Pro Training sessions

[Kevin8833]

Does anyone have video of professional or international team's full training sessions I would love to see the drills these teams use and how the players look in a training session, along with how the coach handles a session and what he does,the intensity of it, I have found bits and pieces of training sessions on youtube but does anyone have a link to any full or a good portion of a training session from a professional or international level team? Thanks.

[rca2]

On the US Soccer website they have interviews with national team coaches and clips of the national team practicing. It doesn't show the full practice, but some of them show the details of a warmup, a drill or a functional training game. There was a good one on finishing that was much better than looking at a stick diagram.

[BigGuy]

I don't know why you would need this?

I have no videos.

This is a practice session done by Arsenal in the EPL posted by Coach Kev who works for Arsenal.

The team normally does not meet until the second day after the match. Practice sessions always start at 11:00 am. A relaxed practice atmosphere is very important to the manager, which is why he requires his players to arrive at the training camp one hour early, so they can mentally prepare themselves for the 90-minute session ahead, at leisure and without stress. Two days before a match, practice lasts only 60 minutes and typically focuses on set plays and short-term exertions (like sprints and shooting) that require lots of takeoff power.

Team-building
During practice, the manager demonstrates the same excitement and engagement he requires of his players. The mood is positive and light, even though all the players are intensely focused. Since practice sessions are frequently closed to the public (including journalists), everyone involved can play "naturally." When asked about the potential difficulty of working with so many so-called "stars," the manager replied: "It isn't difficult at all! Without cameras, journalists, every player can be natural, and no one has to put on an act. So everyone interacts normally. Problems only arise when the media is constantly present.". The club holds only one press conference per week (every Friday). The team gathers together for lunch and the break (massage, etc.) that follows. Afterwards, players are allowed to leave the training camp. Altogether, they spend four to five hours "on campus" every day.

Practice schedule and exercises
Every practice session is informed and shaped by observations from the previous match. However, we can sketch an outline of a typical session: Warm-up takes place indoors and consists of cycling, soccer tennis and strength exercises. Strength training exercises are determined at the beginning of each warm-up and led by a fitness coach. To help determine the direction of individual fitness training, endurance and speed tests take place throughout the season as necessary.

The main session starts with small games focusing on attack tactics: short pass combinations, moving up from the backfield, and 1 v. 1 situations on the goal. Alternatively, this part of the session may also focus on technique, coordination or speed.

Players then move on to practice positional play and finishing, as well as individual and group tactics such as the back four, defensive play for midfielders and attackers, offsides situations and defending in 1 v. 1 situations. The session concludes with endurance training: primarily practice games, occasionally running without the ball. According to the manager's training concept, these methods are essential for successful tactical play (compact defence, forward passes, short pass combinations).
For exercises focusing on attacking play, the manager uses fields designed according to his specifications. This allows players to approximate the tactics they expect to use in the next match and the required techniques more closely. Since a smaller field speeds up the game, players are forced to deal with intense time and opposition pressure.

Training with practice games
While the manager delegates plenty of work to his two assistant coaches, he still takes on the majority of the responsibility for training himself. He discusses the schedule with his assistants before each practice session. This structured planning and the division of labour it requires makes a difference that shows.
Whether it is a complex tactics exercise or a simple speed exercise without the ball, the manager pays close attention, analyses results and makes corrections as needed. In this way he shares with players his optimism and confidence that the same mistake will not happen again on the next try. Though the pace is intense and concentration is essential, players are still supposed to have fun at practice. The manager yells out encouragement and gives each player clear commands and instructions during the exercises.
Typical games and exercises to teach individual, group and team tactical play are introduced during the practice sessions. Coordination and technique exercises also show up on a regular basis.
Players practice the flat four with 4 v. 4 or 5 v. 5 games on one goal.
Note: Sometimes the players themselves request this exercise at the end of a week, to help solidify their defence tactics.
8 v. 8 exercises on one goal focus on cooperation between the back four and the midfield.
9 v. 0 positional games on one goal (without opponents) help players reinforce and solidify passing and running patterns.
8 v. 8 exercises on two goals (in a half or two-thirds of a field, always extending across the entire width of the field) let players practice moving the attack forward.
Coordination training and technique combined with speed round out the program. "

Well now you have it.

Practices in other countries are suprising similiar to this one.

I spent years in Germany, Argentina and Italy just studying how they train players.

[Kevin8833]

I don't know why you would need this?

I have no videos.

This is a practice session done by Arsenal in the EPL posted by Coach Kev who works for Arsenal.

The team normally does not meet until the second day after the match. Practice sessions always start at 11:00 am. A relaxed practice atmosphere is very important to the manager, which is why he requires his players to arrive at the training camp one hour early, so they can mentally prepare themselves for the 90-minute session ahead, at leisure and without stress. Two days before a match, practice lasts only 60 minutes and typically focuses on set plays and short-term exertions (like sprints and shooting) that require lots of takeoff power.

