Question about the Coerver method?

"I have heard about this coaching method"

I would not call Coerver a coaching method. It is all about learning individual moves to beat players 1 v 1 and other moves. Where are the tactics?

You can tell a team that is into Coerver they all have good ball moves.

It takes that with other coaching to actually win games against good teams. This is just my oppionion.

Maybe other posters will disagree.

Richie

 

This will give you an idea what i mean

****************123Goal_A***************
start tape:
A) Rolling ball side to side – both feet

B) Rolling ball, back and forward - both feet

C) [3:30] Push the ball across the body, start with inside sole. Rolling, no cutting)

D) Alternately roll the ball across the body (diagonally now) with sole, pull back with front part of sole.

E) Alternately roll ball left or right across the body with instep, pull back with sole.

F) Alternately pull the ball back with the sole, then push it forward with instep of same foot.

G) Roll across the ball to the outside with the sole, then cut down with the inside of the same foot.

H) [6:30] Alternately pull the ball (back) across the body with the sole, then push it in opposite direction with inside of same foot. Ball travels in ‘V’ path.

I) Alternately roll the ball left (or right) with the outside of foot, then stop it with the inside of same foot. Cut downward.

J) Coaches should alternate the footskill practices with small sided games every 10 minutes or so to maintain interest. Attack is emphasized rather than defense, winning is unimportant. It is crucial for coaches to make practice fun and to effectively encourage players at the early levels to practice on their own.

Video footage from World Cup action showing moves in use.

Exercise- 4 small kids tap from foot to foot, moving to a central cone in a square grid.

L) Step-over fake and turn.

M) Littbarski step-on move.

[All Ball Control prior to this point]

*********************** etc ******

Richie

 

You can find them

http://www.reedswain.com/

Look under videos and then under Coerver.

They sell a lot of them, and some are expensive.

Richie

 

Coerver

I had a chance to attend a three day coaching clinic personally conducted by Weil Coerver and a group of professional players on his staff. It began with a coach advising me to always consider the position of an imaginary challenger when I practised dribbling and got better from there. Most coaches are only familiar with the coerver footwork drills that are demonstrated on the tapes. I greatly respect Ritchie but I think that is where he is at. The footwork drills make a great warmup and are especially useful for American players b/c they do not get enough touches on the ball. They teach rhythm, balance, and touch, which is fundamental to all technique. You can work them individually, mirror image, or with passing to make them more interesting. Players hate them. The biggest proponent of the footwork drills was Anson Dorrance when he was NT coach. Unfortunately, it is all most soccer folks are familiar with.

There is much more to his coaching, as I discovered when I put away my clipboard and concentrated on his organization and philosophy. ( BTW, I would strongly recommend this for any clinic. ) Regardless of what aspect of the game he taught, Coerver put three things into the organization of his practice. The first was a choice between making an individual move or a combination with a teammate in order to win the mini game. He encouraged the individual play, but he also stressed making the correct situational choice. Secondly, he introduced pressure by adding speed and a bit of confusion into the game, which demanded that all players paid complete attention. As an example, a module running one way would have a mirror image modual running the opposite direction and a requirement that the balls change modules to restart each mini game. Additionally, players had to seemlessly change roles during the restart that were tactically related to match play. If a player did not pay complete attention, he would screw up and embarass himself. Third, the players provided all organization and service which is practice in itself. He provided continious coaching chatter as feedback.

Games involved receiving passes on the ground or in the air; Dribbling or passing to an objective and moving very quickly to their next role. Players received without pressure and moved into it or received under pressure and moved away. He covered every aspect of the game.

Coerver wrote a book, " Soccer Fundamentals For Players and Coaches ". It is worth a read. Unfortunately, his coaching style does not make itself easily understood from the tapes. If I may make a suggestion, watch the tapes without paying any attention to the footwork. Concentrate on the organization and try to ascertain his objectives. In the end, your best bet is to adapt his methods to your coaching knowledge and coaching style and make them your own.

To benefit from Coerver, one must get away from the moves.

 

"It began with a coach advising me to always consider the position of an imaginary challenger when I practised dribbling and got better from there."

That is good. Ever make 10 grids every other grid has a defender in it at different angles and positions in each grid that a defender is in. Every other grid is free. Then you have the dribbler go through the gaulet of defenders. The dribbler tries to beat each defender which all starts by looking at his position and his angle of attack.

