A fun and engaging groundball and transition drill that works on both offensive and defensive teamwork & spacing
Set Up
Set up cones in the shape of a diamond in the playing area. You can make it larger to force longer passes but the stand length should be about 8-10 yards away from each other. On the sideline, set up 3 lines of each team, depending on your group size. They should be alternating (dark, light, dark, light, etc..). Coach rolls a ball into the field (doesn’t have to be inside the diamond), and the team that picks up the ball is on offense. Another teammate from the winning team will join, giving them an advantage (4v3). At this point the game-play will move to the cones, and the defense has to stay inside the diamond while the offense needs to stay out. Play keep away for 30 seconds or until coach blows the whistle for a new group!
Coaching Points and Principles
Progressions
- Make the groups smaller (2 lines of each color) so it turns into a 3v2 for more spacing at younger ages
- if you have more than 4 players (5v4) we can put an offensive players on the crease who can rotate in and out during the keep away play
- Add go to the goal
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- Ground Balls
- Offense – Make good passes, a teammate should be at an adjacent cone. If the player with the ball carries, the offense should move like a carousel maintaining their spacing.
- Defense – Communicate, who has ball! Need no play the ball, and have backside zone since we are playing with 1 less player. One the ball is passed, a new defender should slid to the ball, and the previous defender on ball needs to get back inside for backside supper and help. Keep stick UP to try and knockdown passing
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A fun small area game to work on stick work and spacing
Set Up
Split your players into 2 teams and Create a 10×10 or 15×15 playing area.
Inside put 3 of each team. On the perimeter on alternating sidelines, add a support player. The team with the ball inside must play keep away and move the ball from one side of the field to the other, using their support players. If the other team gets the ball from a turnover, now they play keep away with the same rules.
*Support players cannot throw to opposite support players
Play for 1-2 minutes, and see which team gets the most support player passes to make it a competition.
Coaching Points & Principles
Progressions
- Shrink field to make it harder
- put 4v4 inside
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- We want to try and move the ball from 1 side of the field to the other, when playing vs pressure. The goal is for players to move the ball from 1 side of the field to the other to maintain possession
- Defense pressure ball, all even, no advantages
- Offense must maintain good spacing and move to space to make or receive a pass
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A fun & fast paced transition game for youth players that helps build game IQ!
Set Up
Create a small field area game, using the retraining area or cones. Put 2 attack and 1 defense on each end, and midfielders lined up on the sideline. A coach with balls, will roll a live ground ball in, and players will play a live game. In this game, there will always be a 3v2 on each side, so the offense has the advantage. When there is a dead ball, coach can roll a new contested ball in, or start a new group!
Coaching Points & Principles
Progressions
- Play 4v3, set up 2 midfielders of each team
- If you don’t have goalies, turn the goals upside down to make it harder to score
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- Offense – Find the advantage! play fast by finding an open teammate to get the best shot!
- Defense – Communicate, play zone like where you need too pressure the ball with backside support to play the next pass
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A great game to build team offense and defense IQ!
Set Up
Put player on field in a 4v4. The offense will start with their backs turned to coach, and coach will tell which defender is the slide/help. Offense can turn back and get set, on whistle, the defender guarding the ball leaves the field and the directed help player slides to the ball. The offense must read where the slides are coming from and move the ball to find the best shot. The defense must slide, rotate, and recover to try and get the offense back to neutral by the time their 4th player gets back into play!
Coaching Points & Principles
Progressions
- Play 3v3 with the youngest players
- Build to 5v5 and 6v6 for youth, high school, and college levels
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- Offense – read the slides, move the ball to pressure
- Defense – Slide, Recover, Communicate
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