Better Way to Scrimmage Soccer Drill (U8, U10, U12, U14 to Adult)
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This soccer drill is a better way for most soccer teams to scrimmage. Recreational soccer teams should only scrimmage for about 10 minutes of each hour they practice, and if you scrimmage, use the approach described in the detailed instructions below.
This soccer drill is better than a regular scrimmage in 2 ways: (1). All players learn to defend and play tough defense and block shots, and not rely on the Goalie, and (2). To score, they must work the ball close to the goal and not take long shots, so control, dribbling, passing, and movement off the ball in the Attacking Third are encouraged.
This soccer drill is also a good way to evaluate players - you will be able to quickly tell a lot about a player’s skills, natural abilities, and where they prefer to play.
Some coaches think the best way for players to learn to play soccer is by scrimmaging instead of practicing. That idea doesn’t make any more sense for soccer than it does for basketball, hockey, baseball, or any other sport. Scrimmaging is no substitute for practicing specific skills.
Scrimmaging is inferior to practicing for many reasons. For example, when Rec soccer teams scrimmage, the best, more aggressive players tend to get most of the touches on the ball and the weak players don't get many touches on the ball, most players tend to repeat bad habits in scrimmages rather than learning better technique, and since there is only one ball, the “ball ratio” is low. If there are 10 players and one ball, that is a 10% ball ratio. Our soccer drills usually have a ball ratio of 50% to 100%, so in the same amount of time your players will get 5 to 10 times as many touches on the ball. Your players will improve MUCH faster if they are getting 5 to 10 times as many touches on the ball as your opponents. In one of our soccer drills such as “Dribble Around Cone & Pass Relay Race”, a player might average 10 touches per minute, or 100 touches over 10 minutes, compared to perhaps one touch per minute in a scrimmage. Our soccer drills also use repetitive training to develop Motor Memory Skills, which scrimmages don't do. The other thing I noticed with my Rec teams was that they played with more enthusiasm on game day if they hadn’t scrimmaged in practice.
Click here for Detailed Instructions for the Better Way to Scrimmage Soccer Drill
Click here to Watch Video Clips from GOL! (Brazilian Soccer Foot Skills and Ball Control Training) DVD
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