AMATEUR ADULT TRAINING

Complex training right from the start

A five-week pre-season schedule by Andreas Knetter, German B license holder
Pre-season planning can be difficult for many amateur teams. It's hard to get the entire team together, because lots of people go on vacation in the summer; out of 16 to 18 players, two or three are always missing. And then there are the injuries, often the result of training too hard. The pre-season plan presented in this article is designed for a mid-level, professionally oriented amateur team with up to six practice sessions per week. It can also be adapted for lower-level teams simply by deleting some of the sessions. However, these sessions involve a number of concepts related to ball-oriented zone defense, so no matter what level your team is at, you should be introducing this style of defense if you're not practicing it already.

Pre-season guidelines
The traditional method of dividing the pre-season into three sections (first build condition, then improve technique, and finish with tactics) is hopelessly outdated. Contemporary models are fundamentally game-oriented and always focused on the ball; they're structured in terms of the demands of match play: Coordination and speed training begin as early as the first few weeks. Basic endurance is developed almost exclusively via ball games built around technical/tactical concepts. Interval and endurance runs without the ball are used only rarely, as a change of pace. Ball games with teams both small and large are not just for improving basic and match-specific endurance; they must also teach technical/tactical concepts. That way, you start introducing players to your tactical objectives right from the start. Then, in the weeks and months that follow, you can refine each aspect of your game, step by step. Soccer-specific endurance is developed by means of ball games that feature: brief workouts (20-180 seconds), intense physical exertion (pulse over 180!) and appropriate rest periods (pulse back down below 120). For efficient and motivational endurance training, there are plenty of practice activities to choose from, from 1 v. 1 to 4 v. 4, plus numbers-up and numbers-down games. The complete program is shown at right. Main activities for the sessions marked in red can be found on the pages that follow.

Reproducing match conditions is a must for preseason training.

C Axel Heimken

SUCCESS IN SOCCER January 2006

AMATEUR ADULT TRAINING

FIG. 1
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

FIVE-WEEK PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE

First day of practice Session Session No practice Session Session Exhibition game No practice Session Session Exhibition game Session Session 2 3 120 min 120 min 120 min welcome, introductions, team photo; individual work with the ball, stretching, game, cool-down run and stretch individual work with the ball, 1 v. 1 with frontal attacker, endurance/technique parcourse, cool-down individual work with the ball, 1 v. 1 with attacker behind, endurance/combination play parcourse, game, cool-down ball exercises in pairs, 2 v. 1 (solo attacker), 2 v. 2 tournament, cool-down ball exercises in pairs, 2 v. 1 (solo attacker), endurance parcourse, cool-down lower-level opponent ball exercises in groups, 2 v. 3 on one goal, running/game combination, cool-down ball exercises in groups, 3 v. 2 + 3 v. 2 on two goals, fartlek with jumping power exercises, cool-down same-level opponent ball exercises in pairs, strengthening exercises, pass sequence and finish, 4 v. 4 on three small goals each, cool-down individual work with the ball, coordination, 4 v. 4 on one goal with counterline for defenders, 6 v. 6 + 3 neutral players on two goals, cool-down higher-level opponent ball exercises in groups, 5 v. 5 on one goal with counterline, game on six small goals, cool-down ball exercises in groups, 5 v. 6 on one goal and two countergoals, three-zone game, cool-down individual work with the ball, moving the ball forward (4 v. 6 game), 6 + 2 wing players v. 5 + 2 wing players on one goal and two countergoals, cool-down lower-level opponent drop-kick game, tag, combination and finish, 8 v. 8 on two-thirds of a field, cooldown lower-, higher- and same-level opponents higher-level opponent individual work with the ball, crossing from the wing (3 v. 1), free combination play on wing, cool-down ball exercises in pairs, coordination, 1 v. 1 tournament, three-zone game, cooldown ball exercises in groups, set plays, game with crossing zones, cool-down lower-level opponent ball exercises in groups, group tag, 7 v. 7 with goals on the wings, cool-down same-level opponent individual work with the ball, coordination, set plays, 4 v. 4 + 4 v. 4 on two goals, cool-down handball with headers, combination and finish, three-zone game, cool-down

4 5

120 min 90 min

6 7

120 min 120 min

8 9

120 min 120 min

Exhibition game No practice Session 10 Session Session 11 12

120 min 120 min 120 min

Exhibition game Session 13 No practice Pre-season tournament No practice Exhibition game Session 14 Session 15

120 min

120 min 120 min 120 min

Session 16 Exhibition game No practice Session 17 Exhibition game No practice Session 18 Session 19 No practice First game of season

100min

100 min 90 min

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AMATEUR ADULT TRAINING

TEAM SPIRIT AND MOTIVATION

Fun, excitement, team spirit and willingness to perform: It's up to each player to bring these along to practice. Players must communicate openly with the coach and each other. Every player should be looking forward to the new season's activities and challenges. A self-critical attitude and a constant readiness to learn are indispensable for the progress of individual players and the team as a whole. Share your passion for soccer with your teammates!

