170 Small-Sided Games PDF

 Train the four pillars of soccer development with these innovative games

Modern soccer confronts players with greatly reduced playing space and time.

The 11 vs 11 game is evermore physical and faster.

To succeed in this environment players need constantly improving game-playing knowledge and experience.

Their see-think-decide sequencing must be constantly improved and accelerated. 

Successful coaches now commonly employ many different small sided games (SSGs) in which players are forced to improve technically, tactically, physiologically and psychologically.

SSGs are characterized by fewer players executing in smaller spaces with rules designed to bring-out the coach’s desired playing behaviors.

Because of team or group sizes the coach typically supervises several of the same SSGs at once.

Initially SSGs were used to achieve technical improvement and tactical understanding.

However studies and research indicate, when SSGs are appropriately structured, physiological and psychological improvements occur as well.

This reduces the need for separate training to improve such physical features as speed, stamina, strength, etc.

Coaches find SSGs useful for

 - players of all abilities and ages regardless of where they are in the world.

- reproducing features of normal 11 vs 11 games.

- providing evidence of individual and team improvement.

- providing every player more frequent ball touches.

- forcing all players in a SSG to perform.

- stimulating game understanding among players and the team.

- forcing constant and more rapid player decisions.

- improving a team’s attacking, defending and transition phases.

 Before he designs or chooses a SSG the coach decides what feature of the game he wants his player, team or group to improve (goal scoring, possession, defending, transitions, etc.).

He will account for each of his players’ age and skill level.

He will assure many repetitions of the behavior he is seeking to improve.

And he will expect to provide objective and accurate corrections that stimulates player reasoning.

My aim is to describe and explain useful SSGs I’ve developed and used as I’ve trained university teams in Brazil.

I hope you find them as useful.

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