This session is designed to allow attacking players opportunities to combine and exploit space in behind to score. Players are tasked with timing runs into space in behind the defenders. Attackers focus on combinations, timing of movement and finishing. Defenders are challenged with defending high in pairs and working hard to recover and stop the attack. This practice is valuable for position specific work with central midfielders, strikers and defenders. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation…
session design
This practice is is a small sided game designed to provide players with opportunities to practice small possession based scenarios that are specific to a 1-4-3-3 formation. 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. Would you like to enhance your knowledge of physical conditioning for soccer? Click…
Ball mastery is a fundamental part of skill acquisition and football development. The skills and attributes children learn and hone during this part of their footballing journey lay the foundations for more complex team-based and tactical learnings later on. A ball mastery session gives players the confidence to experiment with the ball and enjoy playing — hopefully providing the basis for a lifetime of participation in the sport. Below, we explain the meaning of ball mastery, examine why it’s so important, and look at some…
In this Masterclass webinar replay, the PDP team host Western United FC Academy Director, Anthony Frost for an in depth discussion on considerations around session design and delivery. PDP Co-founder, Dave Wright is joined by PDP Coaching Advisor, James Coutts to host Anthony and they cover a range of topics: Become a master of session design. Click here to learn more. Image Source: Unsplash
In this Masterclass webinar replay, Player Development Project hosted Head of Coaching at UK Coaching, Nick Levett. Nick is joined by PDP Co-Founder & UEFA A licensed Coach, Dave Wright as well as PDP Technical Advisor & UEFA A licensed coach, Dan Wright. Nick has a huge amount of experience in coaching and development, having previously been Head of Talent ID at The FA and he has also worked as an Academy Coach in England. In this discussion Nick, Dan and Dave dive into a…
In this Player Development Project webinar replay, we continue our series of discussions around position specific work and how you can create sessions to support their development across a variety of roles. This time, we focus on how coaches can support young players develop defensive skills and problem solving ability. PDP Co-Founder, Dave Wright hosts PDP Technical Advisor, Dan Wright & Leicester City FC Academy Coach, Mark Lyons for an interactive discussion with a defensive focus. Our panel of UEFA A licensed expert coaches present…
In this Masterclass Webinar replay, we’re joined by Head Coach of Portland Timbers T2 team, Cameron Knowles for a conversation on High Performance Coaching. Cameron is a former professional player who had a career in the USA with Real Salt Lake, Portland Timbers and Montreal Impact. He holds the US Pro License, a Masters in Psychology and was an Assistant Coach of the MLS Title Winning Portland Timbers staff in 2015 before taking up the role of Head Coach of the club’s T2 team who…
This Masterclass Webinar replay is a fantastic opportunity for you to explore the research behind scanning and awareness in football with Dave Eldridge, UEFA A licensed coach & lecturer at Chichester University in England. “I spend the entire 90 minutes looking for space on the pitch. I’m always between the opposition’s two holding midfielders and thinking, ‘The defence is here, so I get the ball and I go there to where the space is.” – Xavi The best players seem to always have time on the…
This blog contains two videos of a modified 3v3. In this session, PDP Lead Researcher & AIK Academy Coach, James Vaughan changes task constraints and encourages player reflection to create opportunities for learning with space for creative expression. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to work with just 6 players for a whole session. This is something I really enjoy after years of coaching futsal. However, working with small numbers of players for a whole session can be daunting. In this blog, I want to…
PDP’s latest course covers the fundamentals of effective planning and session design for a youth soccer environment. By utilizing the experience of professional coaches and industry experts, we have created a course that teaches coaches how to design, organize, and deliver high-quality training sessions at all levels of participation. Participants will learn about the fundamentals of planning, how to place player development at the heart of session design, the different types of practice session, key communication and intervention techniques, and the value of reflection. Applying…
Passing and receiving are fundamental skills for developing players. In this live session, PDP Coaching Advisor, James Coutts shares an interference passing practice warm up which leads in to a session focussed on split passes and some key principles. In this session, James gets this group of U11 players moving with an interference practice designed to give the players high repetition with some elements of traffic and decision-making. The focus of part one is to get the players switched on and working on a range…
In this article, PDP Coaching Advisor, James Coutts shares some of his favourite passing and possession practices which can be adapted for players across all age groups. Like many coaches I love using rondos or small-sided positional games consistently in my sessions. There are so many variations that can be used, each with a variety of outcomes. I have implemented all the sessions below with a range of age groups from six-years-old right up to senior players, adapting the practices to suit the group in…
Good planning is an essential part of coaching. As coaches, we want kids to be respectful of the people around them and come to practice ready to learn and give their all. But we owe them the same respect in return — and this means preparing well-organized practices that are captivating, educational, and tailored to their needs as both individuals and a team. Session planning often seems daunting for inexperienced coaches, but it’s something we can all improve if we’re willing to learn. Below, we’ll…
In this Masterclass Webinar replay, the PDP team host FA National Goalkeeping coach, Yilmaz Aksoy for a fascinating discussion on how to develop goalkeepers. Most kids dream of scoring the perfect goal. I’ve always dreamed of stopping it. – Iker Casillas Goalkeepers are different. Whilst most kids fall in love with scoring the perfect goal, Goalkeepers thrive in denying these moments and keeping the ball out of the net. PDP Co-hosts Dave Wright & Dan Wright sit down for a discussion designed to help coaches…
The question this week comes from Frank via our Facebook Page: Frank asks, “How can I plan a technical or tactical theme for my players?” Your Turn: Ask PDP Anything Do you have a coaching question that we might be able to help with? We would love to hear from you! Here’s what you can do: 1. Tweet your questions to us @playerdp, or contact us on our Facebook page.2. PDP Members can chat directly with the PDP team to ask questions, share ideas, and support each other…
Coaches around the world are having to innovate with their session design as football training kicks off in some nations after the global pandemic. In this article, PDP Coaching Advisor, James Coutts shares some practical ideas for sessions that allow for social distancing. Like many coaches preparing to get back onto the grass I started designing my sessions for the various groups I’d be working with as football resumes with a whole new remit – social distancing. Most sessions I’d implemented prior to the Covid-19…
In this article, PDP Technical Advisor, Dan Wright wades into the opposed vs. unopposed practice debate. Dan shares his perspective on why this may be a redundant argument if we are to ensure that every player gets the individual support they require to maximise their potential. Each day I scroll through social media and see a similar discussion taking place. Every. Single. Day. The ‘unopposed versus opposed’ debate. Now, very quickly I will attempt to share with you my opinion on this and the context…
In this Masterclass Webinar replay, the PDP team host top academy coaches, Mark Lyons and Tom Mallinson for an in depth discussion on academy football in England. Mark Lyons is the Pre-Academy Co-ordinator & Lead Coach at Leicester City FC and Tom Mallinson is a Professional Development Phase Coach at Nottingham Forest FC. Experienced Academy Coaches, Dan Wright and Dave Wright will host Tom and Mark for a round table discussion on professional academy football in the UK. All four of our expert panel met…