U-14 TRAINING PRIORITIES
U-13 and U-14: DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUAL SKILLS, INDIVIDUAL AND SMALL GROUP TACTICS.
HIGH PRIORITY: The importance of possession: DO NOT GIVE THE BALL AWAY!!! Development of individual skill. All practices must challenge the player in competition.
Understanding of combination play:
- Support
- Takeovers
- Wall pass
Individual and small group defending. One session in three devoted to 1v1's, 2v2's, 3v3's.
Develop an understanding of:
- Delay
- Tracking back
- Depth
- Balance
LOWER EMPHASIS Functional play, Team play, Set Plays.
All activities should be challenging, motivating and involve TRANSITION!!!
U-16 TRAINING PRIORITIES
U-15 and U-16: DEVELOPMENT OF GROUP SKILL / TACTICS.
HIGH PRIORITY: Development of individual skill should be covered in the warm-up. Understanding of combination play:
- Support
- Takeovers
- Wall pass
- Third man running
- Overlap
DO NOT GIVE THE BALL AWAY!!!
One session in three devoted to 3v3's, 4v4's, 5v5's.
Develop an understanding of:
- Depth - role of strong side defenders.
- Balance - role of weak side defenders
- Compactness
- Communication - who, what, when.
LOWER EMPHASIS: Functional play, team play, set plays.
All activities should be challenging, motivating, and involve TRANSITION!!!
U-17 TRAINING PRIORITIES.
U-17: DEVELOPMENT OF POSITIONAL PLAY.
Individual and group skill should be covered in the warm-up.
Functional Play:
- Attacking roles and responsibilities
a) b) Defending roles and responsibilities. One in three practices devoted to defending principles of play.
Match - related practice: offense vs. defense
Crossing: Develop a complete understanding of:
- Crossing angle.
- Overlaps.
- near and far post runs.
Set Plays: Develop a complete understanding of:
- Attacking and defending responsibilities at corner kicks and all other restarts.
- The importance of possession from throw-ins in defensive and midfield third of field versus possession and creativity in the final third
All activities should be challenging, motivating, and involve TRANSITION!!!
U-18 TRAINING PRIORITIES
U-18 DEVELOPMENT OF TEAM PLAY.
Individual and group skill should be covered in the warm - up. Functional play. Training players for specific positions and roles.
Team Play:
- Match - related practice; offense vs. defense
- Match conditioned. One in three practices devoted to the defensive aspects of the game.
Players should have a complete understanding of the principles of team play.








