When it comes to practical training I think of the things you’re going to do most in a game. First touch and passing are the two main things you want to always work on.
Pro players do this a few times per week because it’s light physically and heavy technically.
No matter how good you are the desire to improve at the simple things must be high. Mature players know they need fundamentals, immature think they are already too good.
Purpose of activation drills
Improves the following elements ↓
- Passing
- First touch
- Players enjoy training that is entertaining, which helps them record better results
- Joint friendly strength
- Quickness
- Endurance
It’s important players are always improving, all while not over training.
Preserving the muscles and joints
Personally I am a BIG fan of making players better on the technical side, all while keeping them from getting super fatigued.
Most players who are serious train year round and are already fit…
Therefore, they need to stay sharp and improve passing and first touch without causing injuries from too much “fitness”.
2 things that beat the body up most:
- Games
- Too much fitness
If the player isn’t doing too many games or fitness sessions it’s not going to cause injuries.
Although, when coaches are having players do full 1 hour fitness sessions it’s too much. Not to mention for several weeks in a row.
Drives me crazy all the weight lifting and running some of the players are having to do… In Japan, Brazil, Spain, Croatia they get fit and sharp with the ball.
Small groups of 4-7 players is perfect for passing activation!
Ability to use both feet ⇓
Weight of the pass
When it comes to passing the ball it’s so important that you know when to pass hard or soft.
When to pass soft
If you want to set your teammate up for a 1 touch pass or shot it’s better that you play the ball to them slow… This way they can have time to adjust, set their feet and connect.
Light weight passes also allow you to look up and see the field, giving you a better chance to know who’s open.
Laying the ball off needs to be soft.
Switching the field are times where you can pass soft, allowing your teammates to look up.
On the contrary, to switch the field you’ll sometimes want to pass harder so that you can get the other team out of position.
When to pass hard
In other cases like playing a ball wide or up to your strikers feet you will need to pass with heavier weight.
If the ball can travel faster than the defender it helps the person receiving the ball to then break down the opponent with open gaps/windows between the opponents.
Activation drills improve passing accuracy
If you watch the top teams in the world the biggest thing you’ll notice is the passing consistency under pressure.
In addition, having a purpose to possess… Not every pass should be with the intent to go score.
Breaking your opponent down by moving them all over the pitch is frustrating for them and goals will come more naturally by being patient.
Final product ⇓
3 reasons you want pass to the right or left foot for certain reasons:
- It could be you want to give it to your teammates strong foot.
- Passing it to the foot that is furthest from the defender.
- Passing to the back foot so that the player can open up and play out the other way.
For younger players it’s important to explain these things because for most athletes it’s not natural to think these ways.
Turning while receiving
There’s a difference when you trap and then turn vs doing it all at once…
The best way to turn while you receive is collect the ball with the inside of the back foot… When doing this open up your body so that you can take a touch away from where the ball came from.
What turning while receiving does is give you more options and the opportunity to pass or shoot sooner… I highly recommend you add this element in your activation drills!
In addition, you give yourself an extra second to look up and see the field.
Every second counts in futbol… Therefore, knowing how to trap the ball is key if you want to play quicker.
Layoffs
Typically a layoff is from a give and go or 3rd man concept situation…
Whether you’re laying a ball off for a pass or shot it needs to be light/soft, so that your teammate has the option to pass or shoot 1 touch.
Great drill ⇓ group of 6
How having the ability to play 1 touch helps:
- Speed of play is one thing you benefit when having the option to play one touch.
- Time to look up.
- A soft layoff gives you that extra second or two for windows/gaps to open. Every second things change just from the natural flow of players on both teams moving.
If a pass that should be soft comes at you hard it forces you to take an extra touch which means a slower release for you, slowing the play.
“Players need to learn to play with their back to goal.”
Shooting and finishing
Not enough youth players get to work on goal scoring!
For the most part it’s not natural to be able to shoot under pressure, especially while fatigued. Not to mention dealing with balls coming at you in the air from crosses.
Activation drills give you a bit of everything…
Players love to shoot!
Therefore, it’s a good idea to have a small or regular size goal to finish off each set.
Mindset
If you’ve ever played or been coached by a Barcelona or Spain National Team system it’s mentally draining… That is, if you’re not used to it.
The amount of moving and thinking off the ball is hard and it takes time to be trained like this.
Meaning, if possessing the ball while under pressure in the defensive & middle third the defenders and midfielders have to move at the right time and place.
The more experienced you are at this the easier it is because when you can see things happen before and you know your teammates you don’t have to run as much off the ball.
Players who panic will have a hard time in this system because they will just kick the ball away vs pass into tight spaces and trust your teammates to pass with accuracy and be in position.
You have to be a risk taker at times… Don’t think about what if we lose the ball, think what if we break the lines and get more chances on goal.
Passing activation drills are the best way to help on the technical side of possession… On the contrary, you also need to train under pressure to get used to that element.
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