The soccer drills below are for players age 7 and older (U8 and older) and will work for all soccer formations.
To have a successful soccer attack, your players must be able to play fast, instinctively, creatively and while under defensive pressure. A successful soccer attack is much harder to teach than soccer defense because it involves creativity and players interacting instinctively, while at the same time opponents are applying pressure to break up the attack.
Below is a list of soccer drills that will give your players the skills they need to have a fast, creative attack that can be successful against defensive pressure. These soccer drills are practice games that are very efficient and effective. Lines are minimized, touches are maximized and they are more fun than normal drills. These games are 300% to 400% more effective than typical drills.
These soccer drills are game realistic and will teach your players to play fast, instinctively and while under pressure. Creative attacking requires instinctive play. Players don’t have time to think, they must just react instinctively. The way to teach instinctive play is lots of touches under controlled conditions that practice the specific skill needed at game speed and while under pressure. If your players practice slow without pressure, they will not be prepared to play fast while under pressure. Players will play as they practice. To teach players to play fast while under pressure, they must practice fast while under pressure. The way to get players to practice fast is to play practice games that involve competition and that keep score. Keeping score has the additional advantage that the coach can monitor progress by monitoring the scores.
The soccer drills and tips below teach some important concepts that will allow your players to have a fast, creative soccer attack. For example, One-Touch play is faster than two-touch, Aggressive Receiving will speed up play and help your players retain possession, and Passing to Space allows a much faster and more creative attack than Passing to Feet.
Below Are 8 Tips That Will Help Your Team Have a Fast, Creative Soccer Attack:
1. Teach One-Touch play by playing the Dribble Around Cone & Pass Relay Race practice game.
2. Teach your players to recognize Open Space and to accelerate into it by playing the Dribble Across a Square practice game with the square 15 to 17 steps wide.
3. Teach Aggressive Receiving by playing the Dribble Around Cone & Pass Relay Race practice game.
4. Teach your players “Strength on the Ball” and how to Shoulder Tackle so they can win the ball or at least slow the opponent’s attack by playing the Shoulder Tackle & Strength on the Ball practice game.
5. Teach your players how to win 50/50 ball’s or be the First Defender and slow down the attack by playing the Win the 50/50 Ball or Be the First Defender 1 v 1 Attacking & Defending practice game.
6. Teach “Team Attacking” and reward that with soccer patches.
7. Teach your players to Pass to Space instead of Passing to Feet, which will allow a more creative attack.
8. Teach Coaching Rule No. 3, which will allow you to better control the flow of the game and is worth 2 or 3 goals per game.