Control

Perspectives on Control.
Techniques of Control
Control is the technique/skill of playing the ball with a good first touch so that a. the
player keeps possession of the ball (i.e. a defender cant steal it) and b. so that the
player can then go and do something positive with it on their next touch, (i.e., pass,
shoot, cross, run with the ball, etc).
There are four main body parts used to control the ball
1.
The footusing the instep, outside, laces and sole of the foot
2.
The thigh(not the knee)
3.
The chest
4.
The head
When the ball is controlled, the most common technique is to cushion the ball - taking the body part away as contact is made on the ball - so that the ball comes to rest
close to the foot of the player. A second method is to wedge the ball, bringing it to a
complete stop with the foot.
Elements of Control
There are certain things that a player will need to be aware of as the ball arrives,
namely space and or pressure.
If space is available the player is free to look up and asses the next option. If the
player is under pressure, the player will need to control the ball away from the pressure being applied and look to shield and protect the ball.
Four elements in which to work with players and control
Control in space - leading to .....
1) run with the ball 2) pass/cross 3) shot
Control under pressure ....
1) shield and pass 2) turn and attack
Control with back to goal.
Control facing goal.

Control: Technical Development

Open Man
Set up.... (10x10 area)
The exercise is set up with 4 players and two balls, one player
designated as the point man. The objective is for the yellow
players, one at a time, to pass the ball to the point man. The
point man controls, and then passes to the open man, (i.e., the
yellow player that did not make the pass and doe not have a
ball). As the point player makes his pass to the open man, the
second yellow player with the ball at his feet should be making
the pass in. Continue for one minute and change the point person.
Progression .....
 Vary serves to feet, to thighs, to chest.
 Run the same exercise in a 15x15 or 20x20 area with the
point man in the middle (see diagram 2)
Squidge

Squidge

Diagram 1

Set up.... (10 x 10 area)

Players are organised into pairs and stand opposite each other
in a group of four. In pairs, the players simply pass the ball
across to one another. Players must control the ball before passing it back.
Progression..

To work on both feet, after each pass have one line change
places, i.e., yellows, after they pass to reds, quickly switch.
Go for 1 minute and then have the reds switching.

Vary serves to feet, thigh and chest.

Squidge

CONTROL - Coaching Points:

1. Move the controlling surface into line of the flight of the ball.
2. Select early how you will control the ball - wedge or cushion.
3. Good first touch control - protect the ball
4. Make direct play possible by controling the ball in the direction of choice.
Four main controlling surfaces:
** FEET
** THIGH
** CHEST
** HEAD

Coach to observe ..
Players moving into the pass in order to control (i.e.,
not waiting for the ball to arrive!)
 Players to make a deliberate first touch in the direction
of the play they need to make, i.e., can the second touch
be a pass in the needed direction.
 Player passing to give good firm passes . very difficult to direct a soft pass.


Note . To progress control, please play

any of the games listed under Passing.
Diagram 2

Turn / Man on
Set up.... (10x20 grid)
The drill is set up in groups of three with one ball. The red player
in the middle starts the exercise by moving towards either end
player to recieve a pass (in this case, towards yellow). The green
player on the opposite end-line must make a choice either to i)
stay on his line, or ii) follow the red player and act as a defender.
If the green player stays on his line, the yellow player tells the central player to Turn!. The red player controls, turns and passes the
ball to the opposite end (ie, to green). The exercise then starts
again from the opposite end.
If the green player acts like a defender and follows the central red
player, the yellow end player tells red Man on!. The red player
controls, passes back to yellow, spins around and runs to endline,
awaiting a chip pass from the yellow player. The exercise starts
again from the opposite end with the green player (i.e., defender)
now becoming the central player.
Progression .....
Vary serves from the outside players to feet, thighs, chest, etc.

