Football Small Sided Fitness Conditioning

Football Specific Conditioning Drills

Using football drills, small sided games and possession sessions for conditioning has considerable benefits: Passing Dribbling Shooting Movement patterns Technical skills Tactical skills And most importantly…… Motivation How often do you see clubs carrying out pre-season sessions, in-season sessions and general fitness sessions without a ball? You know yourself that doing continuous running, intervals, circuits can and does get a little boring. The sessions in this item have been designed to improve your players endurance (lactate threshold, VO2 max and anaerobic capacity). Motivating your players by using small sided games is the most effective technique available to improve player’s fitness levels for football. Table 1 Shows the advantages/disadvantages of carrying out traditional and football specific training methods. Motivation of a player is improved when football and competition are involved. Also, more similar movement types and patterns in soccer drills may also lead to a greater transfer to match specific fitness. Enhanced movement efficiency is particularly a key for unorthodox forms of locomotion, such as side and backwards movements, which are frequently used in football drills.

Table 1

Advantages and disadvantages of physical training using football drills and traditional running

Football Drills Traditional Running

Small sided games with specific rules (target players, no. of balls, rules, pitch

size)

Specific exercise time in a controlled running session over a specific distance /

time

Advantages

Improved motivation (using a ball) Work intensity can be controlled easily

Movement specific (tackling, dribbling, heading, jumping)

Improvements can be monitored objectively

Tactical awareness Comparisons can be made between players (heart rate, speed, time)

Improvements in technical skill Gain insight into player character/motivation

Potential decrease in injury

Disadvantages

Difficult to work out and control exact intensity

Less movement associated with match play (usually straight line running)

Often difficult to organize optimal training structure

Players do not practice technical skills

Increased risk of contact injuries No game-based tactical elements

Need numbers to make up session Players do not like running

Certain degree of technical ability required

May increase risk of some injuries due to unaccustomed running (tendonitis,

lumbopelvic problems)

Table 2 shows pitch sizes according to number of players. To increase intensity pitch size can

be manipulated and vice versa to decrease the intensity

No. of players Small Medium Large

3 a side 12 x 20m 15 x 25m 18 x 30m

4 a side 16 x 24m 20 x 30m 24 x 36m

5 a side 20 x 28m 25 x 35m 30 x 42m

6 a side 24 x 32m 30 x 40m 36 x 48m

1 a side possession 5 x 10m 10 x 15m 15 x 20m





Training Load/Intensity during football drills

Factors that can influence the intensity of football drills include the type of drill, player numbers, player motivation, pitch size, and rule alterations. Modifying a football drill is often done by adjusting the number of players present. Lower playing numbers result in higher exercise intensities and vice-versa. 8-a-side to 5-a-side drills are appropriate for lactate threshold development (85 – 90 % MHR), whereas 4-a-side and 3-a-side games produce intensities appropriate for VO2 max development (90 – 95 % MHR). Blood lactate and perceived exertion responses indicate that 2 v. 2 drills are suited to anaerobic development. All these (Lactate threshold, Vo2 max, Anaerobic) training formats are considered critical in developing football endurance. Table 3 shows the recommended training loads and football drills that produce suitable intensities for the aforementioned endurance training methods.

Table 3

Type of endurance training using Football Specific Drills

Training Type

Appropriate training load Soccer Drill

Examples Intensity Duration

%HR RPE Lactate mmol/L

Total work, min

Rep Duration

Reps Rest Drill

Lactate threshold

80-90%

Quite Hard

3-6 30-60 6-30 min 1-8 <1 min

5v5, 6v6, 7v7, 8v8

Vo. Max 90-95%

Stressful 6-12 12-35 3-6 min 4-8 0.5-1 min

3v3, 4v4

Anaerobic >85 Maximal >10 4-16 20s-3 min 2-4 sets of

4-8

1-4 min

2v2, 3v3

%HR = percent heart rate, RPE + rating of perceived exertion; reps = repetitions

Football Specific Drills Small Sided Games

Training Type: Vo2 max 90 – 95 %HR

RPE = Stressful (17 – 20 points)

Academy Football Coaching

Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim 2v2 +3

Session Planner Timings

Main Content

Organisation Mark out area 20m x 30m with 5m neutral zone. Two GKs in full size goals. Two players in each half of pitch with servers numbered 1 to 3 on the outside of area for each team. Coach dictates which player serves the ball into striker. In ‘neutral area’ if striker receives ball he should look to let the ball run and shoot or turn and shoot. Encourage players to combine giving good supporting angles/distances, encourage wide players on outside to provide crosses. Whichever side the ball is played into the opposing colour players act as defenders to create a 2 v. 2

Key Factors/Coaching Points

4 x 1 min

1 minute rest between games


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim 2v2 + 4 switching play


Main Content

Organisation Mark out a 30m x 20m area with 4 areas 5m x 5m in each corner. Play 4 teams of 2 players, 2 v 2 in the middle area and 1 player in each corner area. Players in middle area cannot go into corner areas. Play possession and team in possession can play into corner areas to retain possession but cannot play back into the same corner area once it has been passed out. If defenders win possession they play with the men in the corner areas.

