical Director Andy Roxburgh provides the second

instalment in a fascinating interview looking at the youth game in Europe, we’ve got all

of your usual features, including a master class in volleying variation on page two. See you next week...

Pressure passing

WELCOME…

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Soccer Coach Weekly 1

weeklyJune 15 2011 ›› Issue 216Under 4s - Under 16s

Inner circle players work the ball along the zigzag as players on the outside run around the circle

Now the game progresses with two-touch on the floor in the middle

Switch teams to see who can score most points

direction of pass direction of run

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TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

WARM-UP

The perfect volley

How to set it up:l Arrange your players into two teams.l They should stand 10 yards from three cones, which are placed side by side, two yards between each.l You and a helper act as servers stood a further three yards back behind the cones.

Getting started:l You and your helper continually throw balls to your allocated team. Each player, in turn, must try to volley the ball towards any of the three cones, knocking the ball off the top.l The first team to knock all three balls off is the winner.l As the players become more proficient at the skill, get them to experiment with half volleys and chest volleys.l The same set-up can be adapted for headers.

Why this works:This fun warm-up game develops volleying ability. It’s a tough art to perfect (see Tools, Tips and Techniques below for some guidance), but the ability to bring the ball down is crucial in helping a team move back into a passing game.

This warm-up also encourages players to keep their eyes on the ball, directing it downwards towards the floor.

Volley knock-off

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“One of the most effective skills for your players to have in their locker is the

perfect volley.”

›› One of the most effective skills for your players to have in their locker is the

perfect volley - that is, striking a ball that is still in the air. It’s difficult to produce real accuracy with such a ball, but players will certainly have fun trying!

Here’s our guide to helping players pull off the perfect volley:l Tell your players to keep their eyes focused on the ball and to get into the line of flightl Get them to use their arms for balancel Tell them to imagine a strike zone in front of them and to keep their head stilll They should plant their non-kicking foot on the ground, and leading with the knee, bring the kicking leg throughl The leg should be slightly bent, with the toes pointing down and the ankle held firml They should strike the centre or top half of the ball with the instep and keep their head over the ball to keep the volley down

As with most aspects of the game, practice makes perfect, so regularly build volleying technique into your training sessions as it is a skill that can be effective in any area of the pitch, and by any player.

Top five volleysWe’ve been pondering over the top five

volleys in recent years. See what you think of our selection below.

Five fantastic volleys:Marco Van Basten: Netherlands v USSR, 1988 (Euro Final)… the tightest of angles

Robin Van Persie: Charlton Ath v Arsenal, 2006 (P/League)… sprint and volley

Wayne Rooney: Manchester Utd v Newcastle Utd, 2005 (P/League)… the laced volley

David Platt: England v Belgium, 1990 (World Cup 2nd rnd)… the hooked volley

Zinedine Zidane: Real Madrid v Bayer Leverkusen, 2002 (C/League Final)… the left-footed swivel

We’ve been running a thread on the Footy4Kids forum too entitled ‘Soccer Coach Weekly’s top volleys’! Why not visit the forum yourself to contribute (www.soccercoachingforums.com)?

Better still, we’d love to see any video footage from your kids showcasing the art of the perfect volley. Send links to our head coach David Clarke at david.clarke@coach-soccer.com

Volley knock-off

serve volley

Players line up and send controlled volleys towards any of the three cones

KEy

ELEM

ENTS l Agility

l Volleying

l Accuracy

l Concentration

Strike the centre ortop half of the ball

Leg bent, toes pointing down, ankle held firm

Focus on the ball

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a THE ART OF COACHING CHILDREN

›› Being Technical Director at UEFA means overseeing the development of

football in all European countries, and beyond. And by that, I mean we are always learning and sharing lessons with the US, South America, and further afield.

Of course, national associations have the biggest impact on how their own country’s game is developing, but many coaches still

see UEFA as the guiding force.In a sense that perspective can be seen

to diminish the good work of individual federations, and there is so much of that going on... and not always in the places you might expect.

Eye on the prizeIt’s all about attention to detail at grass

roots level. Indeed, if you asked me where the innovative techniques and processes are coming from it wouldn’t necessarily be in the places you’d expect. Norway, for one, have made some fantastic and unique strides of late and I hope their brand of innovative thinking yields reward.

Denmark have also impressed me. Their national team made the semi-finals of the recent Under-17 European Championships, something that represents a tremendous upturn in fortunes for a country that had failed to have any real impact on the world stage for over a decade. It seems this renaissance has come about as a result of the implementation of a five-year youth programme by the Danish federation. And the players that they have now within the Danish squad are the first kids to have come through that five-year process.

