Best Drills

[HawkPatrol]

My favourite drill is the in-close handball. Not only does it help your players polish off their handballing skills, but it teaches them how to handball in tight, and under pressure. Very good drill for the in and under type midfielders.

Circle work is an oldie but a goodie. Its a good way to allow players to practice kicking to a moving target and taking handballs off marking players. Get your players in a big circle and start with 1 ball, then add another and another, depending on your numbers. Also, the players are never standing still, which is good for fitness.

The key to good drills is drills that relate to game play and game sense. Also tailor drills to particular types of players, I find that helps

 

[Colin D'Cops]

I quite like the precision leading drill where you use half of an oval.

This is what it incorporates ;
Coach throws the ball into the centre of the six players who are laying on the ground which are placed on the wing.
When the ball leaves the coaches hand the players rise quickly to their feet, try and win possession of the ball and share the ball with their team mates, then kick to the leading forward players.
All players must stay close to one another until the ball is clearly won. The colour who clears the ball kicks it to their team's forward who's up forward, obviously, leading. Straight after the forward kicks for goal, they all set up for a kick-in with zones, etc.

Here's the link that explains it fully in powerpoint form ;
http://www.swoopercoach.com.au/wp-content/uploads/general-game-plays-using-one-end.pps#257,1,Slide

 

[HawkPatrol]

Another relativly basic but effective drill is where you roll the ball along the ground to a player, who then picks it up while running. Very good to teach players to keep their body behind the ball, and is very good for crumbing forwards

 

[carntheroos4eva]

I know that at umpiring those that train do some sort of similar skill drill to that.
Except for the Boundary umpires you have to have the footy rolling on the ground.

It's pretty interesting.

 

[getthefooty]

My favourite drill is 'initiative square'. It is very simple but highly enjoyable and encourages firm decision making. Basically 4 cones are spread wide apart to form a rough square. Players are sent evenly to each cone. 2 balls are used and it is up to the players to demand the ball. You can run into the square at any time but you must always go to a cone after you finish. You can have as many possessions while you are in the square as you like but you cannot linger for more than about 10 seconds. The drill is fast paced and often looks quite chaotic, but it is very useful to make players commit to their 1st option and helps to develop their in-close handball skills. Loud, directive voices should also be stressed.

 

[ClarkeM]

My favourite drill is one our team called the '6-pac'.
Great and never ending. I will draw a diagram up soon though.

 

[gbatman]

Bring on the Piviot!

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Most footy drills are borrrrrrring as far as I'm concerned. The ball just travels around player to player, run to the next cone, ends up back where it started... and keep going until the coach stops yelling at you to 'hit the target!'

Decision making, handling pressure and winning contests is what it's all about. But this rarely gets practiced at any footy training I've been to.

Take circle work as an example, which I think is the worst drill in the world. Instead have two teams of 6-8 both starting with a footy in the goalsquare. One team has to take it up the right wing, the other team has to take it up the left wing. The 6 blokes can spread themselves out over their wing however they like. Whichever teams kicks a goal up the other end first wins. Then back the other way. Punishments for the losing team.

For Stage 2 maybe add 1 or 2 defenders to try to stop the movement of the ball.

To a boring drill you've now added a time pressure element, you've added a competition element, you've added a tactical element (how to move it quickly and position your team), you've added a consequence for poorly executed skills and - vitally - you've added some intensity and fun.

God I hate footy training.

 

[DoggyMania]

Here is a website with heaps of drills, tatics, training articles and more. It is good for both players and coaches.


http://www.coachafl.com/index.php?pr=Drills_and_Articles