Last Updated on: 24th October 2024, 12:07 pm
Football Training Session
2. Create Space With Your First Touch
Object of the Session: Teach players to create space with their first touch and apply the skill in game situations.
Equipment: Cones, 1 football per pair.
Set-Up: Divide the team into pairs. Have every pair stand facing each other 5-10m apart. Place 1 cone next to each player then place another 3 feet in front of the first.
Instructions:
- Player 1 passes the ball along the ground to Player 2.
- With their first touch, player 2 gently passes the ball through the cones.
- They then side-foot the ball back to player 1.
- Swap roles and repeat.
Developing The Drill
- Use cones to mark out a 10m x 10m square. Divide players in groups of 6. Have 1 player standing on each side of the square with the remaining 2 in the middle.
- 1 of the players in the centre is the attacker and the other is the defender.
- One of the players on the outside passes the ball to the attacker. The attacker uses their first touch to create space before passing to one of the other outside players.
- Limit players to no more than two touches.
- Swap roles and repeat.
Progression to a Game Situation
- Play a small-sided game with no more than 7 players per team. Don’t include goalkeepers.
- Every player is limited to two touches. If more than two touches are taken, possession is given to the defending side.
- Encourage players to find space to receive the ball and create more space with their first touch.
End the drill with a regular game with the focus on creating space with the first touch.
Pendle Verdict
This follows on from a previous session on finding space to receive the ball, as both skills are interconnected. Players must first find space before they can focus on using their first touch effectively!
Don’t forget to pick up plenty of training footballs and training equipment so you can kickstart your training sessions. Pick up plenty of cones, markers and bibs to help your sessions run smoothly.
