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15 Sessions
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Soccer Sessions

Soccer Sessions are complete training practices to run with your team. Our sessions are made up of three parts Warm-up, Phase of play, and a Game all of which help to get the coaching point across to your players and make running your training days much easier.

Soccer Training Sessions

Put together by the experts at Cupello our football sessions are guaranteed to give your players the best schooling in soccer. Follow the three parts and at the end of it, you will have run a professional coaching session – one that will be the envy of fellow coaches and give you the tools to develop your players to be the best they can be. 

Fun Football Sessions

It is easy to search our session plans to find one to fit your coaching problem, and fantastic for busy coaches when time is tight and you want a soccer session quick fix.

Soccer Coaching Tips

Watch your goals against column shrink when you use a session that helps you win the ball back.

To defend counter attacks players must know their individual and team responsibilities so they react quickly.

When you run your sessions make sure your players understand what your coaching points are – that means you need to understand them first.

Give your players key 'take-aways' to think about between training practices to see if they have grasped your coaching points.

Set up situations at training to encourage players to put the balls into areas of the pitch that create goals to boost your assist count.

Crossing and finishing complete session
  • Attacking
  • 11-18

Crossing and Finishing

Full Alex McLeish coaching session about crossing the ball and finishing into th...

Difficulty

Playing positioning games
  • Rondos
  • 8-18

Positioning Games Session

One of the benefits of using positional games like these is that it creates spac...

Difficulty

Attack and counter attacking on transition of the ball
  • Attacking
  • 8-12

7v7 to 9v9 Week 10 Attack and Counter

In this session we work on passing with good first touch and passing lines with ...

Difficulty

Reflecting and evaluating your players
  • Transitions
  • 8-12

7v7 to 9v9: Week 9 Reflections and Evaluation

Week 9 in Andy Maciel's 7v7 to 9v9 transition brings reflection and evaluation i...

Difficulty

Attacking moves to score a goal
  • 8-18

Finishing After Attacking Build-up Play

This is the first complete session by Alex McLeish the former Rangers, Scotland ...

Difficulty

Free

Attacking defenders
  • Attacking
  • 11-18

Defenders Go On The Attack

This session is about getting defenders to attack when your team has possession ...

Difficulty

Keeping possession in front of goal
  • Possession
  • 8-12

7v7 to 9v9: Week 8 Keeping Possession

Keep possession of the ball in in this session involves using small sided games,...

Difficulty

Girl shooting at goal
  • Fun Games
  • 8-12

Fun scoring session

This is a great session to get young players playing the game and creating chanc...

Difficulty

Confidence on the ball
  • Fun Games
  • 4-10

Fun Session for Confidence

Players need to practice to get confident on the ball in individual and team sit...

Difficulty

Counter attacking after winning the ball
  • Attacking
  • 11-18

Counter attack in transition

Counter-attacks are often some of the most influential moments in any given foot...

Difficulty

Striker scores into the net
  • Shooting
  • 11-15

Score More Goals

Scoring goals is one of the key aims of playing the game. In this session put yo...

Difficulty

Free

Working on passing and pressing
  • Rondos
  • 8-18

Overload workout

Player positioning in small areas should make life more difficult for the defend...

Difficulty

Angles of attack training
  • Attacking
  • 8-12

7v7 to 9v9: Week 7 Angles and tactics

In this session players react to the changing areas. Goals are central and on th...

Difficulty

Players with ball in possession practice
  • Possession
  • 8-15

Possession Practice

When players are under pressure from opponents they need to be able to keep poss...

Difficulty

Free

Blocking central areas of the pitch
  • Attacking
  • 8-12

7v7 to 9v9 Week 6: Work around the Block

This practice session works on players' awareness by reading their opponents in ...

Difficulty

Going 1v1 to keep possession
  • Skills
  • 8-15

Developing creativity with 1v1s

1v1s are key to possession based games coaching players to create space and time...

Difficulty

Playing 2v2 at training
  • Possession
  • 8-15

Working with 2v2

I cannot stress hard enough the importance of 2v2 games in your coaching season....

Difficulty

Free

Creating space to switch play
  • Tactics
  • 8-12

7v7 to 9v9: Week 5 – switching play

Coach switching play with this session based on what players need to learn as th...

Difficulty

Free

Play through the thirds
  • Passing
  • 8-12

7v7 to 9v9:Week 4 – Up, Back, Through

This session helps you to coach your players to move through the zones using up,...

Difficulty

Free

Passing and receiving behind defences
  • Passing
  • 8-15

Pass and Receive Behind Defences

Improve your players' vision and awareness with passes through defences, playing...

Difficulty

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Soccer Sessions FAQ's

Check out some of our most frequently asked questions by coaches, players, and even parents around sessions.

My team are slow starters, could it be nerves?

Warm ups of the mental as well as the physical side of the game are vital for getting teams to start games with a bang. You don't want your players to be woken up by conceding a goal. Go to the warm ups section of Cupello and pick something out like a basketball style warm up game with passing between players that gets minds thinking about movement, support and finding a player with a pass. Some quick sprints between cones 10 yards apart also get bodies up to speed. And don't forget to do something just before kick off – a huddle is good with the Captain giving words of encouragement and get the players to shout their team name.

How do I stop my team dropping down to their opponents level?

Give players targets to take their mind off the other team that are playing badly. Set your attacker the task of three shots that are on target and your midfielders the task of four assists in the second half. Ask defenders to try to play out from the back at each goal kick. There are many targets you can give players to keep focus during the game. Praise for any of the targets being met, ask what stopped them making the targets if they fail to do them. Getting them to explain why is a good learning curve for the players helping them understand the problem.

