Daly's Law Warm-ups

Teaching Daly's Law to Players

Daly's Law Warm-ups

Please adapt the following activities to the age, physical capacities and footballing ability of your players.

Get your players to face one another in two parallel lines across the playing area (see diagram).  Have one ball between two players.  Start 'gently' by making the distance between the two players only ten yards or so (less, say five yards distance, for very young players).

Have the players play passes to each other with vertical weight - rise, drop and bounce(s) - AND horizontal pace - speed parallel to the ground (see diagram).  Use of the instep will be found to deliver both weight and pace most effectively over longer distances but other surfaces of the foot can and should be used also, particularly in relation to short distances.  The 'side' instep might be more appropriate for some very young players.  Getting the kicker's body in the right position prior to striking the ball is also important because this 'circular swing' affects the horizontal angle of the ball's flight.

Now test the players' understanding of the difference between vertical weight and horizontal pace in the flight of a ball by asking them to vary weight and pace in their passes:  'More (horizontal) pace, less (vertical) weight' or 'More weight, more pace', etc.

Don't stop until you are sure that every individual in the team, including the goalkeeper, understands the difference, unique to Daly's Law Coaching, between vertical weight and horizontal pace in the movement of a soccer ball.

 Progressions

1

Increase the distance between the players by, for example, five yards at a time, so that they can gradually build up their confidence and technique in delivering weighted balls effectively over longer distance than the original five or ten yard distances.  Increase speed of execution also.

2

Get your players to move 'into' the pass from their colleague, then let it run underneath them before spinning and sprinting onto the weighted ball in space.  This is a classic soccer deception that depends on the initial pass having just the right amount of horizontal pace to ensure that the ball goes 'under' the target player into the space behind him and enough vertical weight to control the horizontal pace of the ball once it does so - thereby allowing the turning player to spin and race onto a perfectly weighted ball in space.

It is vital that players are taught the importance of speed of movement - instant and explosive - in relation to the ball being weighted into space in this exercise and the following ones.  Daly's Law Coaching is NOT a leisurely activity.  

3

Get the players to weight their passes into the 'channel' space to the right or left of their target player, with the target player turning onto the weighted ball in space and moving away at speed before coming back and playing a further weighted ball into the 'channel' space on the right or left sides of their colleague (who does the same thing).  Increase distances; short at first, then longer, as players' confidence and ball manipulation techniques and skills develop.

4

Now get the players to build on the initial weighted ball into space by doing a 'trick' before returning the ball into space for their colleague with vertical weight and horizontal pace (who does the same thing).

It is imperative that players are inspired to develop genuine flexibility (suppleness) and strength in their ankles and feet generally, as well as in the rest of their muscles and joints, so as to be enable them to manipulate the ball expertly at close quarters and over short, medium and long distances.

Your own progressions ...

Devise your own progressions, ensuring that each one begins as a Daly's Law Start, namely a ball into space (vertical as well as horizontal) with vertical weight and horizontal pace.  You can utilise throw-ins and free kicks if you wish, as well as headers, chest downs, one two combinations, etc, with the target player always being required to carry on the Daly's Law Start with a futher play of some sort, improvised or otherwise.

What is juggling, except weighting - rising and dropping - the ball in (vertical) space?  The same goes for keeping the ball up with the head - or the thigh, etc.  What are volleys and half volleys off a wall?   The ball is weighted into space off the wall because it rises and drops and bounces up again.  Think on ...

Progress to playing a series of interlinked Daly's Law Starts in one sustained pattern, e.g.  a one two combination followed by a short or medium pass, followed by a chip, chest-down or header - all weighted into space for the target player(s) to run onto - and into top performance.  You will need to increase the size of your player groups to do this.  Use goals and nets anywhere and everywhere!  Never lose an opportunity to highlight the creative, attacking possibilites of a rebound into space - every one of which constitutes a weighted ball in space for a player to run onto.

Always use the words ''pace'' and '' weight'' correctly when coaching your players in their passing, crossing, shooting, heading, running with the ball, dribbling it, etc - and make sure that your players understand and use these terms correctly also.

Encourage the players to improvise their own Daly's Law Starts, continuation plays and finishing plays in small groups of two or three.  Always get them to understand the movement of the ball in terms of vertical weight and horizontal pace at any and every point in their play.