Pleasant Hills Soccer Association
Summer Session, July 29 - August 3, 2002

`Trapping With the Inside and Outside of the Foot (Under 9's and up)`

Suggested summer session for week 6 of U9's and up. The theme of the summer session is "Its in the Air" and trapping air balls with the inside and outside of the foot is within this summer theme.

`Warm-up and Skills: Elevator Touches`

In order to develop a quality touch to the ball, it is essential that players learn to control the ball out of the air with the first touch. Teaching the players to catch the ball with the foot helps to develop this quality touch. Have the players toss the ball in the air so it bounces on the ground and then try to catch the ball on the foot and toss it back up in the air. The trick to doing this is to keep the foot flatten and alowing a "give" of the ball using the thigh and hip.

Have them do this until there some success and then have them attempt to do this with 2 or more touches. Challenge them to do this with their non-dominate foot as well. Then have them try doing two or more touches using alternating feet.

`Individual Skills With Partners`

Have the player divide themselves into pairs with one ball between each pair.

The first trap to introduce is the inside of the foot trap or wedge trap. Start off teaching this trap by first having the player with the ball pass the ball on the ground to his/her partner. The partner will trap the ball with the inside of the foot by:

The plant foot is turned slightly outward with knee bent, the receiving lege is bent and the foot is turned sharply outward with the heel dropped down so that the lower leg makes an L shape. Lift the receiving foot off the ground about 4 or 5 inches so there is contact with the incoming ball just below the top of the ball. Relax the foot as teh ball make contact so the ball is cushioned to a stop.

Have the players alternate their receiving foot to the non-dominating foot.

Next have the players trap the ball with the outside of the foot trap. This trap is similar to the above description, only now the ball is cushioned to a stop with the outside of the receiving foot. After some success, change to their non-dominating foot.
After a good degree of success, have the servers give two to three yard tosses of the ball as a server for the receivers to stop with the inside of the foot trap. Have the players try this with their non-dominating foot.
Progress the out of the air service to a trap with the outside of the foot. Have the players attempt to do this with their non-dominating foot.

`Game Related: Zone Passing Game`

Divide the players into two to four players per team with an even number of teams. Pair the teams up for competition. Create a field of the appropriate size of about 20 by 40 and create four zones length-wise on the field by putting in three lines of cones across the narrow side of the field as picturned below.

   ________________________________________________
   |          |           |           |           |
   |          |           |           |    Y      |
   |          |    Y      |           |           |
   |   X      |           |     X     |           |
   |          |           |           |           |
   |          |           |           |           |
   |          |           |           |           |
   |    X     |           |     X     |           |
   |          |           |           |    Y      |
   |          |    Y      |           |           |
   |          |           |           |           |
   |__________|___________|___________|___________|

Place players from the same team evenly in alternating zones as pictured above. Have on team start with the ball. This team will attempt to move the ball to the other zone without the other team intercepting the pass. The receivers in the other zone must receive the pass without leaving their zone. Then they must get the ball back to the other zone from which they receive the ball. Since the players are not under pressure within their zones, after they receive the ball, the ball is not allowed to stop moving and the players in that zone have to attempt a pass within a limited number of touches (say five or six).

If the ball is intercepted, the new team has possession and attempts to pass to their corresponding teammates in the other zone. Each time a ball is successfully passed and received, the team receives a point. Have the teams play to certain fixed number of points (say 10).

`Game Related (alternative): Hit the Target and Join`

Divide the players into teams of approximately four players. Place an additional player on each team at the endlines. This player is the initial target players. See the diagram below.

   ________________________________________________
   |                                              |
   |                                       Y      |
   |               Y                              |
   |   X                        X                 |
   |                                              |
Y|                                              |X
   |                                              |
   |    X                       X                 |
   |                                       Y      |
   |             o Y                              |
   |                                              |
   |______________________________________________|

The target players may move anywhere along the endlines. One team starts in possession of the ball. The objective is to pass the ball to the target player over the endline with the target player successfully receiving the ball. If the player passing the ball is successful on passing the ball and the reception is successful, the player that passed the ball joins the Target player and becomes an additional target players for his team.

If the other team gain possession of the ball or if the ball is not received properly, the new team in possession attempt to pass to the target player on the opposite end line.

If at any time when a team has more than one target player on the endline, the receiving target player must be successful. If the target player is not successful under this situation, the target player must rejoin his/her teammate on the field.

Notice that a team which is successful at gaining additional target players will play down in numbers. A team is declared a winner if it can get all its players over to target players. However, notice that if the teams are even in strenght, that this game could go for an extended period of time. Under such circumstances, you may change the rule that once a player is a target player, he/she does not have to return to the playing field.

`The games above promote long passing and receiving. In particular, try to take advantage of some coaching opportunities with the receiption of these passes with either the inside or outside of the foot.`

`Game: The Four Goal Dutch Game`

       _____                            ______
   ___|_____|__________________________|______|___
   |                                              |
   |                                              |
   |                                     Y        |
   |    X               X                         |
   |                                              |
   |                                              |
   |                 o             Y              |
   |    Y            Y X                         |
   |                                              |
   |                                 X            |
   |______________________________________________|
      |_____|                          |______|

`Warm down: Juggling Black Jack`

Have the players get into groups of two with one ball between them and one player with the ball. Upon the coaches command to start, the player with the ball attempts to juggle the ball up in the air, keeping track of the touches. If the player reaches 11, they must pass the ball to their partner. If the player does not reach 11, they pass the ball to their partner. In turn, their partner begins to juggle and starts counting from where their partner left off. The first team to 21 (black jack) wins.