Cognitive exercise - Carrying the ball on the marker

Equipment
  • 4 markers
  • 1 cone
  • sufficient balls to ensure continuity
Preparation
  • Playing area: 15x15 meters
  • Players: 16
  • Duration: 11 minutes
  • Series: 3 series of  3 minutes with 30 seconds of recovery between the series
Cognitive exercise - Carrying the ball on the marker

Summary

Cognitive exercise for younger players to improve concentration and carrying the ball

Organization

Form a 10x10 meters square using 4 different colored markers (red, yellow, green and blue in the figure). Place a cone at the centre of the square. Arrange the whole team in line 5 meters away from the square (as shown in the figure). Give a ball to each player. 

Description

  • The first player of the line (A) starts carrying the ball toward the cone at the centre of the square
  • The coach calls for one marker ( yellow in the figure)
  • Player A runs carrying the ball to the fixed cone 
  • The second player (B), after carrying the ball to the central cone, reaches the opposite cone of player A always carrying the ball
  • The third player (C), after carrying the ball to the central cone, reaches one of the other two free cones of its choice
  • The fourth player (D), after carrying the ball to the central cone, moves to the last cone

 

Coaching Points

  • Give orders in different moments during the exercise to reduce the response times to the proper performing
  • Impose complex sequences to increase difficulty stimulating players
  • The cognitive exercise in football helps to reproduce the mental effort of the match, with different external stimuli and low reaction timings to situation  changes
  • Keep the ball close to the foot
  • Try to perform sure ball touches
  • Keep the bust leaning slightly forward during the ball carrying
  • Keep the head up without looking at the ball
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