Squidge

Squidge
Squidge

Three man Control

Set up.... (10x20 grid)
Drill is set up in groups of three with a ball each for the two end
players (yellow). The exercise starts with one of the end players
passing the ball into middle player (red) who controls the ball and
passes it back. The red player then turns 180 and moves to and
controls a pass from the yellow player at the opposite end. After
60 seconds switch the middle player with either wide player.
Progression .....
Use one ball and have the red player turn with the ball when
he recieves the pass from the outside player .
Vary serves from the wide players to feet, thighs, chest, etc, of
the central player.
Emphasis ....
to get the central player moving quickly towards the pass.
to get the central player turning quickly and under control with
the ball.

Circle Drill
Set up.... (10x20 grid)
Have all the players form a large circle (about
same as center circle) and divide into three
groups. One group (whites) start in the middle of
the circle without a ball, while the other two
groups stay one the circle with a ball each. The
white group has 45 seconds to move around in
the circle, calling for a pass which they must
control and play back. After 45 seconds, switch
the teams in the middle and continue.
Progression .....
 After the first round, have the outside players
throw the ball in to thigh (second round) and
chest (third round)
 Fourth roundoutside players to vary serves
any way they wish.
Coach to observe..
 Middle group to move back and forward
across the circle, not simply going around the
circle.
 Middle group controlling the ball at earliest
possible point.

 Squidge

Control and TurnCoaching Points:

1. Play with a positive attitude
2. Decide when to turn and when to play safe.
3. Encourage players to turn and take on defenders.

Turn and attack 1

Squidge

Set up.... (10x20 grid)

The drill is set up in groups of three with one ball.
The end yellow player acts as a server with a ball at his feet. The red
player starts in the middle of one grid as an attacker and moves towards
the yellow server to recieve a pass. The third green player moves in
behind the red player and acts as a defender. The objective of the exercise is for the red attacker to control the ball and turn with it so that he
faces the defender and then tries to beat him in a 1 vs. 1 to the endline
without going out of bounds.
Progression .....
Vary serves from the server to feet, thighs, chest, etc,.
Move the defender tighter onto the attacker at the start. The attacker
must now lose the defender to receive the pass and control (i.e.,
dummy run and cut back to the pass).

ShieldingCoaching Points:
1. Position body sideways between opponant and ball....BIG shield.
2. Keep knees well bent for ballance
3. Weight rest on the inside foot .... the ball is controlled by the outside
foot.

Duel

Squidge

Set up.... (10x20 grid)

Divide the group up into two teams (red and yellow). The server lobs/
passes the ball in a variety of ways into the middle of the 10x10 grid. The
two front players from each team must race to control the ball first, then
shield it for 15-20 seconds from their opponent. If possible, the player
with the ball should then try and pass ball back to the server.
Progression .....
Place one line slightly closer than the other.
Place two goals (using cones) on either side of the area. The first
player to the ball must control, shield and then try to dribble through
either goal for a point. The second player acts as a defender.

Control
Set up.... (30x10 grid)
Yellow is an attacker, red a defender, while the two wide players (white)
act as servers. The objective is for the central attacker (yellow) to receive
a pass from the server at one end and play a pass through to the server
at the other end. To help create space the attacker should make a checking run and then cuts back to the ball. The attacker has several options
.. 1. to attack the defender in a 1 vs. 1; 2. manoeuvre the ball so that
the attacker has space to pass the ball around/past the defender to the
opposite server, or 3. if the defender does his job well, simply passing
back to the server from whom the attacker received the initial pass and
starting again.
Progression ..
Add a goal at one end with a keeper.
Coach to observe..
The attacker making a positive checking run.
The attacker dictating the angle and speed of the pass from the
server.
The attacker should recieve the ball on the outside foot, shielding
the ball

