Coaching Soccer Conditioning

By Justin Cresser

There are times when attacking teams are deep in their opponent’s half, but are keeping possession with the players at the back. However, if the ball is lost at the back from a poor pass or a player trying to beat an opponent off the dribble, this can be very problematic as the team that lost the ball is likely to be spread out in an attempt to provide width, and therefore out of position.

When this happens, defenders have to recover as fast as possible over a great distance and therefore require good speed endurance; whereas attackers need to make rapid decisions in terms of passes and movement off the ball and therefore acceleration and speed of reaction would be beneficial qualities to have.

Today’s activity mimics the situation described above and will involve 3 attackers counter attacking against 3 defenders and a goalie. You will need half of a regular-sized playing field for you playing area. Place two cones at the halfway at the points where the centre circle intersects the line. Place a third cone on the half way line 5 yards in from right side line. Have a player stand behind each of these cones. These will be your three attackers.

Set-up another 3 cones where your recovering defenders will start. Place a cone i) 5 yards behind the cone on the halfway line near the right touchline; ii) on the bottom edge of the centre circle so that it is in line with the centre of the goal; and iii) 5 yards in from the left touch line and 5 yards in front the half-line (Figure 1). Note: the defender on the centre circle must start facing away from goal.

Play starts with the coach playing a firm ball towards the corner flag in the top, right-hand corner of the field (for the right winger to run unto). As soon as this happens,

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By Justin Cresser

In today’s activity we work on teaching the principles of group defending (Pressure, Cover and Balance) while working on anaerobic conditioning.

Divide your players into groups of three and pair two groups together. Set up a playing area that is 15 yards long and 20 yards wide for each set of 6 players. Have the players of one group stand at both corners and the centre of the touch line at the top of the playing area. (These players are not allowed to move or enter the playing grid) Instruct the players of the second group to stand opposite to the players of the first group on the bottom touch line (These are your defenders). The defender in the centre of the bottom touch line should have a ball (Figure 1).

Play is initiated by the defender with ball playing a pass into the feet of the centre player at the top touch line. This defender immediately pressures the player who receives the pass, while the other

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By Justin Cresser

A good first touch is essential in soccer; and as a coach, one of the coaching points that I repeatedly stress is taking the first touch into Space. Whether it is the space you want to attack with a dribble, or it is into space away from a pressuring defender, taking a dynamic first touch will prove beneficial.

The following exercise is geared towards developing the ability to take the first touch into space, but also incorporates speed dribbling and sprinting.

Divide your players into groups of 2. Each group needs 1 ball. Set up the following station for each pair: Place 2 small cones 5 yards apart so that they are in a straight line. Have both players stand at a cone each so that they are facing each other and ensure one of the players has a ball at their feet. Place another set of 2 cones (5 yards apart) 20 yards to the side of the first two cones so that both sets are in line with each other (Figure 1).

When ready, have the player with the ball pass to their partner and then immediately sprint towards

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By Justin Cresser

Soccer involves performing repeated high intensityactions over the course of a 90 minute (less for younger players) game.  A high level of aerobic endurance is therefore required by soccer players as this component of conditioning aids in recovering from these high intensity actions, and prevents a decrease in technical performance that occurs with fatigue.

One of the best methods to improve aerobic endurance is interval training, a form of cardiovascular training that involes performing short periods of high intensity work interspersed with work periods of lower intensity.

Consider the following dribbling activity, which uses the intervall training format, to enhance the aerobic capacity of your players.

Set up 8 to 10 small cones, 5 yards apart, 15 to 20 yards from the top of one penalty area. Give each player a ball and instruct them to dribble around inside the playing area using small touches while keeping their heads up (Figure 1). They are not allowed to go outside the penalty box and they must always be moving.

After 90 seconds, have all players dribble as fast as possible, but

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By Justin Cresser

Playing a 3 v 3 small-sided game (SSG) is an excellent way to improve the anaerobic endurance of your players. It is also an excellent way to work on basic group defending and attacking. However, by making one simple modification you can get all the technical and tactical benefits of a normal 3 v 3 SSG and also target starting speed as well as acceleration. This exercise also places a greater emphasis on the anaerobic component.
Set up a 20 by 20 yard playing area. Place two small goals (1.5 yards apart) on the end line at the bottom of the playing area.  Each goal should be 1 yard in from the closest sideline (Figure 1). Have 3 players stand a few yards apart, 10 yards behind the end line with the goals. These are your defenders. Have another 3 players stand a few yards apart on the end line at the top of the playing area. These are your attackers (Figure 1).

Play starts with one of the 3 defenders playing a hard pass along the ground to any of the 3 attackers. As soon as

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By Justin Cresser

4 v 2 (attackers v defenders) keep-away in a small playing area is an excellent way to work on improving possession skills. In today’s session we use the same number arrangement but with some added benefits.
This game uses a 40 yard by 40 yard playing area, and has 4 attackers taking on 2 defenders and a goalkeeper, who is in a regular-sized goal at the bottom end.
Place 4 cones 7 yards apart on the end line at the top of the playing the area. The two wide cones should be approximately 6 yards in from each sideline. Have 2 to 3 players line up behind each cone. These will be your attackers (Figure 1).
Place another cone on one sideline, midway between the two end lines. Have 4 or 6 defenders (2 or 3 pairs) at this cone. The coach stands opposite this cone on the other sideline with an abundance of balls (Figure 1).

Play starts with the coach passing a ball to the front player of any of the 4 lines. As soon as this player takes their first touch, the front players in the other 3 lines join in and they attack together.
As soon as the ball leaves the coach’s feet, the first pair of defenders sprints unto the field and try to win the ball from the 4 attackers (Figure 2).

The attackers have 20 seconds to score and are limited to 2 (maximum 3) touches only. They must move the ball quickly and attempt to get a shot in on goal (Figure 3).

The play is over when the i) ball goes out of play; ii) if the goalkeeper makes a save; iii) if a goal is scored; iv) if the defenders win the ball and can pass it to the feet of the coach; or v) after approximately 20 to 30 seconds.
As soon as this happens, the 4 attackers must exit the field through the bottom end line and jog back to their respective lines. The defenders have to sprint back to their starting point. As soon as the play is over, the coach passes another ball and the next set of attackers and defenders go (Figure 4).

Continue this sequence for approximately 2 to 3 minutes then rest for 2 minutes. Switch all the defenders during the rest period. Carry on for a total of about 20 minutes. This exercise emphasizes aerobic conditioning (attackers) and anaerobic conditioning (defenders).

Coaching Points:

• Good shape from the attackers (width and depth)
• Speed of play from attackers (quick ball movement)
• Good first touch and support from attackers
• Good Communication and movement from defenders
• Encourage the defenders to sprint unto the field, and work as hard as possible to win the ball

Justin Cresser – Has coached soccer at various levels both in North America and abroad (Hong Kong and Africa). His most recent position was as the Assistant Technical Director at the Soccer Club of Toronto. He has his National Diploma from the NSCAA and is also a certified strength and conditioning coach.