Click here to join the England Football Learning group and chat with other members
OPTIONS
DETAILS
  • State Not Answered
  • Replies 4 replies
  • Subscribers 375 subscribers
  • Views 706 views
  • Users 0 members are here
RELATED

What can we do to stop our U8s being pushed off the ball, and to help them to win it back?

Nathan Coyne

I jointly run an under 8s boys team and have a question about focus in training. Our main focus of late has been coaching mastery of the ball following the belief that if the boys can get comfortable with the ball under pressure they will, eventually, be able to deal with most situations they face on the pitch.

However, at the start of this season we've been suffering because we feel like our group of boys are too easily bullied and pushed off the ball. Some of them are tall and potentially strong if they used their physicality properly but they don't seem to apply themselves in that way, especially early on in games. The opposite seems to often be the case with opposition teams whose stronger boys are able to dominate.

Is this something we should try or even can address in training? Or should we not worry about it too much because of the age of the boys and continue to focus on improving their ability on the ball under pressure above all else.

Parents
  • 0

    I would concentrate on staying on the ball as a priority. Do some drills where boys with a ball dribble and boys without the ball track thhe boys with the ball. Then *** a whistle (or say a word) and the boys with the ball have to stop and shield/hide the ball using their footwork and bodies as a barrier. I also have a drill where I have two groups (attackers and defenders) and a goalie in goal. I pass the ball forwards and the attacker and defender go one on one (I emphasise physicality to the defender). If the defender wins the ball he has to keep it and then try and pass back to me. If the attacker gets it then he has to beat the defender and try and score. But you are right in concentrating on ball mastery and staying on the ball. This is the message taken from the DNA Foundation Phase and has helped my team massively

Reply
  • 0

    I would concentrate on staying on the ball as a priority. Do some drills where boys with a ball dribble and boys without the ball track thhe boys with the ball. Then *** a whistle (or say a word) and the boys with the ball have to stop and shield/hide the ball using their footwork and bodies as a barrier. I also have a drill where I have two groups (attackers and defenders) and a goalie in goal. I pass the ball forwards and the attacker and defender go one on one (I emphasise physicality to the defender). If the defender wins the ball he has to keep it and then try and pass back to me. If the attacker gets it then he has to beat the defender and try and score. But you are right in concentrating on ball mastery and staying on the ball. This is the message taken from the DNA Foundation Phase and has helped my team massively

Children
No Data