Team-building
During practice, the manager demonstrates the same excitement and engagement he requires of his players. The mood is positive and light, even though all the players are intensely focused. Since practice sessions are frequently closed to the public (including journalists), everyone involved can play "naturally." When asked about the potential difficulty of working with so many so-called "stars," the manager replied: "It isn't difficult at all! Without cameras, journalists, every player can be natural, and no one has to put on an act. So everyone interacts normally. Problems only arise when the media is constantly present.". The club holds only one press conference per week (every Friday). The team gathers together for lunch and the break (massage, etc.) that follows. Afterwards, players are allowed to leave the training camp. Altogether, they spend four to five hours "on campus" every day.

Practice schedule and exercises
Every practice session is informed and shaped by observations from the previous match. However, we can sketch an outline of a typical session: Warm-up takes place indoors and consists of cycling, soccer tennis and strength exercises. Strength training exercises are determined at the beginning of each warm-up and led by a fitness coach. To help determine the direction of individual fitness training, endurance and speed tests take place throughout the season as necessary.

The main session starts with small games focusing on attack tactics: short pass combinations, moving up from the backfield, and 1 v. 1 situations on the goal. Alternatively, this part of the session may also focus on technique, coordination or speed.

Players then move on to practice positional play and finishing, as well as individual and group tactics such as the back four, defensive play for midfielders and attackers, offsides situations and defending in 1 v. 1 situations. The session concludes with endurance training: primarily practice games, occasionally running without the ball. According to the manager's training concept, these methods are essential for successful tactical play (compact defence, forward passes, short pass combinations).
For exercises focusing on attacking play, the manager uses fields designed according to his specifications. This allows players to approximate the tactics they expect to use in the next match and the required techniques more closely. Since a smaller field speeds up the game, players are forced to deal with intense time and opposition pressure.

Training with practice games
While the manager delegates plenty of work to his two assistant coaches, he still takes on the majority of the responsibility for training himself. He discusses the schedule with his assistants before each practice session. This structured planning and the division of labour it requires makes a difference that shows.
Whether it is a complex tactics exercise or a simple speed exercise without the ball, the manager pays close attention, analyses results and makes corrections as needed. In this way he shares with players his optimism and confidence that the same mistake will not happen again on the next try. Though the pace is intense and concentration is essential, players are still supposed to have fun at practice. The manager yells out encouragement and gives each player clear commands and instructions during the exercises.
Typical games and exercises to teach individual, group and team tactical play are introduced during the practice sessions. Coordination and technique exercises also show up on a regular basis.
Players practice the flat four with 4 v. 4 or 5 v. 5 games on one goal.
Note: Sometimes the players themselves request this exercise at the end of a week, to help solidify their defence tactics.
8 v. 8 exercises on one goal focus on cooperation between the back four and the midfield.
9 v. 0 positional games on one goal (without opponents) help players reinforce and solidify passing and running patterns.
8 v. 8 exercises on two goals (in a half or two-thirds of a field, always extending across the entire width of the field) let players practice moving the attack forward.
Coordination training and technique combined with speed round out the program. "

Well now you have it.

Practices in other countries are suprising similiar to this one.

I spent years in Germany, Argentina and Italy just studying how they train players.

Thanks!!! This is better than a video I really appreciate it thanks a bunch!

[Kevin8833]

On the US Soccer website they have interviews with national team coaches and clips of the national team practicing. It doesn't show the full practice, but some of them show the details of a warmup, a drill or a functional training game. There was a good one on finishing that was much better than looking at a stick diagram.

I believe I have seen these, what finishing drill is it you are talking about?

[rca2]

6v6 on a short field with full goals and keepers. Nuetral players just outside the playing area to cross the ball.

[Kevin8833]

6v6 on a short field with full goals and keepers. Nuetral players just outside the playing area to cross the ball.
Yes, I remember that one I use this drill with my team it is very effective and fun

[BigGuy]

This is one of mine typical mid season practice.

This is not a pro practice but it's not bad.

Typical mid season practice.

Meet and greet start warming up individually as they arrive then go into groups then team warms up.
------------------------------------
Then we separate keepers work together or withkeeper trainer if he happens to be around that day and not playing himself.

Distributing to each other rolling the ball, throwing the ball short and then longer distance. Then punting to each other, drop kicks and goal kicks.

Then serving to each other gradually serving further away from the keeper until he has to dive to make the save. Then mix up the servers.
-------------

Backs -- pass to each other back and across the field and back again.

Mids-- pass to each other back and across the field.

