With the current social distancing guidelines, there is a great opportunity for players to improve technically in all areas of the game. This Carousel Coaching Session focuses on some essential components of the game; passing and receiving, dribbling and turning, shooting and finishing and speed and agility. Numbers and set times can be adapted to the level and number of players present.

Carousel Coaching Session

1.

Setup:

Carousel Station 1: Passing and receiving. 4/5 players at the station with each player working in the middle for 1.5 minutes at a time. Poles set up into a 3 x 3 yard triangle. 2 balls to be used on the outside between the four players. Switch after each set. 1.5 mins x 5 reps (each player) x 2 sets.

Instructions:

One player starts in the middle and receives by calling for one of the balls (either). The player must receive the ball in the triangle and exit the triangle with their first touch and then play to an open player on the outside. Continue for 1.5 mins.

Progression:

1. Player receive an aerial ball (clipped pass or thrown).

Coaching Points:

• First touch should take the player into space
• Awareness: recognizing which way to take the first touch, depending on who does/ doesn’t have a ball
• Passing- inside and outside players must play good quality passes with pace and precision (detail of pass)

2.

Setup:

Two stations set up as above (starting from left):

1. Station 1 set up with 10-12 cones set up in close proximity (1-2 yards distance from each other). Coach/ server stationed at cone A or B.
2. Station 2 set up with 3 poles set up 5 yards wide from each other and another 5 poles set up in a slalom style diagonally across from each other. Poles are 5 yards wide and deep from each other. Each player performs 3 reps each per set for 2 sets (on each exercise).

Instructions:

1. Left station; The player dribbles and performs small touch dribbles for 10 seconds, then breaks out from the small cones to pass to the coach, who plays a give and go with the player, to finish one touch into the mini goal.
2. Right station; Player starts dribbling to the right and turns around pole A to perform a skill past pole B, then around pole C, performs another skill past B, then back to pole A. When back at pole A, the player will go from D-E-F-G dribbling diagonally, with a skill at each pole to turn. At pole H, the player performs another skill past the pole, before passing into the mini goal.

Coaching Points:

• Small touch dribbles- take Messi like touches to move in between each cone and attempt to change direction every 1-2 touches
• Sell the skill; use body feints to sell it and be explosive when dribbling out of the poles

3.

Setup:

Carousel Station 3: Penalty box finishing. One finisher works at a time; they start in the middle of three poles set up in a triangle (3 yards x 3 yards). Each server has 3 balls each to play in to the finisher.

Instructions:

Set starts with the finisher receiving from server A. The striker must finish in two touches (one to receive, the next to finish) and it must be game realistic (especially for older players). The striker then receives from B, then C, 3 times each (total of 9 balls). The 10th ball comes in from a server/ coach at the end line, with the striker needing to finish in one touch.

Coaching Points:

• Preparation touch- the first touch to receive and set themselves for a strike is vital
• Quality and type of finish- choose correct finish depending on the distance & angle from goal and position of the goalkeeper

4.

Setup:

Carousel Station 4: SAQ and finishing. 2 stations set up as above. 4/5 players at each station, with 2 players working at a time and 2/3 servers or off. 2 reps on, 2 reps off per player x 2 sets each for each station.

Instructions:

1. Left station. Player runs forward to the hurdles and performs ladders over them (different each time), then slalom in and out of the poles. At the end, the server plays an aerial ball for the player to finish, one touch, no bounce.
2. Player runs to the first hurdle, performs a jump over and then side shuffles to the next hurdle and so on, until the cones. Player runs in and out of the cones with small steps. At the end, the server plays an aerial ball for the player to finish, one touch, no bounce.

Coaching Points:

• Quick feet
• Change of direction
• Good aerial finishing, one touch