As a soccer coach you know how difficult it can be to get your players to successfully use the skills you work on so hard in practice. One reason players have a hard time carrying skills from practice into the game is that they haven’t had a chance to use them in game situations. To over come that, you need to find or develop drills that simulate game play.

While repetitive drills may be useful when first teaching players a new skill, it does not necessarily give them an opportunity to see how the skill is used in a game; they don’t get to try the skill against a live opponent.

Incorporate drills into your practice that focus on the specific skills you are trying to teach your players. While scrimmages and free play can be good in practice, it also does not give players as many chances to work on specific skills. By limiting the freedom, you can control what skills are or are not included.

Another thing to keep in mind is the age and skill level of the players. For instance, it doesn’t make much sense to run drills that focus on give-and-go plays or one-touch passing if your players don’t know hoe to first receive or settle an incoming pass. Likewise, it isn’t good to have drills that are so far beneath your players abilities that they become bored with the drill.

The following are a few drills or min-games that you can use in your practices. While they are aimed more for younger players, with a few rule changes they can easily be adapted for older players as well.

Crab Defense
Skills: Dribbling with head up, turning with the ball

This is a simple drill to set up, and can be done with any number of players. It is geared more toward younger soccer players. Set up a square or rectangle area. The size of the area will be dependent on the number of players, and their speed. After you have run this drill a few times you will get a better feel for what size of an area you will need.

Select one or two players to be the crab defenders. All of the other players should all stand on the line of one side of the box. The object is for the players outside of the box to dribble through the box to the other side. The defender will be inside the box in the “crab” position (down on all fours with their bodies facing upward). As the ball handlers cross the field, the crab defenders will attempt to kick the balls away. If a ball handler has their ball kicked away from them, they will join the crab defenders in the box. Play continues until there are no longer any ball handlers.

As play progresses there will be more defenders, and less open space for ball handlers to work in. They will be unable to dribble in a straight line, and will be forced to use their foot skills to change speed and direction.

Knock Out
Skills: Dribbling with head up, shielding the ball

This is a game that can be played with all ages. Set up a square or rectangular box on the field. The size of the box depends on the number of players. The object is for players to dribble their ball around inside the box, while at the same time trying to kick other players balls out of the box.

Additional rules: no player may be more than two steps away from their own ball when they kick an opponent’s ball. Some players will abandon their own ball in an effort to get someone else’s ball. Emphasize that the object of the game is to protect your own ball.

As a player’s ball is kicked outside of the box, they are out of the game, and must leave the playing area. Note: the ball must be cleared from the playing area. Merely kicking it away will jot force the other player out of the game. As the number of players gets smaller, you may need to reduce the size of the playing area to force the players to challenge each other. Play continues until there is only one person remaining.

No-Goal Games
Skills: Passing, getting open for a pass (can be modified for different skills)

This game is designed to focus on making good passes. Many times players will pass to an area, and not to a specific person. This drill requires making good passes to a specific teammate.

Make sure that the area you are playing in gives players enough room to run and get open. There should be adequate room for players to spread out and create space. The rules are the same as a regular soccer game, except there is no goal to shoot at. Instead, points are awarded to a team for achieving a desired result.

Divide the players into two teams. Make sure there is a way to distinguish one team from the other using practice vests.

Any number of constraints and challenges can be added to this game according to the skill level of the team, and what you are trying to focus on. For instance, a basic game could award one point for every three consecutive successful passes. You could also make a requirement that no person can handle the ball more than once during a point run, or that the ball handler is only allowed two touches before making the next pass. The rules could be as simple or complex as you want them to be.

Win the Bacon
Skills: Aggressiveness, winning free balls, dribbling under pressure

This is a good game for teaching players to aggressively fight to win loose balls. It requires the player to go after the ball hard, and pursue the ball to win it back if they lose the initial challenge.

Players are divided into two teams, and the players on each team will count off until every player has a number. Players will line up beside each other, with each team on opposite sides of the field. The coach will call a number while tossing the ball into the area between the two teams. The player from each team with the number that is called will go after the ball. The player that wins the ball must dribble to a goal that is set up at the end of the field, and shoot a goal. The player that looses the initial challenge becomes the defender, and must stop the other player form scoring.

In order to minimize the time that players are standing and watching, you can start calling out multiple numbers, and having tow or three players from each team involved in the drill. You also have the ability to compensate for weaker or slower players by arranging the lineups so stronger players face each other. You can also compensate by tossing the ball closer to slower players, and away from stronger the players.

One warning when running drills to teach aggressiveness: do not let emotions get out of hand. This drill involves contact. Make sure you use it as an opportunity to teach your players how to handle contact appropriately.

Move Without the Ball
Skills: Moving without the ball, looking for the open player

This drill will work for all ages. It forces players to focus on distributing the ball, looking for an open teammate, and moving without the ball. It is a good for teaching players to look for options besides trying to push the ball upfield by themselves on every play. It also forces players without the ball to move into an open space and make themselves available for a pass.

Divide the team into two groups, like you would for a team scrimmage. Give one side practice vests so players will know who is on their team. The rules are a variation of the “No Goals” drill mentioned above. The difference is, the player with the ball is not allowed to move. Also, defenders are not allowed to defend the player with the ball, or steal the ball from the player with the ball. The ball can only be one by intercepting a pass, or by winning a free ball if the opposing player mis-handles the pass.

Initially you can start this drill with a small ball that can be thrown and caught. this allows the players to concentrate on moving and getting open. Once they become more comfortable with that part of the drill, the small ball can be replaced with a soccer ball, and players will have to make good passes.

These soccer drills should give you a good idea of different ways to incorporate fun into the teaching process. Not only do these drill make learning and practicing new skill more fun, but it also gives them an opportunity to practice what they’ve learned against live opponents.