Once in a great while a product comes along that really does make a difference in the style, organization and effectiveness of your training sessions. The Soccer Wall is such a product. I use it religiously in training sessions with age group appropriate activities incorporating technique, tactics, fitness and making these activities fun for the participants. Prior to each training session our players are asked to arrive 15-20 minutes early and play various juggling games on the tennis nets provided with The Soccer Wall. It is not unusual to see 40 players having fun and trying new tricks without realizing they are learning at an advanced rate. When teaching players to cross balls from the flank these nets and mannequins also give our players visual targets to hit and an aerial target to get the ball over. Obviously the mannequins’ main function may be in working on set pieces (rather than asking your players to stand in the wall and invariably get hit) but with a little innovation can be used in teaching tactical aspects like zonal defending as well. The new products have been well thought out and allow for goalkeeper training and soccer volleyball on a higher net. I also use the low nets as targets for passing and shooting activities when moveable goals are not available.
The mannequins are invaluable for technique training and allowing young players to develop proper body feint and swerves. When coaches use cones for teaching dribbling and especially in speed relay racing (with or without the ball) the ball seems to avoid the cones but the player stays rigid and will run directly over them. Training with the mannequins makes them use proper techniques as learn how to manipulate their bodies using the correct muscle groups.
Dribbling
Setup:
Use 2-4 columns of the mannequin
Divide players into groups (one ball per player)
Players dribble through the slalom course and jog back to the start with the ball using any style and foot part they prefer
Sequence:
The coach now assigns a particular dribbling technique focusing on the six foot areas (instep, inside, outside, sole, toe and heel)
The coach strict pays attention to the body movements and correct feinting/dribbling points
Variations:
The activity is done; 1) in the comfort zone, 2) out of the comfort zone/faster and 3) as fast as possible through the slalom course
Players must circle each mannequin
Change the distance of the mannequins
Dribbling and Finishing
Setup:
Using the above setup add a goal and a goalkeeper
Players now work on dribbling/feinting moves finishing with a clean strike on goal.
Alternate sides and have two rotating goalkeepers.
Sequence
Go through comfort zone, out of zone and as fast and out of control as possible still assigning technical tasks i.e. right foot only
Relay races with players competing, i.e. One point for getting through the course first and one point for scoring a goal. Five minute time limit for each side.
Variations
Team relay to see which team can get through first and score the most goals
Put targets (cones) in the goals rather than goalkeepers
Goals scored with the weaker foot count double
Distances and angles increase or decrease between mannequins and also with relation to the goal
Speed Dribble
Setup:
Mannequins are set up in a star pattern 5 yards apart
Player with ball starts at the two cones
Player starts by dribbling through the two cones and must dribble around each mannequin (always returning around the center mannequin) using the outside of the foot turn, alternating feet until he finishes through the two cones
Sequence
Coach determines which techniques will be used on turns i.e. Inside, outside of foot, Cruyff, sole of foot
Go through the comfort zone to trying at top speed
Variations
Change directions from counter-clockwise to clockwise
Players are timed as they go through, two seconds taken off score if they miss a mannequin
Team relay
As in activity 2 a goalkeeper can be added and scored kept
Turning and Finishing
Setup:
Mannequins are placed at the top of the circle
One player from each line with his back to the mannequin acting as a target player
Player ten yards away with a ball
Sequence
Target player checks back into or past the mannequin (defender) and then returns for pass from teammate
Receiver must turn with the first touch past the mannequin and on the second touch shoot. This necessitates that the first touch is not square but a penetrating ball
Players alternate lines after retrieving ball
Variations
Receiver uses various ground turning techniques, i.e. inside and out side of foot
Balls played in air to chest, thigh, head, etc.
Receiver can play a return ball to the passer and spin of to collect through ball
Passer can overlap target player
Passer can pressure target player after pass
Finishing
Setup:
Two mannequins 22 yards from the goal line
Line of players ten yards from the mannequins
No goalkeepers
Each player has a ball
Alternate sides after each strike towards the far post
Sequence – Diagram 1
First player dribbles at the mannequin, executes a body feint and on the next touch strikes on goal
Who can score the most goals in five minutes?
Which team can sore the most goals in five minutes?
Variations
Add goalkeepers
Juggle to the mannequin, eliminate it and on the next touch strike on goal
Start lines from the side (See diagram 2) with above variations
Start two players at the same time. Who can score first?
Crossing and Long Balls:
Setup:
Two players and one ball in an area 30 X 10 with a mannequin in the middle
Players practice floating (chipping) or flighting (driven over head height) balls to their partner with unlimited touches
Note – the same setup can be used to teach players to bend balls around defenders on ground and in air
Sequence –Diagram 1
In comfort zone with the players taking their time in an age group appropriate progress. Younger players might hit dead balls, older ones with slight movement
A point is scored if the passing partner can hit the ball over the mannequin and land it either on his partner’s foot or in the square. Time element is five minutes
Variations
The receiver loses a point if the ball lands in the square and is not received before it bounces.
The passer loses a point if he cannot serve over the mannequin’ head or if it does not land in the opponents square
Touch restriction. The receiving player has two touches, one to receive the ball and the other to serve it
Diagram 2 - Two players in each square each playing with one touch. Now the reception and the pass to the partner must be in one touch as well as the resulting serve
Crossing and Finishing the Driven Ball
Setup:
18 yard box with a goalkeeper and three mannequins located near the 6 yard box
Right footed players at the right edge of the 18-yard box and left footers on the left.
Three attackers in the box
Sequence
The flank player dribbles down the line and looks to hit the spaces between the mannequins and the goalkeeper
The attacking players look to arrive in those spaces between the three mannequins especially focusing on the near, far and mid goal areas.
All balls are driven head height or lower
Variations
The ball can be bent away from the goalkeeper
The second player in line plays a long ball down the 18-yard line for the first player to sprint to and serve first time.
The coach can suggest different options for the three attackers such as laying the ball back for a player at the top of the box
The server can penetrate toward the six-yard box before driving to the nearer post or laying back for the mid-goal runner.
Crossing and Finishing the Floated ball
Setup:
The same organization as in Exercise 7
Two soccer tennis nets near the flank sides of the 18-yard box
Sequence
The wing player now must get the ball up and over the soccer tennis net with the emphasis on hitting the space at the back post
Attacking players work on the timing and speed of their runs to appropriate spaces
Variations
The sequence can be started on one side and then switched through the midfield to the other winger who gets down the line on his first touch and at speed. The second touch must be served.
Introduce the option of the early ball from the flank midfield area.
Alternate the high and the low soccer tennis nets and place in different areas of the 18-yard box
Coach places a restriction on how it must be finished (head, volley)
Soccer Tennis
Setup:
Soccer tennis nets placed in a straight line
One, two or three players on each side
Sequence
Players team up to play soccer tennis
Rules vary by age group, i.e. Younger players may use a bounce in between juggles as frequently as they wish
Older players may be allowed one bounce per team as the ball comes over the net.
Points are only scored on the service which is started via the volley or half-volley
Variations
No bounces at all
Balls on played with weaker foot
Games played to a certain score
Games played to a time limit
Set up a ladder tournament in which the losers move down a net and the winner move up.
Technical options as to head only, each player must touch the ball prior to the ball been passed over the net
Alternate use of the high net and the low net.