This has been a conscious decision - an investment of money, time, effort and expertise in order to nurture these talented

players. But for any country to get to this stage, you must have a massive base of activity.Switzerland won the last Under-17 World Cup and everyone will tell you it’s because of the hard work that went into the elite youth programme.

The fact that even a small country like Switzerland can do a lot shows that it’s really not all about resources – it’s about application. I could identify lots of other countries where fantastic and highly commendable work is going on. And of course facilities and structure does come into play but, first and foremost, raw energy produces good players.

United aimsOverall, coaching prompts more similarities

across Europe than it does differences. All 53 federations are part of the UEFA Coaching License and we have recently launched a new level for coaches who work at academy level, although that is still in its infancy having only been fully implemented in Czech Republic, Holland and France. And of course we are proud that in many countries coaches are regarding their UEFA qualifications as being more valuable than those offered by national associations.

We are not in competition, but we do believe that we have created a structure that works.

The idea of the license is that it gives coaches flexibility should they want to ply their

trade in other countries. So a qualified coach could move to Italy, Spain, France, or any European country, and apply his skills.

Everyone retains their own style, and this is more about how you teach rather than what you teach. We’re not telling coaches to play certain systems or shapes – instead we are trying to teach standards in how they are educated.

The same goes with the philosophies behind clubs – we’re not trying to affect those, although we will offer help where we can.

It’s no secret that in England there is what is called the ‘glass-ceiling’.

The problem here is that players reach

the ages of 18, 19 and 20, and actually have less opportunity to play because of the way clubs import talent.

Football’s exemplarsThat’s completely different to a place

such as Barcelona where the whole philosophy is based on the club producing its own players. There they have as many as nine players in their first-choice starting line-up who are home-grown.

At Camp Nou, the club’s philosophy through the academy and what Barcelona do is really, really good and can almost be used as a role model for other clubs to follow.

Upon speaking to Barca’s first-team manager, Josep Guardiola, the first thing he said was that what they are trying to develop is a family work ethic. They have a specific philosophy about how to play – a technical and tactical doctrine, the structure of the teams and the manner of playing.

It’s about fast technique and possession, building from the back, developing athleticism and speed. And off the field they teach the players to be humble and extremely modest.

They’ve all been brought up around that faith and under that culture. That’s wonderful, and if there is a blueprint for a grass roots culture then this should be it.

In the second part of our exclusive interview with UEFA Technical Director Andy Roxburgh, he talks to Soccer Coach Weekly about how the governing body views its impact on the youth game...

View from the top

“The idea of the license is that it gives coaches flexibility should they want to play their trade in other countries. So a qualified coach could move to

Italy, Spain, France, or any European country, and apply his skills instantly.”

PROFILEAndy Roxburgh has been UEFA

Technical Director since 1994. Prior to that he managed the Scottish national

team at youth level, plus took the Tartan Army to the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

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QI have a player in my team who is far weaker than the rest, but I don’t

want to fail him and just give up. He is a valued member socially and a lovely lad - what do I do? James Easton, Manchester, Maine, USA

AFirstly, sticking by him as you have done is fantastic, and you will be doing

this kid a favour just by keeping him involved, so don’t sway from that.

If you did choose to banish him from the side just because of his limited ability, you wouldn’t be properly fulfilling your role of club coach.

In some respects there is nowhere to hide on a football pitch, but you can certainly place him around team mates so that he is well covered and can improve his game by seeing plenty of the ball. Make sure his team mates support him but don’t make an example of him.

See as well if there is a non-playing role that he can take an interest in. Can he help with team admin or organisation? You may find his true talents lay elsewhere...

QI want to introduce a Man of the Match award to create an incentive

for my players. What would be the best way to approach this? Raymond Braggs, Stevenage

A Man of the Match awards are a good idea – they mean that players have

something to aim for irrespective of the result. They also mean that some of the plaudits can go to players other than strikers, who tend to hog the limelight in youth football!

Instead of one award, why not select three players? This will mean that the acclaim is shared around more often.

And while you’re at it, it would be good to initiate an award for the game’s best motivator too. This increases competitiveness between players and really strengthens the ethos of teamwork in the squad which, irrespective of skill, is a key thing for players to learn the value of.

QLooking at the role models in the professional game, it’s disheartening to

see that athleticism is sometimes preferred to skill. Is this what scouts are looking for now? Thomas Laine, Oldham

A I wouldn’t say that football has ceased to become a game based on skill – there are

many attributes needed to succeed in the amateur and professional games, and skill is certainly one of them. Granted, players nowadays - even compared to 10 years ago - are more athletic, but that seems to be a growing trend across many sports.

