Training Sessions

The selection of drills suitable for your team requires a great deal of thought and planning. Drills should develop the running and possession skills so important in football today and at the same time prepare players for realistic match conditions.

Drills should progress from simple to complex. When introducing a drill begin with a basic drill gradually building up the degree of difficulty. Repetition is the key to learning. As the players become familiar with the drill and your expectations, the skill drill will run efficiently with maximum involvement.

Drills can be categorised under 3 main headings:

How to Introduce a New Drill

Drills are the lifeblood of the training session and ultimately reflect in the team's onfield performance. A long list of drills and activities have been used over the years at all levels of football. It is not the intention of this section to specify some of these drills, but it is certainly worthwhile pointing out some of the fundamentals of training drills.

Often coaches waste valuable time and become frustrated at their lack of success when introducing a drill for the first time. A simple procedure to follow is set out below.

Designing a training session

The training session is the basic building block of coaching. In order to conduct a meaningful and successful training session the football coach should follow the 4 stages of planning outlined below:

1. Set the Overall Goals and Objectives
Decide how this practice fits into the overall picture of training. Each training session should be organised and seen as part of a series.

2. Set Specific Goals and Objectives
Decide which individual and team skills or energy systems will be developed in the session. Training must reflect the game situation and be designed to improve team strengths and eliminate weaknesses.

3. Build in the Principles of Effective Training Sessions
Successful training will result if the coach is aware of the principles of effective training.

4. Design the Training Session
Be prepared. Make sure you know every element of what's to come before you begin.

Phases of Skill Learning

In general, footballers pass through three stages of skill learning.

1. Early Stage
Where large numbers of errors occur as the player attempts to perform the skill. The learner at this stage relies heavily on demonstrations and verbal instruction from the coach.

2. Intermediate Stage
Where the footballer has achieved a basic level of competence and can start to perform the skill at a faster rate and practise it in an appropriately structured competitive situation.

3. Advanced Stage
Where the skill becomes automatic with the player performing the skill under pressure. The player can then work on advanced skills and team plays.

Teaching Football Skills

A great deal of training and coaching is based on the misguided notion that practice makes perfect. This is not necessarily true. Practice makes permanent and this applies equally to both good and bad practice.

In preparing a training program an effective coach should be able to:

know how to introduce a skill,
know the key points to emphasise,
recognise skill errors, and
know how to rectify skill faults.

S for SHOW Name the skill (or Demonstrate) Demonstrate the whole skill Give your teaching points (no more than 3 points) Ask if there are any questions

P for PRACTISE Demonstrate the skill once again Send the players out to practise immediately

I for INSTRUCT Use only small groups (or Correct Errors) Stand back and observe each performer Offer Advice Keep repeating the key points about the skill

R for REWARD Praise players for good efforts

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