Mick McDermott has held positions in multiple countries over the past 20 years; most recently as an Assistant Coach with Qatar in 2023, Head Coach of Glentoran FC and an Assistant Coach with Iran during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Prior to the post with the Iran National Team, Mick was an Assistant Coach at Esteghlal F.C (Tehran, Iran) – one of Asia’s biggest clubs. Prior to that he spent 10 years in various roles in the Middle-East including Al Ain FC, Al Nasr FC and with the Iran National Team during their World Cup 2014 qualification campaign.

A native of Belfast (Ireland), Mick spent over a decade in USA prior to moving to the Middle-East; while in USA he held various coaching roles at the Youth, College + Professional level. He currently holds both UEFA + USSF ‘A’ Licenses. Mick is also co-founder of SoccerSpecific.com.

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Planning Your Football Fitness

Pre-Season training for many teams has now passed; many coaches / teams may have opted to train with high volume in a short period of a few weeks; double sessions, triple sessions, increased mileage of running, grueling and punishing boot camps etc etc – the methods are many! Now that period has finished and the season has arrived?  What do Coaches do next?

I ask you the following simple questions:

• Do you have a plan to continually develop your football-fitness throughout the season?
• Do you want to play at a higher tempo; do you want to play at a higher tempo and maintain it for 90+min?
• Then do you understand that these qualities are developed with different methods?
• Do you understand what types of activities develop various football-fitness qualities?

These are all questions that Coaches need to ask themselves if they are to continually improve and develop their teams.

Since we are all Coaches our priority must be to improve our TEAM playing style – in Attack / Defence + Transition moments. Each player performs ‘Football Actions’ that will support the team performance; if we can improve both the quality and quantity of these individual Football Actions and maintain them over 90+min the team performance will improve.

Designing football activities (or sessions) to develop a higher tempo playing-style as well as designing football activities to ‘maintain’ this higher tempo playing-style is something that requires knowledge, experience + creativity; knowledge of football coaching + periodization and the experience of its application while having the creativity to be flexible within our team environment.

Many methods have been proposed over the years to develop ‘Fitness’ but to effectively use our training time and reinforce our Playing Style at every opportunity, in every exercise, every day…..the most economical solution is to utilize football activities that allow for greater understanding and transfer of information to the players.

In basic terms – Develop your playing-style every training day, improve individual football actions, place players in increasingly demanding situations and the football fitness will develop as a consequence.

The following two sessions are merely examples of ‘Football Conditioning’ sessions that could be performed within a weekly schedule.

Session 1 places players in situations whereby they need to make more actions per minute within smaller-sided games; more actions per min = less recovery time between each action, therefore players need to adapt to recover quicker between each action. If players adapt to quicker recovery = ability to play at a higher tempo! Over time the rest periods can be reduced to gradually and progressively force the body to adapt.

Sessions 2 targets the ability to ‘maintain’ the playing style for longer (eventual target is 90+min). Any time we need to maintain a quality we simply and gradually do it for longer! Example of a simple progression to maintain: 3x9min could progress to 3x10min to 3x11min……. this gradual progression forces the players’ bodies to adapt to maintaining their performance + playing-style for greater periods.

Having coaching knowledge, experience + creativity allows coaches to design activities / sessions that fit within the parameters to develop football fitness qualities while primarily improving the key elements of the playing-style!! Example: Are you a high-pressing team? Counter-Attacking team? How do you defend? What are your key playing-style components? Are you re-enforcing these in each activity and training session?

Now that you know what you want from your team in terms of playing-style; can you create activities to improve the football fitness qualities at the same time? Player numbers, sizes of pitch, shape of pitch, restrictions, constraints, sets, reps, recovery periods…and do you have a logical progression over weeks, months, season?

Take a look at the 2 examples provided – remember, these are ‘examples’ – time for you to be creative to develop your own sessions!

Session #1: Football Fitness: More Actions / Quicker Recovery

1.

Setup:

A 2v2 + 3 is organised in a 12x10m grid – 2-3 groups are organised to accommodate all players present.

Instructions:

POSSESSION – Intensive:

**Note: Players performed an 8min Dynamic Warmup to prepare for this activity.

Teams maintain possession in a 5v2 numbers-up situation. Players are limited to 2-touch play.

