The Grassroots Session

THE GRASSROOTS
• Main objectives of the session: SESSION
 To play football
 To learn Play
Play with
with joy
joy
 To have FUN

The idea is to “learn to play by playing”

 The main part will consist of games and exercises; they

have to be mixed and, most importantly, cover the objectives
the coach educator has set for the session.
 The focus of the sessions must be on games played in small
teams  small-sided games
The GAME
THE GAME
• The GAME gives great joy to children.
• Presents fundamental and simple situations, accessible to all
the children and related to their motivations.
• The grassroots approach to football has the following
characteristics:
• It is a GAME
• It is presented in PLAYED forms
• It is simplified and adapted to the characteristics of the child
• It offers the two fundamental situations in football: playing
with and against others.
SMALL-SIDED GAMES
Importance of Small-Sided

Games (SSG)
There is statistical evidence of the benefits of small-
sided games as compared to 11-a-side:
 Players touch the ball five times more in 4 v 4 and 50%
more in 7 v 7.
 Players attempted three times more 1 versus 1 in 4 v 4 and
two times more in 7 v 7.
 Goals were scored an average of every 2 minutes in 4 v 4
and 4 minutes in 7 v 7.
 There were between two and four times more technical
skills performed by goalkeepers in 7 v 7 than 11 v 11.
 The ball is out of play 8% of the game in 4 v 4 , 14% in 7 v 7
and 34% in 11 v 11.
SMALL-SIDED GAMES
• In small-sided games, each player:
Plays all the time.


 Receives the ball very often.

 Tries to score all the time.

 Has freedom to play.

 Is always encouraged by the coach.

 Is supported by his/her parents and coach educators.

BASIC

SKILLS
Basic Technique:
The techniques can be classified into three families:
• Controlling & Passing the ball

• Dribbling with the ball

• Hitting the ball - Shooting

 GRASSROOTS
GRASSROOTSSESSION
THE GRASSROOTS SESSION SESSION

Evaluation Purpose
Purposeofof
Evaluationofof the
Number
Numberofof
the
thesession
session thesession
session participants
participants

GRASSROOTS
GRASSROOTS Level
Evaluation
Evaluation SESSION Levelofofthe
the
SESSION participants
participants

Selection
Selectionofofgames
games
Organisation Material
Materialfor
forthe
the
Organisationofof session
and exercises
and exercises
the
thefield
field session
Thank you