Soccer: FC Barcelona star passing pattern

The Hickory High School (Pennsylvania) girls soccer team made history during the 2016 season. Head coach B.J. Rudge and the Lady Hornets became the first team in Mercer County to advance to the final four, recording a school-record 17 shutouts in 24 games while outscoring opponents 148-8.

In talking with Coach & Athletic Director, Rudge shared one of his most valuable practice drills to strengthen team defense.

FC Barcelona star passing pattern

As a coach, I’m always looking for new and inventive ways to train my players. This year, we began to incorporate cognitive-based training into our practices.

This type of training puts the players in situations where they have to deal with a variety of tasks at once, overloading their senses. This helps to improve their mental focus and how quickly they make decisions.

DIAGRAM: Players are positioned at five different cones, and two players start with a ball. Passes begin in a star pattern with players making no more than two touches — one to receive the pass and one to make it, both with the inside of their foot. The player follows his or her pass, joining the line at that respective station.

The constant movement and multiple points of emphasis make this a challenging drill. Players must make eye contact with their targets, focus on their timing and avoid passing into their crossing teammates. Coaches can increase the difficulty of the drill by adding balls or the number of touches with each pass.