Dr. Jose Carlos Meeroff is the Director of Coaching for the Lauderdale Soccer Club and Chairperson of the USASA Region III Coaching Committee. He is a native of La Paternal, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He received his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Buenos Aires and played youth and professional soccer in several first and second division teams in Argentina before moving to South Florida, USA.

Activity #1:

Set Up:

Groups of two players with one ball. The distance between cones is 15 yards . The duration of the excercise is 3 to 4 minutes. After that static stretching.

Explanation:

Pass the ball forth and bac k, then a lateral (square) pass. Both players run diagonally to the new position. Restart the excercise from the new position in a similar fashion.

Coaching Points:

• Oral communication loud and clear
• Timing & speed of the runs.
• Passing technique (weight, accuracy, correct surface)
• Intensity and alertness.
• Raising haert rate appropriately.

Activity #2:

Set Up:

Groups of three players with one ball standing 15 yards apart. Four cones to delineate the diamond shaped area.

Explanation:

Diagonal pass from player 1 to player 2 and then from player 2 to player 3. Finally player 3 makes a pass to the empty cone for player 1 to run diagonally to get the ball. Restart by player 1 passing to player 3 and player 3 to player 2. After a couple of runs, change starting player. The duration of the excercise is 3 to 4 minutes.

Coaching Points:

• Oral communication loud and clear.
• Timing and speed of the final run.
• Passing technique. (weight, accuracy, correct surface)
• Intensity and alertness

Activity #3:

Set Up:

Four players per group. Two balls standing stationary diagonally from the players at a distance of 15 yards. Four cones to delineate the square area.

Explanation:

Starting on Ex 3A, players 1 & 2 run diagonally to the balls, while players 3 & 4 run diagonally to the other cones. Then players 1 and 2 pass the balls square to players 3 & 4. They control the balls and leave them there. All players jog back to the central area. Then on Ex 3B players 3 & 4 go to the balls and pass them to players 1 & 2. The duration of the excercise is 3 to 4 minutes. After the excercise do static and dynamic stretching.

Coaching Points:

• Oral communication loud and clear.
• Timing and speed of the run.
• Passing techniques (weight, accuracy, correct surface).
• Intensity and awarness.

Activity #4:

Set Up:

Shadow play scenario 1. Half field. Five midfilders as 2-2-1 in a W shape. One server and one goalkeeper on the regulation goal.

Explanation:

Server passes to # 6 who turns and connect with # 10 who is back to goal and checks for the ball. Player # 10 passes back to # 5 who turns and go forward. Player # 5 makes a penetrating passs toward the penalty right area. Player # 7 runs diagonally to the ball and shoots on goal.

Coaching Points:

• Timing, speed & angle of run by # 7.
• Timing and accuracy of penetrating pass by # 5.
• Timing and angle of run by # 10.
• Oral and visual communication by all midfielders.
• Mobility of all midfielders to create widht and depth (move as the ball moves).

Activity #5:

Set Up:

Shadow play scenario 2. Half field. Five midfileders as 2-2-1 in a W shape. One server and one goalkeeper on the regulation goal.

Explanation:

Server passes to # 5 who turns and connect with # 10 who is back to goal and checks for the ball. Then # 10 passes back to # 6 who turns and go forward. Player # 6 makes a penetrating passs toward the penalty area. Player # 11 runs diagonally to the ball and shoots on goal.

Coaching Points:

• Timing, speed & angle of run by # 11.
• Timing and accuracy of the penetrating pass by # 6.
• Timing and angle of run by # 10.
• Oral and visual communication by all midfielders.
• Mobility of all midfielders to create width and depth.

Activity #6:

Set Up:

Shadow play scenario 3. Half field. Five midfileders as 2-2-1 in a W shape. One server and one GK on the regulation goal.

Explanation:

Server passes to # 5 who turns and connect with # 10 who is back to goal and checks for the ball. Then # 10 passes back to # 7 who makes a penetrating pass toward the penalty area. Player # 10 runs diagonally to the ball and shoots on goal.

Coaching Points:

• Timing, speed & angle of run by # 10
• Timing and accuracy of penetrating pass by # 7
• Supporting runs by # 6 and # 11.
• Oral and visual communication by all midfielders.

Activity #7:

Set Up:

Small sided game with moderate oposition. Half field. One server. Five midfielders as 2-2-1 in a W shape and one frontrunner. They score on the regulation goal. Playing against one GK and three backs and one midfielder. They score on the halfway target small goals.

Explanation:

Small game with increasing degree of opposition (6 v 5). Game always starts from the server.

Coaching Points:

• Anticipation and preparedness to beat the defender and run to open space.
• Decision making run/not to run based on hyow much open space is available behind the defenders.
• Speed & angle of the runs
• Oral and visual communication between the player in possession and the runners.
• Decoy runs by other midfielders.
• Timming and angle of run by # 10.

Activity #8:

Set Up:

Phase of play with condition. Half field. One server. Five midfileders as 2-2-1 in a W shape and two frontrunners. They score on the regulation goal. Playing against one GK , 2 central backs, 1 holding midfielder, 2 flank players and 1 creative midfielder.

Explanation:

Free game with a condition: if the attacking team scores a goal on a diagonal pass, it counts double. The game always starts from the server.

Coaching Points:

• Anticipation and preparedness to beat the defender and run to open space.
• Decision making run/not to run based on how much open space is available behind the defenders.
• Timing, angle and speed of the runs.
• Oral and visual communication between the player in possession and the runners.
• Decoy runs by other midfielders.

Activity #9:

Set Up:

Full game 11 v 11. (1)-3-2-2-1-2 vs (1) 4-3-3

Explanation:

The objective is to create gaol scoring opportunities by making penetrating passess to miedfielders who get into shooting positions by doing diagonal runs to get the ball behind the defenders

Coaching Points:

• Timing and angle of the runs.
• Timing and accuracy of the penetrating pass.
• Keeping shape for width, depth and flow
• Oral and visual communication.
• Team compactness