When my players lose the ball they don't recover quickly. What do I do?

First point is an obvious one – do your players understand that they must get back when they lose the ball and cover the defensive third or that if they lose the ball high up the pitch they press to try and win it back. One of the phrases that came out of the great Barcelona team under Pep Guardiola was "lose the ball win it back in 6 seconds".

The reason it is 6 seconds is because that is about the length of time your team has to win it back before they must then drop into a defensive formation.

Defenders need to be coached in their lines of recovery. So they must be aware at all times of their position on the pitch and the recovery lines back to goal. Full backs tuck in central defenders secure the area in front of goal. 

Here is your checklist:

  • Getting your players goalside is one of your main aims.
  • Awareness to recover to the main areas where your team is under threat.
  • Forwards press and midfielders pick up supporting runners.
  • Defenders go tight with areas of the pitch highlighted so they know where to recover to.
  • Body position/angle to the position of the ball and the goal players are defending.

Most of this is where your coaching comes in to get players to understand that this is good practice and get your team letting in less goals.

 

 

How do you plan a soccer session?

The soccer sessions that we create at Cupello are comprehensive, inclusive, and age-appropriate. Within the sessions winning becomes a key element - it's okay to want to win but you also learn a lot by losing. Our soccer sessions also embrace fun so that the players go home wanting to come back to training and can't wait for the next match.

Player development is key with sessions based on position and possession style of play. When you have the ball, the goal is not to move the ball but to move the opponent by quick switches of position to find somewhere to pass the ball in order to give your side an advantage. The sessions also increase individual skill levels for a fast passing team - and the players love them.

When designing soccer sessions it is important that they develop individual skills and team tactics. Understanding is key both for the coach and the players they are coaching. Soccer session design should be specific to what happens in the game, are age/ability appropriate with individual and group challenges and are fun and engaging for the players.

When you look to plan a coaching session and create the structure think about the ability of the players, players needs and requirements, space available, and player numbers.

it is important that the session reflects the game, challenges the players, and is fun to take part in – remember whatever age group and formation you play it all reflects back to the 11v11 game which is the holy grail you are trying to build up to.

SESSION PLANNING by Andy Maciel Go4Goal

This section is inspired by the coaching and session planning of Andy Maciel who has studied the works of many of the world's best coaches and how sessions are created.

Why:

  • Why am I delivering this particular topic to the players, is it a new concept, the pattern of play- strategy, or idea? 
  • Is it part of a development plan or programme or is it to address issues from a recent match analysis?



What: 

  • What am I looking to improve, affect in the session? 
  • Am I focusing on individuals, units of players, or the team as a whole? 
  • How will I gauge success on the training ground & on the pitch, are the players able to comprehend the learning outcomes? 
  • What situations will I need to recreate for the players? 
  • What practice will I employ to get the picture across to the group?

  • What are the technical & personal attributes of the key players I need in the session? 
  • What are the verbal, non – verbal triggers for the players to recognise the situation to use this new knowledge? 
  • What collectives or pictures do individuals need to see? 
  • What references am I building in the players’ brains?



How:

  • How will I deliver this topic? 
  • Practical & theory content, what format will iI use [pop, full pitch, small-sided game or skill practice]? 
  • How will i develop the players understanding, how will i utilise the principles of play? 
  • How do I link this new concept-knowledge-technical information with previous or future learning? 
  • How many players should be used in the session to ensure realism? 
  • How will I vary the practice? 



When: 

  • When will the players use this new knowledge? 
  • When do I move on to the next part of the session?



Who: 

  • Who will be involved in the session? 
  • Key individuals in key positions. Who is the key focus of the session?



PLAN FOR SUCCESS & RECOGNISE IT WHEN IT HAPPENS!

  • Session & games key coaching points 
  • Possession - Position - Pressing 
  • Quality Weight Accuracy (QWA) of pass
  • Quality 1st touch to keep the ball moving 
  • Minimal touches 
  • Triangles 
  • Scanning 
  • Body Position 
  • Numerical Superiority 
  • Positioning 

Tips:

  • Incorporate offside line/zones in all SSGs 
  • Film sessions & games as regularly as possible to support reflection (mobile phone on tripod / veo etc)
  • Coach & players’ Reflection on sessions & games …KEY!
  • Regular meetings (e.g. zoom) with players once a month if poss. Collective reflection. (off-field coaching!!!)
  • Relay (via players) to parents what tactical principles (intentions) & challenges are on the game, so communication is clear & they understand the What…the How is then down to the players! 

 

What are the three parts of Cupello Soccer Sessions?

WARM UP

Individual/Fundamental: 

For the warm up players are working in pairs or individually with emphasis on the technical side of their game. It may not be directly relevant to the topic you are working on but you can use the warm up for repetition of fundamental technical skills that will be used in the coaching topic. You may start with basic actions – passing the ball between players or using individual skills like turning or dribbling. You may want to add small games that incorporate 1v1 or 2v2.

 

PHASE OF PLAY

Small Group/Match Related:

This very important phase of play is where coaches need to be on top of their game and show their creativity in the practice. These are competitive games like 6v2, 4v4+3 with overloads and game related actions. The conditions imposed will allow the players to have success in the topic. This is a pressure phase where I use my philosophy of the three P’s: position, possession and pressure to their greatest effect. Small sided games are ideal for putting players under the necessary pressure.

 

GAME

Large Group/Match Conditions: 

Now what the players have been coached should show up in the large sided game at the end of practice. This is where the game is the teacher (although you as the coach have put in a lot of the teaching!) These should be fun and have a match like competition about them. They can still be small sided games if you have a small squad. This is where you should be evaluating the players and watch how they are using the skills you have taught them.

 


 

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