Strikers work together with servers on served short and long balls and turn with the ball or back pass to the server or control longer balls like crosses. Then they start to finish those kind of chances on net.
---------------------------------------

This is Polish/Hungarian

Then we join together players surround a regulation field. Then we have a keeper, and a dribbler with a ball. He starts wall passing and moving around the field using the players around the field on give and go's. As one passes the second player we send another dribbler after the last player gives the dribbler the ball he shoots on goal. As players move a player surrounding the field moves to become a dribbler. If a mistake his made the dribbler just bypasses that receiver and passes to the next receiver. So everyone goes at least two or three times around the field and shoots on goal. See what kind of shots you get on goal before the season starts they are mostly weak shots, compared to the shots you get off in the middle of the season a big difference. This is a strenuous exercise.
--------------------------------

This is German but it is typical of what countries do.

Then we join together and play 5 attackers against 6 defenders on a little bit bigger then half field. attacker 2 wing mids 2 strikers and an attacking mid against keeper 4 backs and a defensive mid. Not much pressure in the beginning we increase pressure gradually. Just a lot of passing to the attackers, a lot of crossing, a lot of everything that can come up in games. Very good for the inside mid because he is the support for all the attackers. So he supports all over the field and moves up in the flow of the attack of who ever has the ball. He get a lot of touches good for a distributor. Something Donovan could have used before he went into the Olympics.

Ball is won by the defender. They distribute to the back support attacking player and we start again. Keeper makes the save he can distribute to a back or the defensive mid and he sends it back to the offensive mid or to a wing mid.

Also a lot of overshifting by the defenders a lot of keeper work as well.
-------------------
Argentines do this

Then we go into an inside passing game in a small and congested space in or near the area.

It all starts by an inside mid when he has the ball on attack. In practice it does not start from the flank, but it could in a game. The inside attack can start with a flank player passing inside to a player up top attacker with his back to the goal.

Then the wing players move more inside the field. That creates space for a back later on if needed. The inside mid works with the wings and a striker playing with his back to his goal.

Idea is to pass and move to you get a shot on goal. No one player stays in an up top position after his touch. So their is a lot of movement going on.

Inside mid can attack as well on a return pass. The key to playing through passes in limited space and when the defense is support is a light touch. Talking about a 2 to 3 yard through pass touch even less then that, and clearing out space for a fill in player.

I like a player with his back to goal making a touch that goes forward behind him instead of a layoff pass that goes back or horizontal. So the receiver gets it as he runs through a hole in the defense.

You can do that using the outside of the foot, even inside of the foot like a player facing the mid uses his right inside of the foot by touching and putting spin on the ball to change the direction slightly but the pass still is moving forward and the mid moves to his left to run on to the ball and shoots or to a left wing mid moving to the ball.

As the player facing away from goal touches the ball he moves away slightly moving his defender out of the play plus he uses his arms like a turnstile effect to block his defender from moving to the dribbler.

That player who originally was playing with his back to goal is not facing goal behind and wider in support of the new attacker so if the keeper commits or someone else is in the way he is there as a second attacker available to take a horizontal square pass and shoot on goal.

We practice this in every practice and it is even in the warm-up.

We then use other players to act as attacking backs so the inside player has more options if he has to play the ball into space if he is pressured. Then he can get a back pass and start it up again.
------------------------------------
German/Polish

Then we take a little run a geese run single file and spaced. The last player then sprints weaves inside each player in line till he is first in line, As one player moves then the new last player runs until everyone had a chance. The key is to be sure when you lead you don't sprint keep a nice even pace.

Then we do a little skill work.

Then we break up the team and play a game on a full field. Very important to push the players to retreat to the defending half of the field if we lose the ball. The upper most 3 players pressure the dribbler take his back pass away and the other supports the first defender.

Then we cool down and go home

[rca2]

Awesome responses BigGuy.

[Kevin8833]

Great stuff thanks

[BigGuy]

This post has nothing to do with coaching.

I made the original post just now in the Soccer in the USA Forum part.

Under the thread name

Pele and US Soccer.

"
Speaking of Pele I used to run into him in Night clubs in NYC in the 1980's. Always with a different beautiful women that lucky guy.

Now I am posting this because I am fu_king board.

CONTEST

Now who was at Giant Stadium on October 1st 1977 for the Pele Tribute farewell game Cosmos against Santos? We all got the program magazine right?

Here are 2 simple questions for those that were there and got the magazine.

If you get both right I will send you my copy. Having it for 30 years seems long enough :-)

It is in relatively good condition.

So if you get the 2 simple questions right and you have not pissed me off on the Political section of Big Soccer I will send it to you.

First question how much money did you pay for it?

There was a former player who was pictured in the book who said "I love tobacco. I don't smoke."

Who was that player,

Simple you get both questions right and have not pissed me off in the political part of Big Soccer you win."

So enter I rather see a coach win this :-)