What you shouldn’t confuse though is that role models live in a space that’s a world apart from youth football. Athleticism at the top level doesn’t really translate to or affect our youth game.

Even elements of sports science don’t really tend to apply until kids are of academy age.

My advice? Just let them get on and enjoy their football because athleticism only comes after skill, not the other way around.

Got a question for SCW Surgery? Email it in to us at james.evans@coach-soccer.com

THIS WEEK’S COACH: Storrie Perkins GROUP: 12 to 15-year-oldsStorrie is a Level 3 academy coach from Inverness, Scotland

Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford, GU5 0AB, UK. Email: james.evans@coach-soccer.com Tel: +44 (0)1483 892894 Fax: +44 (0)1483 894148 Editor: James Evans Publisher: Kevin Barrow Managing Director: Andrew Griffiths

Customer Service: Duncan Heard Designer: Isobel Cardew Contributors: David Clarke, Paul Dargan, Chris Galea © Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved.

DAVID CLARKE’S TOUCHLINE TALES

›› In my club I have tried to create a situation where, at each age group,

players can develop at their own pace, whilst guaranteeing themselves plenty of playing time in the process. We do this by having more than one team at each age.

This has worked well up until now - with over 40 players fitting into one particular age range. Any player who develops quicker than their contemporaries can move up, while any player struggling has the option of moving down, and I make sure there is no stigma attached to any of the groups.

With everyone playing each week and no-one stuck on the substitutes’ bench, it has been a very successful season. But there’s a problem that has developed...

Because in our club there is no stigma attached to the groups, there is by the same token no sense of achievement for the players who move up through the teams – there is nothing pushing them to advance.

For instance, one player from the third team has developed at a very fast rate this season. He has grown a considerable

amount and filled out too, and when playing matches he has really started taking command in the middle of the park. In short, he is ready to take on a new challenge; after all, there is no

point in watching a player become complacent because he thinks he is the best player in the team.

So I suggested he was moved into the second team as I reshuffled the pack at the end of the season. His mum and dad were flattered and were pleased he had progressed so much that I felt he could be moved up. However, the player dug his heels in – his best friends were in the third team and he wanted to be with them.

This caused a real conflict. In one sense, I wanted him to progress as a player, yet on the other side of the coin I knew it was vital for him to have fun and enjoy his soccer without worrying about where he was playing or who his team mates were.

So I spoke to his mum and dad again. We decided between us that it was the right thing to let him stay with his friends because enjoyment was the deciding factor that we should base our decision on.

It goes to show, you can chart your players’ progress, organise meticulously and really build a plan of action, but for most, being happy in playing the game is really all they care about.

And there he is now for another season – unless of course one of his friends plays well enough to get moved up!

“With everyone playing each week and no-one stuck on the substitutes’ bench, it

has been a very successful season. But there’s a problem

that has developed...”

SCW SURGERy

New ambitions or old friends?

How to set it up:l Create a playing area measuring 40x30 yards.l You will need a goal at one end.l The game features eight players, 4v4.l It is played for a set time period with the coach keeping scores.

The rules:l The defending team chooses one player to act as the keeper.l The attacking team receives a ball from the coach and attempts to score.l If successful, the attackers receive a second ball from the coach and attack again.l However, if the attacking team misses, or the defenders win the ball, the roles are quickly reversed.l Upon retrieving the ball the defenders pass to the coach (unopposed) and, along with the keeper, run out to take up attacking positions. While this happens, the attacking team falls back and chooses a keeper.l Play for 10 minutes. The team to have scored the most goals at the end is the winner.

Why this game works:This is a small-sided game that favours the attacking team, given that

they go forward with a 4v3 overload of outfield players. The cost of not scoring is great, however, and rehearses players in regrouping quickly in order to avert danger.

Because each attack starts at the bottom of the playing area, this small-sided game also presents teams with familiarity in passing patterns. Therefore, look for them to perfect passing moves and to learn how and why certain attacking angles don’t produce the intended result.

This 4v4 rotation works like a half-court basketball game as the defending team must work the ball out to the coach before launching their own attack.

SMALL-SIDED GAME

Role reversal

pass/serve shot

pass/serve shot

pass/serve shot

pass/serve shot

One player drops back

in goal as the coach

serves a ball in

The black team finds

a way through

and scores

The black team chooses a goalkeeper as the white

team launches an attack

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Role reversal

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SKIL

LS

l Teamwork

l Stamina

l Scoring

l Defending

This game was taken from Soccer Attack! by Michael Beale. Soccer Attack! contains 80 drills and games to develop shooting and finishing. Get your copy here: www.coach-soccer.com/attack