Coaches have employed soccer drills for a long time in order to teach different moves and strategies to players. A lot of players complain that drills which are repetitive are boring but there are a lot of benefits to be derived from practicing the same skills over and over again and it can make a huge difference between a team full of qualified players who are ready to go up against even the toughest team, and a team with little or no teamwork capabilities or soccer skill.
The goal of a coach is to find a drill which imparts the needed playing skills to players and which is a lot more fun for players as well. These are a few essential skills which can get your team started:
Having control of the ball is very essential in the game of soccer. One way which you can help players gain control is by splitting them into two teams with single file lines in front of each other. The ball should be served into the air and each player should fight for control of it.
Protecting the ball can be learned with a simple one-on-one drill: One player should stand next to the ball with their feet a shoulder width apart; the second player should stand on the outside shoulder of the first player. You should instruct the second player to get his foot on the ball by any means they can, this then forces the opposing player to maintain their balance, protect the ball and learn how to cope with aggressive opponents.
Certain coaches tend to prefer drills which resemble a real game. This brief 8 minute drill is created to offer constant movement in a way which is fun and which allows players work on crossing, finishing, and goalkeeping and team communication. The group of players should be broken into teams of 3′s of 4′s and each team should be provided with a ball. The player holding the ball should be told to go the sideline which is 18 yards from the end line. The player should then dribble the ball to the end line and cross the ball back to the middle and allow the teammates try to get a single touch. If the ball is on the ground and is scored, you team gets a point, however if the ball happens to be served in the air and volleyed into the goal, it counts as 3 points. If the ball is played in the air and headed into the goal, it counts as 5 points for the team. Each player serves the ball twice before rotating. Each team can only use their own ball.
These are a few short drills which can help players in developing better kicking as well as ball control:
Inside Roll: The ball should be rolled across your body from the from outside to inside to the inside and sole of the foot, stopping the ball with the inside of the other foot.
Push-Pull: You should make use of the inside of the foot, tap ball back and forth and pushing it forward with one foot and pulling it back the sole of the opposite foot.
Pull Turn: After this the ball should be pushed forward with one foot and pulled back with the other while turning your body toward the ball and taking the ball in the opposite direction with the inside of the first foot.
Kick Over ball: The ball should be kicked over with the inside of the foot while you pull it back with the sole of the exact same foot.