You can beat most of these guys by just knowing where to move after seeing what approach he is taking to you. Don't even need to put a move on him.

One of the differences between the girls game and the mens game is the men even the back players are not afraid to take a defender on and beat them. The women are not encouraged to do that they win the ball and pass. The men take on player but it is still high percentage because they know how to beat defenders from the angle the defender is takeing towards them.

Example a defender is comming from the left side of the dribbler. The dribbler gives the ball a push so now he is not even with the back. Then he dribbles at a diagonal angle moving to that left side. He loses that back. Then he moves forward. that move that beat that defender creates space for others in a pressured midfield because now a mid has to come to the dribbler.

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"Most coaches are only familiar with the coerver footwork drills that are demonstrated on the tapes. I greatly respect Ritchie but I think that is where he is at."

Your right, I do not see their small sided play, and he uses small sided play. But, I have seen teams who think Coerver is their religion, and i do not see great small sided play used by those teams in real games. There players all have good moves maybe too many moves, but they still lose to good teams. That is my experience. How many moves does a player really need any way 3/4 which includes a move to reverse his field.

Everyone knows in rela games near the ball there is always small sided play going on at least until someone can make the break out pass. I work on that small sided play all the time. Pass and move in a sm,all space always looking for the longer pass to open up.


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I have a friend from New Jersey Dennis Mueller that developed a player handout of coerver moves. It is all over the internet now. I myself give out the hand out to young players

http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~dgraham/daily_drill.html

It is also called 1000 touches and 575 touches.

His team has been doing it for years. We played them a friendly at two different age groups and won both games.

His under 16 was high pressuing our backs and we just short passed them until we could hit the longer passes. We tired them out. Besides that we were able to isolate our dribbler and finishers with their defenders. That was the game.

 

Just a thought

Please don't over think the game! Play the game, get better.

 

I have an eight year old who just began to pick up soccer. Is the Coerver method something I should look into for him?

 

Yes, especially American born who are not children of a player needs it in my opionion.

 

You shouldnot look elsewhere. The big English teams use this method for their youth education and some even plundered Dutch clubs Youth Education staffs from their youth coaches to get the best informed in that method at work. Former soviet club teams with oil moeny to burn did the same thing.
So for the price of a few €€ for the Coerver videos you can get the best start for your kid that is possible.
To encourage you I can tell you that Feyenoords' player Jonathan de Guzman learned his skills that way in Canada before he came as a twelve year old to the Youth system of Feyenoord and now is one of the promising future players that will make it!

 

The tapes are meant for coaches. The first part discussed above deals with practicing ball skills, and is what you should be looking into. Players can practice these routines on their own. The Mueller handout is a list of things for players to work on outside of practices. The tape demonstrates the different moves listed on the handout. Having a coach that uses the Coerver method would be better than having your 8 year old try to teach himself.

 

I want to thank everyone who replied to my question, I truly appreciate the feedback. I never played soccer but have been around the game for the past few years due to a couple close friends playing and coaching. I was introduced to the Coerver DVD's this past winter and thought it was a quality product. My 8 year old started to watch the EPL(Arsenal) with me during the year and has fell in love with the sport. We get outside and knock the ball around at least 4 times a week and just recently started to do about 1-2 hours of training per day using the Coerver, ball mastery and 1v1 moves.

Is there other programs or training methods out there that I should be aware of to help with his development. I could use all the help I can get in this area as I don't know where his skill level should be at, for his age.

 

My suggestion would be to try to get to a clinic that can go deeper on Coerver and other ball skills programs. Most states have a Coerver "licensed" instructor or camp who can really help you develop a wealth of knowledge about ball mastery. Oh...and have fun!

 

You have the Director of Coaching USA for Coerver, Charlie Cook, right down the road from you in Cincinnati. You might want to look into a camp by him if Coerver is what interests you.

 

With all due respect, you keep talking about "moves", and the Coerver method is about a hell of a lot more than "moves". The Coerver method builds the solid core foundation players need in terms of fast footwork, suppleness, close control, feinting, etc..... It is these skills which serve as the base for the technically proficient/advanced player, and assuming the TACTICAL proficiency of competing sides is equal, the more TECHNICALLY PROFICIENT side will win, ALWAYS.

I'm somewhat disappointed that all you see in the Coerver method is "moves". I was first introduced to this method nearly 20 years ago, and its still, IMO, the best technical training program around.

 

visit the website
www.dutchsoccerprograms.com

these guys are really good in training sessions