PRACTICE TOPICS MENU

This menu outlines the main areas you can pull from when planning practices. Coaches can choose from any of these categories to build sessions that fit their team’s needs.

Game Phases

These describe the main moments of the game.

• Attacking (we have the ball)

• Defending (they have the ball)

• Transition to Attack (we just won the ball)

• Transition to Defense (we just lost the ball)

Game Situations

These are the common scenarios that happen in a game.

Starts and Restarts

• Kickoffs 

• Goal Kicks

• Corner Kicks

• Throw-ins 

• Free Kicks 

• Penalty Kicks

• Dropped Balls 

Open Play

• Ball is in defensive third

• Ball is in attacking third

• Goalkeeper has ball

• Defending in your half

• Playing under pressure

• 1v1 situations

• Overload and underload

• Breakaway

Team Concepts

These are the ideas that help players understand how the game works and how to play together.

Core Game Organizers

• Communication

• Possession

• Shape, Positioning & Sliding

• Space — Creating It & Taking It Away

Team Defending

• Goal-Side & Protecting the Goal

• Protecting the middle

• Press & Cover

Team Attacking

• Getting Open & Supporting the Ball

• Intentional Passing Decisions

• Movement After the Pass or Shot

• Attacking Decision-Making (Pass vs Dribble vs Shoot)

• Building Out of the Back

• Creating Angles (Triangles)

• Switching the Field

Awareness, Confidence & Physical Play

• Using Your Body & Playing Strong

• Confidence Under Pressure

• Awareness Beyond the Ball

Individual Skills

These are the technical tools players use to execute actions in the game.

Ball Control & First Touch

• Controlling with different surfaces (inside, outside, sole, laces)

• First touch into space

• First touch away from pressure

• Keeping the ball close

Receiving

• Receiving on the ground

• Receiving in the air

• Receiving with different surfaces

• Receiving while moving

• Receiving under pressure

Passing

• Inside of the foot passing

• Passing with accuracy

• Passing with appropriate weight

• Short passing

• Longer passing

• One-touch passing

• Passing while moving

Dribbling (Control-Oriented)

• Close control dribbling

• Dribbling into space

• Changing speed

• Changing direction

• Keeping head up while dribbling

Shooting

• Striking with laces

• Shooting with accuracy

• Shooting with power

• Shooting on the move

• Finishing from close range

Defending (1v1)

• Closing down space

• Staying balanced

• Timing a tackle

• Poking or blocking the ball

• Forcing play one direction

Shielding

• Using the body to protect the ball

• Keeping the ball away from pressure

• Turning away from defenders

• Maintaining possession under pressure