Reader,

This week, I spent some time preparing session plans for the upcoming season and it got me thinking about my favourite practice types and why? No doubt, we all have our own bias, whether this is the type of player we like to watch, the style of football we like to play, or perhaps it’s around the behaviours we want to support players to develop on and off the pitch.

First of all, I love practices that maintain realism – they involve attacking, transition and defensive moments. This usually means the practice involves a goal, direction and consequences.

When I think about what attributes I love in a player, of course we tend to gravitate towards on-the-ball behaviours, skill, deception, flair or creativity. Whilst these are qualities I love to see, one of the areas I love to work on with young players is desire – to compete, to challenge, to win. This doesn’t involve the scoreboard, but more so, winning the moments on the pitch, demonstrating commitment and a never-say-die attitude.

I also love players who anticipate and try to outsmart their opponent. I know over the years some very clever players have revealed holes in my practice design by finding solutions I couldn’t have imagined!

This week, instead of just giving you three things to consider, I have shared three of my favourite practices and a few reasons why.

Three Practices to Consider.

1v1 Dealing with Pressure: I love this game because it’s physically demanding, isolates a 1v1 moment on the pitch and can be adapted to include a degree of chaos. It also includes decision-making and is all about competing with nowhere to hide.
Positional Game – 4v4+3: No doubt greats like Cruyff and Guardiola have shaped modern football. While there has recently been debate on the future of positional games, for me the value in this practice (and variations of it) are that the moments of attack, defence and transition are all present. You could simply focus on defensive reactions, pressing and aggression off the ball. Or, you could focus on high quality build-up play and split passing. Easily adapted for various numbers, this practice is a staple in the diet of players I work with.
Fast Finishing: I love this session because it’s simple and provides players with opportunities for repetition of goal scoring in a fully opposed setting inside the penalty area. We know statistically the bulk of goals come inside the box and from 1-2 touches. This practice allows players to work on quick combinations around the box with fast finishing required under pressure. While the focus is attack, defenders need to show aggression, determination and persistence. Changing the size of the pitch also allows you to make the game easier or harder very simply.

One thing for you to try this week.

Go back over your session plans for the previous season and see if you have any dominant practices that you favour, and give this some thought as to why. Is it because of the age or stage of players? Or perhaps a bias you might have towards attack or defence and the things you value in developing players.

One critical resource on the topic.

Check out this Masterclass Webinar on Small Sided Games for Youth Football which provides dozens of great games you can use with players of all ages.

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