Here are some good drills to practice during your training sessions.


VAC Warm-up

Awareness Communication

Ideal before a game. Make sure everyone is in the position that they are going to play in the game. 3 balls are introduced and players have to receive and pass the ball to a fellow player. At all times players must scan, look up and talk so that they are alert to receive and pass the ball. This drill also helps in ensuring that speed of thinking is at match speed prior to starting.

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Play Warm-up

Skill Pass Move

Good for pre match warm up. This involves 8 players at a time. 2 Teams of 4. Two playes opposite each other on the grid and two inside the grid. Players on the outside of the grid can only move up and down the grid and the players inside can move freely. Swop after a few minutes. This drill gives players a warm up in beating players, passing and moving, wall pass, dribbling skills.

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Defending My Castle

Good drill for defensive awareness. Players outside the castle have to run with the ball under control around the cone in the castle area and return to their base. 2 Defenders have to tackle or knock the ball away to prevent the invaders from coming in to the castle. Defending and attacking players have to ensure that they are aware of positioning and be constantly scanning. Players with the ball should make sure that when they are free to do so they go around the cone in the castle area with speed and with the ball in control.

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Dare

This drill involves players (Marauders) on an extrerior grid moving with the ball with the purpose of trying to get into the Defenders house with the ball. Defenders have to ensure that the marauders loose the ball by jab tackling the ball away. Marauders who get into the house are safe, marauders who loose the ball go into the Sin bin.

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The Reverse Stick Receive

This drill helps practise the reverse stick receive on the run. The important points are timing the run for receipt so the the player gets to the pass at the receiving cone. The pace and accuracy of the pass is key to making this drill work well and of course awareness.

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Pressure Pass

A drill imitating a game. This drill is great for working on first touch. A player makes a pass through a channel to another player. The pass giver then has to follow the pass to pressure the receiver who then has to make a good first touch, beat the oncoming player and release the ball to the left or right.

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Striker Challenge

Striker V Defender drill with the defender coming at right angle to tackle or stop the shot from the striker. Key is pace and control and getting an early shot in.

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Lead Receive Pass Score

This is a great drill for learning about taking a potential marker away from the area you want to receive the ball and then coming into that area yourself for receiving the ball. This ought to be done at match tempo to ensure effectiveness. First touch and control and the value of teamwork in passing the ball at the right time and the receiver communicating where he wants the ball exactly.

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When Defenders Attack

Set the drill up as the diagram. defenders have to pass the ball around the back until it gets to either flank. Once the flank player receives the ball their objective is to get to the halfway line without being tackled. The Tacklers can only confront the defender on their side once they have their ball in their grid. This means that the attackers and the defenders have to be aware. Great drill especially when you can dummy the pass and change direction of pass as a defender to change the point of attack.

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The 1-2

This requires 2 v 2 in the grid and 4 on the outside. The 4 Outsiders can only help the 2 players in possession of the ball by wall passing ( one touch pass). This drill is about keeping the ball, passing and moving.

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Counter Attack Drill

2 defenders plus keeper V 2 attackers- One defender brings the ball out of defence and goes into the attackers grid where 2 attackers have to dispossess the defender and attack. The defender that looses th ball has to run back and help defend. Atttackers should attack with pace and good movement and skill.

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Targetted Kicking for Keepers

Set the area as diagram with two gates. Keeper has to kick the ball to go through areas to practise accuracy. Gates can be moved and size changed to make it easier or more difficult.

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Kick With Defenders

2 defenders in blue outside the D and 2 attackers in the D. The defenders hit the ball to the keeper who has to try and clear the ball. The attackers put pressure on the keeper to win the ball and score. The 2 defenders outside the D go in and help the keeper clear the lines.

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