TACTICAL OBJECTIVES
Avoid lateral passes. Encourage forward passes. The first pass after winning the ball should be an offensive pass (transition to attack). Switch just as quickly from attack to defense. Keep your tactics flexible. Insist on good technique even in the tightest spaces. Play efficient short passes. Press aggressively!

SESSION 2: MAIN ACTIVITY

Frontal 1 v. 1 on two goals

Sequence On a field twice the size of the penalty box, players line up in equal groups on both sides of both goals. All the balls are by Goal 1. Player A plays a diagonal pass to B as C moves up to defend; B plays against C to finish. C tries to win the ball and attack on Goal 2. Afterwards, B and C each switch to the opposite goal. D passes to E, etc. Variation 2 v. 2: After the diagonal pass, E joins in as an extra attacker, A as an extra defender.

B 2

27

Endurance/technique parcourse
Sequence
6 5 7 3 4

Figure-eight dribbling around two poles Slalom dribbling Wall pass with tipped-over bench Sideways dribbling around parallel poles Back pass to teammate on 18-yard-line, who shoots at the goal (with goalkeeper) and then runs to the other side while the passer moves to shooting position Goalkeeper throws ball to previous shooter on wing Juggling to centerline and wall pass with tipped-over bench Short dribbling run, shot at goal (with goalkeeper), start over

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WARM-UP WITH THE BALL

Warm-up should almost always involve the ball. Exercises in tight spaces (with or without cone markers) are good for this. Exercises can be done individually, in pairs or in small groups. Focus on fakes, combinations, (wall) passing and shooting techniques, heading and juggling exercises. Stretch between segments.

STRETCHING AND STRENGTHENING

groin muscles buttocks muscles leg biceps quadriceps calf muscles adductors and abductors back muscles transversal and oblique stomach muscles pectorals pectoral girdle muscles strengthen too!

strengthen too! strengthen too! strengthen too! goalkeeper goalkeeper

SESSION 4: MAIN ACTIVITY

Two defenders v. one attacker

Sequence Mark four 12- to 14-yard-long lines 25 yards in front of a goal with goalkeeper. A defender stands in front of each line. An attacker with ball stands 15 yards in front of each line. One attacker attempts to dribble across the line in front of him. The defender steps up and tries to force the attacker outside (or inside). The next closest defender moves in (up) and covers the first. Defenders win if they win the ball or force the attacker past the edge of the line. Variations Play any variation from 2 v. 2 (or 3) on two lines up to 4 v. 4 on four lines.

2 v. 2 tournament: Promotion and relegation

Setup and sequence Mark out a number of 20 x 15-yard fields with two small goals each. Teams of two play a round-robin tournament (one round or two). All teams start out in the state league. Teams that win advance to the next level, while those that lose are relegated to the level below (draw = no change). Each game lasts 90 seconds, followed by an active rest period

15 y

20 y

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AMATEUR ADULT TRAINING

SESSION 6: MAIN ACTIVITY

Two defenders vs. three attackers

Setup Mark out two or three 15 x 20-yard fields (depending on your number of players). On each field, two defenders play against three attackers. Playing time: Round 1: 5 x 90 seconds, three-minute breaks Round 2: 5 x 60 seconds, three-minute breaks To switch roles, players rotate clockwise after each game. Sequence Attackers play against defenders to score on the small goal. Defenders try to win the ball and score on the other two goals. Play always begins with the attackers in possession.

15 y

20 y

Running/game combination

27

Setup Mark out a 45 x 30-yard field with two goals (standard size or smaller). Form three teams of six (or five, or four). Make field smaller for smaller teams. Goalkeepers defend the goals. Sequence Two teams play against each other for six minutes. The third team jogs around the field (aerobic workout) and makes sure the other two teams have plenty of extra balls available. Variations Limit the number of touches. Assign rules for scoring, e.g. - direct shots only, or - attackers' own half must be cleared.

SUCCESS IN SOCCER January 2006