Key Factors/Coaching Points 2 x 1.30 min 90 seconds rest between games


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim 2v2 narrow possession


Main Content

Organisation

50 x 15 yards

Team in possession has to make a minimum of three passes in the grid before they can play to the free player on the far side of the second grid

They can score again by repeating the feat and returning to the grid, following a pass to the ‘new’ free player

The wide players support the team in possession with one touch passes


4 x 2 min

2 min rest

Training Type: Anaerobic >85%

RPE = Stressful (>15)


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim 3 v. 3 Anaerobic Training


Main Content

Organisation

One goal and GK, full size 18 yard box


4 x 3 min

1 min recovery


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim


Main Content

Organisation

Set up cones as in diagram (40 yard square), 2 players per cones

Players work in the middle of the square

Each player performs a left then right foot pass followed by a sprint across to a player without a ball


2 x 3 min

90 seconds rest


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim Pass and sprint


Main Content

Organisation 20 x 30m Player A passes ball to player B in middle of grid After pass player A sprints to open corner. Player B turns and passes to player A or plays one touch to player C


3 x 4 min

3 min active recovery – jogging and dribbling with a ball, juggling the ball

Training Type: Lactate Threshold >80 – 90%

RPE = Stressful (>15)


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim 4v4 end zone goal


Main Content

Organisation 50 x 40m Teams score by dribbling ball over line and stopping ball inside zone at end of field

Key Factors/Coaching Points ! 5 x 3.30 min ! 2 min recovery

Academy Football Coaching Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim Move through the thirds


Main Content

Organisation 55 x 35m Two teams of 6 players. The field is divided into thirds. The game starts with goalkeeper. Defending team has a 3 v2 situation and tries to get ball into middle third where it becomes a 2 v 2 situation. The 4 players in the middle third attempt to get the ball in the final third where they create a 2 v 2 situation (1 midfield player moves into final third) and they attempt to score on one of the two small goals


3 x 4 min

3 min active recovery


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim 2v2 + flank players


Main Content

Organisation 30 x 40 yards 2 v 2. Team in possession can use flank players for wall pass, or flank player can take on defender and cross ball back to 2 team-mates


3 x 6 min

1.30 min rest

‘Traditional’ Running Drills


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim Diagonal runs


Main Content

Organisation

Intensity: High

Duration: 10 min

% of Max HR: 85-90

Work : Rest: 1 : 3

Total Work: 2360 m

Velocity: 5.2 m/s

Key Factors/Coaching Points • Perform each run at the appropriate high intensity running speed • Each high intensity repetition should be completed in 15” • Each recovery run should be completed in 45” • Perform 10 running laps. This constitutes 1 SET (10’) • Total high intensity running distance is 780 m • Total low intensity running distance is 1580 m (3.5 m/s)


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim


Main Content

Organisation

Session: Anaerobic Interval Running Drill (1)

Intensity: High

Duration: 11 min

% of Max HR: 85-95%

Work : Rest: 1 : 3

Total Work: 960 m

Velocity: 6 m/s

Key Factors/Coaching Points • Perform each run at appropriate high intensity running speed • Each high intensity 120m running block should be completed in 20” • Each recovery phase should last 60” • Perform 8 sets • Total high intensity running distance is 960 m • Total low intensity running distance is 0m


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim


Main Content

Organisation

Session: Repeated Sprint Drill (1)

Intensity: High

Duration: 14 min

% of Max HR: 85-95

Work : Rest: 1 : 5

Total Work: 800 m

Velocity: 5 m/s


Perform each run at the appropriate high intensity running speed

Each high intensity 20m running block should start every 30” (1Rep)

Each recovery phase should last the remainder of the 30”

Perform 10 reps. This constitutes 1 set.

Perform 2 sets with 4 min rest in between.

Total high intensity running distance is 400m

Total low intensity recovery distance is 400m


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim


Main Content

Organisation

Session: Repeated Sprint Drill (2)

Intensity: High

Duration: 14 min

% of Max HR: 85-95

Work : Rest: 1 : 5

Total Work: 2400 m

Velocity: 5 m/s


Perform each run at the appropriate high intensity running speed

Each high intensity 20m running block should start every 30” (1Rep)

Each recovery phase should last the remainder of the 30” = cover 100m

Perform 10 reps. This constitutes 1 set. Perform 2 sets with 4 min rest

Perform 2 sets with 4 min rest in between.

Total high intensity running distance is 400m

Total low intensity recovery distance is 2000m


Session Plan

Coach Session Date

Session Aim


Main Content

Organisation

Session: Run with Speed Variation Drill

Intensity: High

Duration: 14 min

% of Max HR: 85-95

Work : Rest: 1 : 5

Total Work: 2400 m

Velocity: 5 m/s

Key Factors/Coaching Points • Perform each run at the appropriate high intensity running speed • Each high intensity 20m running block should start every 30” • Each recovery phase should last the remainder of the 30” and cover 100m • Perform 10 reps. This is 1 set. Perform 2 sets with 4 min rest in between • Total high intensity running distance is 400m • Total low intensity recovery distance is 2000m

Football Small Sided Fitness Conditioning

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