Junior Session 21
Activity: Create four boxes using different coloured cones so they are easily identifiable for the players and also place a couple of small goals at end of you playing area. The different colour boxes and goals will be used to make your ball mastery activity more fun and dynamic. All players start with a ball in one of the colored box. On your signal, players perform the designated skills inside their box, ensuring they combine different techniques and add movement to avoid staying stationary. At your call, players dribble their ball to a different color box, performing a new set of skills.
Occasionally, instruct players to dribble towards one of the goals, score, and then either return to their original box or proceed to a new one. Encourage players to incorporate skills while moving between boxes and goals.
Skills List
- Toe Touches
- Foundations – Tik Toks
- Drag Back Touch Forwards
- Foundations – Tik Toks Sole Of Foot
- Scissor Drag Sideways
- Drag Back 1/4 Turn (inside Of Foot)
- Triangles – L Turn
- Drag Back Inside Foot Push
- Drag Back Outside Foot Push
Variations & Progressions
- Transition between boxes:
- Dribble at speed with close ball control.
- Practice feints and changes of direction.
- Perform a series of ‘V’ cuts or ‘L’ drills while moving.
- Include a skill move like step-overs or maradonas before entering the new box.
Scoring goals:- Before shooting, have players execute a set of quick-fire touches, like bell taps.
- Encourage a skill challenge like a drag-back or a fake shot before scoring.
- Set up mini-obstacles for players to maneuver around before taking a shot.
Variations to add complexity:- Use weaker foot only when moving between boxes or scoring goals.
- Combine two or more skills in a fluid sequence while maintaining ball control.
- Time challenges: players must reach a certain number of touches or complete a circuit within a time frame.
2v2 Games
Field Setup: Mark out a single, large grid that will serve as the playing area for all participating pairs. The dimensions should be such that multiple 1v1 games can occur simultaneously without too much interference, yet still challenging players to be aware of their surroundings beyond their immediate 1v1 matchup.
Teams: Players are paired up, ideally matching them by similar skill levels. Each pair consists of one player with a ball (the attacker) and one player without (the defender). All pairs will be playing inside the same large grid at the same time.
Activity: Within the grid, each attacking player’s goal is to keep possession of the ball away from their defending partner while navigating the space shared with other pairs. The defender’s objective is to win the ball. If the defender succeeds, they become the attacker and must keep the ball away from their partner. Play continues for a set amount of time, and whoever has the ball when time expires scores a point for that round.
The first player in line dribbles their ball into the Drop Off Zone in the middle of the grid. They must stop their ball in the Drop Off Zone then they sprint back and tag the next player in line who repeats the task. The first team to have all their balls in the Drop Off Zone and are all back at their starting cone are the winners.
Once the players have Dropped Off all the balls in the Drop Off Zone you can leave all the ball there and play the revers of this game which is Pick Up. The players start at their home cones without a ball. The first player sprints out collects a ball and dribbles back to the home cone they tag the next player who goes and Picks Up a ball and so on. First team to all have a ball back at the starting cone wins