Training Sessions

Ben Bartlett, Senior Youth Coach Educator at the Football Association, gives some fascinating real-life examples to explain the importance of aligning a team’s ideal model of performance with the capabilities and behaviours of its players and the practice of its coaching. There is a Japanese proverb, highlighted by James Kerr in his book ‘Legacy’, which states that “Vision without action is a day-dream; action without vision is a nightmare”. With this in mind, lecturer and coach developer Bob Muir proposed the model below, asking coaches…

This 1v1 practice is designed to provide players with a chance to work on 1v1 attacking and defending from a variety of angles. The narrow nature of the pitches means that going forward is encouraged and of course, the designs you see here could be adapted for 2v2 scenarios as well. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations & Interventions About the Video In the video below, Dave will talk you through the structure of the…

This practice is provides players an opportunity to work on their 1v1 skills with a view to playing forward as much as possible. Players will be challenged with finding space to receive, receiving skills, retention under pressure and of course completing a pass in order to get success. Be conscious of the physical demands within the practice and try to be creative in how you could adapt this to make it easier or harder. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the…

Understanding the Practice The fast finishing practice is designed to assist players with close range, fast finishing inside the penalty box. The practice utilises realistic pitch geography and overloads in favour of the attacking team to create high repetition of goal scoring opportunities in a small sided game structure. The practice can be used with players of almost any age but is particularly valuable for those age 10+. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations &…

This practice is designed to work on high speed conditioning through counter attack and defensive recovery runs. Players are tasked with scoring as quickly as possible. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations & Interventions About the Video In the video below, PDP Coaching Advisor, Dan Cooke demonstrates the practice with a group of U17 players. Would you like to enhance your knowledge of physical conditioning for soccer? Click here to learn more. Additional Information The structure…

PDP Video Session Plans are adaptable sessions designed by academy coach, Dave Wright. All sessions show key focus points, set up, and progressions so you can use them in your next practice.

PDP Video Session Plans are adaptable sessions designed by academy coach, Dave Wright. All sessions show key focus points, set up, and progressions so you can use them in your next practice.

Transition is a moment of the game which requires practice. In this session you’ll see a small sided game which encourages a high level of repetition of quick attack, forward runs, forward passing and recovering runs. The game is designed to create overloads in different areas of the pitch which creates a high number of attacking opportunities for the team in possession and challenges the defending team to recover and often defend outnumbered. UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright will talk you through the set…

This practice provides players with a high level of repetition around a 1v1 moment in the game. Attacking players are challenged to run with the ball at speed and win their duel. Defenders are tasked with trying to win the ball from the side and transition to attack if successful. Be mindful of group sizes to keep repetition high and ensure pitch dimensions allow players plenty of space to exploit when running with the ball. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting…

This practice is designed to be used as a warm-up focused upon passing and receiving. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations & Interventions About the Video In the video below, Dan will talk you through the structure of the practice, various outcomes and how you can adapt it for your players. Do you want to improve your ability to plan and deliver great sessions? Sign up for our Foundations of Session Design course here. Practice…

Quick Navigation About the Video Interpreting the Diagrams Part 1: 1v1 Shadow Defending Part 2: Messi v Van Djik Game Part 3: 3v3 + 3 Pressing Game Part 4: Small Sided Game – Six Seconds Game Moments of the Game The PDP team believes that in football, there are four moments of the game. They are, controlling possession, defending, transition (attacking or defensive) and creating and scoring. In line with this view of the game, we are producing full 60-90 minute training plans on these…

This practice is designed to provide players with the opportunities to practice their passing and receiving skills under defensive pressure. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations & Interventions About the Video In the video below, Dan will talk you through the structure of the practice, various outcomes and how you can adapt it for your players. Do you want to improve your ability to plan and deliver great sessions? Sign up for our Foundations of…