Coaching Articles

Understand why children participate in soccer and learn how to get the most out of your players.

Many of today's youth soccer clubs are limited to between one and three practices per week. Although there are a few clubs that are fortunate enough to train more than this, a common soccer coaching complaint is that it is difficult to try and cover all aspects of technical, tactical, and physical work in the time available. Here are five ways you can make your practices more efficient and effective when given time constraints.

Defenders at the highest level read the game very well and are always one step ahead of their opponents. They study their opponents and anticipate the movement of the person they are defending. Even if their opponents are faster and quicker, they close them down and (usually) beat them to the ball due to their good tactical apprehension/anticipation.

Any free-kick taken by an opposing team from a range of 30 yards or closer, where a shot on goal is possible, requires a wall of defensive players. The number of players in the wall depends on the positioning of the ball on the field relative to the goal.