This Technical practice is played in a 36 x 36 yard area, broken down into 4 x 4 squares, with 3 or 4 teams of 4 creating effective supporting angles, and movement, whilst unopposed. Objective is for each team to simply move the ball around the area whilst avoiding other players in the area, and developing an understanding of how to rotate with teammates during this phase.
Attacking Emphasis90%90%
Defending Emphasis10%10%
Age Group
Number of Players
Minutes
Key Coaching Points: Receive on the Move
Players must now receive a pass in another area to where they are as pass is played. This will slow play down, yet will encourage players to think about weight of pass and verbal and non verbal cues will be more important with this progression.
Progression 1: Rotational Movement
We can progress this by allowing two players to support the striker, with a defender now active on their first touch, 1 recovering defender will create a 3 v 2 situation. Ensure we rotate attackers and defenders throughout the practice.
Progression 2: Players must now rotate with another player in a different square after they have played the pass. This will encourage players off the ball not to just focus on receiving the next pass, but on the movement to create space with passing player.
Key Coaching Points
– Passing quality – Movement to receive on the front foot. – Avoiding obstacles and traffic during play
Q&A
How can you avoid other players in your movement off the ball?
Between a 20 and 30 yard area depending on age group coached, we play a 3 v 3 plus targets changing to a 4 v 4 with a goal and GK at each end. Players must combine with a central target player to score with quick combination. Area has two central 5 yard zones where target players must play 1 or 2 touch combinations with the attacking team.
Focus efforts on playing through either of the 2 central floaters. Defenders will be protecting target players, so players may need to play around the opposition to create better angles to combine.
Progression 2
Progress the practice by allowing rotation between central target players, with a single player in each box for each team.
Progression 3
Central players can now rotate with a teammate after their pass. This will focus players and motivate targets to join in attacks, by checking for advanced teammates to connect with. Focus attention on playing on the half turn to ensure they play quickly. You may even stipulate a 2 touch rule to focus them on having to assess teammates’ position.
Progression 4
Central players can drive out of the square to initiate attacks quicker on their first touch. Now central players will be focusing on the space they can drive into, rather than teammates to connect with. This is fine, as they become more positive with the ball and identify available space to penetrate with their first touch.
Key Coaching Points
Try to allow free play and recognise opportunities for possession team to combine quickly with forward passes. If opposition start to protect target players, may need to enforce passing conditions (e.g. 10 passes a goal) to force pressure. Be creative and think about other progressions that could be implemented using STEP model, or ask players to create their own.
Q&A
– How well do you connect with central players and why? – Where are you facing difficulties and how can you overcome this? – How does each progression change your attitude to the game? – What problems have you had to solve?
This practice develops passing and movement with quick, short sharp combinations in tight spaces off the striker.
With players in each corner of the square, player 1 plays a square pass to player 2, who then passes into the striker to set player 1 who crosses over with player 2.
Once connected, a pass is played through to the opposite pair who will repeat the sequence in the opposite direction.
The main focus of the session is to build supporting runs off the striker with cross over movement from midfield. This is most likely going to come from attacking midfield players or inside wingers looking to connect off the central striker.
Key Coaching Points: 1 Touch Set /3rd Man Runs
Timing is crucial and the ability to play on one touch to break defences down quickly is important to transfer to the game. If you have younger players and they require that extra touch, allow 2 touches until you can add that constraint to challenge them further.
Progression 1: 1-2 Combination to Maintain Flow
After central combination with the striker, the forward running player must play a 1-2 off 1 touch with the support player in the opposite corner, playing the pass into space for the receiving player to run onto. This is key in games, as players look to connect quickly and move onto a moving ball rather than receive one to feet under pressure from defenders, especially in attacking areas where there is space for them to break into.
There are many more progressions that can be applied to this soccer practice, including a coach call for players to change direction, adding another ball, rotating the striker with the passing player on each sequence and much more. Just art is knowing when and how to introduce each one to challenge the team and then individuals specifically.