Round the Clock

Learning objectives:
 Passing and control
Players: 10-16, in pairs,
Area: 25 x 25 area
Equipment: supply of different coloured markers, one ball between two, two sets of bibs
Set up..
Have the players pair up with a marker each one a yellow, the other a red. Have each player with
the yellow marker form an inner circle about 10m in diameter and place the marker on the ground.
Have the remaining players with the red marker then form a second outer circle by standing opposite their partner about 5-8 meters and placing their markers down. Once the two circles are formed
give each pair a ball and begin passing backwards and forwards between them. After a few minutes
of passing add in the following progressions as desired:
Progression..
 Reds on the outer circle pass to the yellows on the inner circle and follow the pass. Yellows control the pass and dribble to the outside cone..... turn ..... and restart with a pass inward.
 As yellows receive the pass they must control it, turn with it, and dribble 4-5 paces towards the
centre before turning back, dribbling the ball back to their cone and passing back to their partner.
Switch inner and outer circle after a few minutes.
 As the players are passing back and forth the coach yells Switch. On switch the red players rotate around one cone/space in a clockwise direction (i.e., move to a new partner.) Switch inner
and outer circle after a few minutes.
 Same as above except on Switch the reds move to the inner circle while the yellows rotate in a
clockwise direction to the outer circle.
 Red players on outer circle start with the ball and pass to the yellow player on the inner circle who
holds it up. The outside red player then overlaps the inside player and receives a pass back.
Reds go 5-6 times and then the inside yellow players overlap the outer player.
 Make up your own combinations using turns, moves, passes, etc.

Squidge

Coach to observe .....

 alertness and concentration of the players in the latter progressions
 quality to technical elements - passing, control, turns, etc.

Four Square.
Learning objectives
Passing and control
Dribbling / Running with the ball
Players: 10-12 is ideal
Area: 30x30 / 30x40 area
Equipment: selection of markers, two sets of bibs, collection of balls,
Set up....
The game is played in a 30x30 area with four target areas and 10-12 players - four as Target players, and the others as field players. In the diagram below, reds have possession and work together to
get the ball to their Target players in either area. Play begins again with the red Target playing now
making a pass to any yellow field player. Stop play regularly to switch field players with Target players. During play, the Targets must stay in their areas.
Progression..
 Introduce scoring system - every time a Target player is hit successfully, the team score a point.
 Remove/re-position one of the target zones for each team.
 Have the Target zones positioned adjacent to one another as opposed to diagonally.
 Remove the target zones and play keep-away challenging players to control the ball in the direction of the next pass (making direct play possible)
Coach to observe.....
support and communication of the field players
quick movements into space to get open
quality of passing - accuracy, pace, timing, disguise
decision making process - when to pass, to hold and shield, to take on the defender.

Squidge






 Squidge
Squidge

Example of the three channels the

ball can travel through.

Soccer Golf
Set up.... (30x10 grid, four players, two balls, two markers/
cones)
For younger players, make the area shorter depending on age.
Divide the four players into two teams (yellows and reds). The
yellow player with the ball starts by playing a lofted pass to his
partner at the other end of the area. The objective is for his
partner, using one touch only, to control the ball so that it stops
as close to the cone as possible. Leaving the ball where it is,
the yellows stand to the side and now the red team have their
go. The team whose ball stops closest to the cone wins a point.
Play continues with the players that controlled to start, now hit
the lofted pass to their partners.
Note: All passes must go through the air the majority if not all
of the way (i.e. not soft along the ground).
Progression..
Competition, have the winner of one group compete against
the winners of a different group.

Triangle Game
Set up..
Set up three markers approximately 1.5 yards apart in the shape
of a triangle. Organise the players into pairs with a ball between
them. The game starts with one player (yellow) passing the ball
through a channel created by the markers. The opposing player
(red) uses one touch to control the ball into space such that he/
she can then pass the ball through one of the other channels
(i.e., a channel the ball did not come through). Both players are
restricted to 2 touches maximum (one touch to control the ball
into space and the second touch to pass the ball through a different channel). The first player that does not return a pass through
a different channel or uses more than 2 touches loses a point to
his/her opponent.
Progression..
Change restrictions ... control with outside of foot only, pass
with left foot only, etc.
Play a competition between the partners and rotate partners
after a set time. i.e., winners vs. winners, etc.