• 10 consecutive passes = 1 goal
• Play is continuous
• 4×1.5min Rest 30seconds

Coaching Points:

• Restriction of Space / Time demands a high number of Actions.
• Quick ball circulation
• Quick movements to find space
• Quality of passing / receiving in tight spaces
• Emphasis on immediate DEFENSIVE PRESSURE from opponents

2.

Setup:

Squad split into 4 groups.  2 Goals + Goalkeepers.

Instructions:

PASS / FINISH:

Player (A) pass to (B) checking off the mannequin: Player (B) lays back to oncoming (A) and then bends his run into channel – Player (A) gives a return pass. Player (B) now cuts the ball back to the top of the penalty area for (A) to move forward to strike at goal.

**Can replace Mannequin with Defender (dependent on ability of players)

Time: 2x3min

Coaching Points:

• Encourage players to place the ball around Goalkeeper – not always power!
• Gradually build the intensity – first 3min block – place the ball around GK; second 3min block can go for sprint / power shots.

3.

Setup:

Players work in pairs. Max Effort – Football Sprints with Max Rest.

Instructions:

FOOTBALL SPRINTS WITH MAXIMUM RECOVERY:

• 6x5m: Players move forward, touch the central stick, backpedal 1m and then sprint 5m forward.
• 4x15m: Coach passes ball down channel – wide player sprints 15m to cross the ball. Central player must pull away / around the stick before sprinting 15m to attack the cross
• 2x25m: Coach passes the ball the required distance: Players must race to the ball and attempt to score in the main goal.

Coaching Points:

• All sprints must be MAX effort
• Develops the ability to perform Max Explosive Actions that will support Better Quality Football Actions
• Maximum / Full Recovery is required so that the next rep can be at 100% effort

4. Football Conditioning Games

Setup:

Playing area is 32m long (36yds).  5 teams of 3 players are organised.

Instructions:

Overload Session:

• 4v4 (3 +GK)
• 2×6 x 1min – Rest 1.5min
• Rest 4 min between series – 12 games total.
• Maintain elements of Playing Style: –
• Quick ball circulation
• Quick play in front
• Counter-Press on any loss of possession
• Defensive:
  • Immediate pressure on ball

Coaching Points:

• Games develop the ability to make MORE ACTIONS PER MINUTE
• Football Fitness characteristic developed – QUICKER RECOVERY between Actions

Session #2: Football Fitness: Maintain Playing Style

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1. Quick Ball Circulation + Counter-Pressing

Setup:

8 Players per group.  Grids 10-15m x 10-15m.  *Organise multiple grids to accommodate squad.

Instructions:

Activity 1:

6v2 (one player in possession must remain central). The six players must maintain possession with 1-touch play; Defenders (Red) must attempt to gain possession and immediately PASS through the gates (flags)

Activity 2:

5v3 – Possession using 2-touch max play. Defensive three (Red) must attempt to gain possession and DRIBBLE OR PASS through gates (cones)

Possession Teams – 10 passes = 1 goal.
(A1) 3x2min Rest 1 min for Dynamic Movements / Flex
(A2) 3x2min Rest 1 min for Dynamic Movements / Flex

Coaching Points:

• Possession Team:
  • Quick ball circulation
  • IMMEDIATE transition to regain possession = COUNTER-PRESS on any loss of possession.
• Defenders:
  • Position, Moment, Direction and Speed of Pressing to gain possession

2. Explosivity Preparation Exercises

Setup:

Squad split into 3 groups.

Instructions:

9×30 @ buildup to 90% effort (**final 10-15m @ 90%). Rest / recover 30sec.

Coaching Points:

• Gradual buildup to 90% effort
• Walk to sideline and back to recover

3. EXTENSIVE DURATION – Overload Session

Setup:

18 players Players + GKs. 10v10 as illustrated. 3 zones – playing area is from box-to-box.

Instructions:

Maximum 4 passes in defensive third + Maximum of 4 passes in Central third – emphasis on playing forward as soon as possible. Free play in advanced Attacking third.

Play must go through all 3 zones – no direct balls from defensive to atacking third. Forechecking in attacking zone after pass from GK. Immediate Counter-Pressing on any loss of possession.

Emphasis is placed on transitions – to attack and defend – high rhythm mandatory!

Time: 3x12min Rest 2min

Coaching Points:

• Quality ball circulation and movement – look to play forward quickly
• Pressing / Anti-Pressing at all times
• On winning possession – positive runs forward into space