Key Coaching Points
Timing of movement to meet set from striker
Weight of pass into striker
Control to set oncoming support players
Intelligence to pick up sequence and adapt with progressions
Q&A
1. What are the challenges you are facing in this practice?
2. How can you move the ball quicker and maintain control?
3. Where on the pitch would you expect to see this and can visualise your movement?
This practice focuses on players rotational movement to create space in a central area, before reacting to winning possession. With a 30 x 30 Yard area and 15 x 15 Yard central area, 4 players keep possession against 2 centrally. 2 defending players who win possession can breakout with 4 outside players to create a 6 v 4 overload. Develop rotational movement between central players and outside players to create space to exploit.
Central players must rotate every 5 passes, through effective verbal and non verbal communication (e.g. Eye Contact and hand gestures) to move opposition players around.
Coaching Effect: Transition when Possession Won
When Blues win possession, they must now break out into the larger area into a 6 v 4 overload practice. Blues can rotate central players providing more flexibility, yet keeping 2 players in the central area at any one time, with whites pressing on the outside to regain.
Progression: Add Goals to Add Focus and Challenge
Progress by now introducing 4 goals as shown. Whites can finish in any of the 4 goals on the outside after making 10 passes or splitting 2 defenders. focus on speed of possession transfer as soon as defenders are split.
Key Coaching Point: Initiate immediate possession after goal
Coach must pass a ball in immediately after they score in one of the 4 mini goal to encourage whites to finish in any of the other 3 goals, again by making 10 passes or splitting defenders in the central zone.
Key Coaching Point: Draw Pressure on the Outside to Switch Play
Objective for Blues when they win possession is to keep the ball on this expanded area to make 10 passes before finishing in the goals themselves. If whites win the ball they take it back to a 4 v 2 in the central area, repeating the challenge to get 10 passes or split both defenders.
Key Coaching Points
Tactical | Recognise when to rotate to move opposition players
Technical | Passing quality to keep the ball in tight spaces
Social | Player understanding of when to move out and replace teammates in space created
Q&A
Where is the space on regaining possession and how can you exploit this?
How do defenders react with slow possession and when you speed up possession?
This possession practice is a 5 v 5 + GKs, with 2 of those being target players, who players will need to connect with, allowing them to come into play and be replaced by existing possession players during the build up. Below are some key coaching points and progressions that can be applied to different age groups.
Defending teams will attempt to cover these players and so attacking team must work angles and spaces to combine in central areas. It’s crucial that players stay calm in their play and don’t force play, moving defenders away from the space they want to exploit.
Key Coaching Point 1: Playing Through Both Corners
Movement to create and use space | Go & Show. 1-2 touch combinations – Players must combine with players in each corner before finishing, unless they can make 10 passes to attack goal. Defenders will now need to decide whether to press the ball, or protect corners resulting in them becoming disjointed.
Progression 1: Rotational Movement Between Zones
Rotational Movement for players in and out of zones to develop increased movement and interchanging of positions. This will encourage positivity for corner players knowing they can now be involved in play. Rotation must be quick however, with a 2-3 second maximum on transition.
Progression 2: Teammate Rotation Off The Ball
We can now develop interchanging movement of players off the ball to enhance player awareness. The passer can no longer switch with the corner player, this must come from a teammate away from the ball. This also means it is more difficult for the possession team, with one less player for them to connect with during this transfer.
Progression 3: Opposite Side Rotations
The final progression in this practice for now, is a difficult one for younger players to adapt to and so progress with caution. When a combination and rotation is played with a corner player, another teammate must rotate with the player in the opposite corner. This is great to see those players who are switched on and recognise they must play away from the ball. This is super to develop player’s thought processes and encourage them not to keep chasing the ball, fantastic to see how quickly some players adapt to this session.
Key Coaching Points
– Passing quality – Change in speed to Penetrate – First touch to break out of areas – Game intelligence to use space wisely
Q&A
– How quickly are players picking up the practice? – What are the issues you are facing as an attacking team? – Are you able to take your first touch out of the square? How and Why? – How can this transfer to the game?
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