Soccer – The Practical Guide for Athletes and Coaches from Weekend Warriors to Elite Competitors

In soccer training, it can be extremely challenging to find suitable games and exercises that serve up to the diverse age groups and skill levels encountered in clubs, schools, or recreational settings. This hands-on guide includes 49 games and exercises that can be significantly expanded using the adaptation strategies included. Each activity is demonstrated by an illustration, a detailed description of the procedure, possible variations, helpful coaching tips, and a difficulty assessment. Additionally, 15 selected games and exercises are available as online videos to offer a better understanding and practical support for each training format. Beyond these practical aspects of soccer training, the authors go through foundational concepts, such as the distinction between tactics and techniques or games and drills. They also incorporate scientific insights, especially those related to youth soccer, to provide a well-rounded educational resource. This comprehensive knowledge aims to inspire a broad group of readers, such as university educators with ideas for teaching soccer, provide coaches with actionable solutions for effective practice sessions, assist teachers in managing diverse groups in physical education, and help recreational players expand their repertoire of soccer activities. The Authors Dr. Sebastian Schwab is a soccer lecturer at the Institute for Training Science and Sports Informatics at the German Sport University in Cologne. He also coordinates the Cologne Ball School and serves as a coach at the DFB Talent Project in Cologne. Joscha Balle is a sports scientist, soccer coach, lecturer, and co-founder of ADVANCE.FOOTBALL, a company specializing in the development of youth soccer.