Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Playing through Central Midfield Area. (Start Time: 2014-01-27 19:30:00)

Creating & Exploiting space in midfield (20 mins)

Practice organisation

• Area 60x40yds, divided into thirds with central third divided in half

& appropriate size goals at each end, as illustrated.

• 16 players (incl. 2 GK’s), organised in two groups of 8, 2 balls.

• Practice starts with: 3v2 in each end third, plus 2 attacking MF

players for each team in each of two central safe zones, who remain

in their own half.

• MF’s can only provide one touch passes into A’s, through the screen

of their MF opponents.

• Objective of game is to pass through central zones

into A’s who look to link-up play & enter into goal scoring situations

Detail

• Realistic defending in challenge areas.

• Communication between A’s & MF’s essential through recognising

signals & body shape.

• Encourage clever & inventive individual & combination plays by A’s.

• Range of passing skills (which may be disguised) to supply A’s.

• Simple progression for this practice is:

- When receivers are allowed to use 2 touches, D’s may press in

safe zones after opponents’ first touch.

Key coaching points

• Challenges for players include:

- Quick play to open-up forward passing opportunities to A’s.

- A’s timing their movement.

- Combination & support play from front & behind in attacking areas.

- Receiving, passing, turning, dribbling & shooting skills.

- Shielding, passing & turning skills.

- Changing tempo of attacks.

- Playing in between opponents.

- Recognising & exploiting space in front & to side of D’s.

8 v 8 Game (30 mins)

8 v 8 Game: Possession with Purpose (15 mins)

Set-Up: Field is 70yds long x 50yds wide with a half-way line and 2 goals at either end. Two equal teams, with 2 Goalkeepers. Balls distributed beside goals to keep the game flowing when balls go out of play.

Players are restricted to playing forward passes only. Players around the ball need to understand when to give the option of coming to feet or when they have to make a run to receive into space.

Instructions: Play 8 v 8 with offside in effect. Re-start from the GK when a goal is scored or ball goes out of play.

Coaching Points: Stay switched on - immediate transition from defending to attacking

1.Create width and depth 2.Quality and speed of pass 3.Deception of pass 4.Movement off the ball 4.Awareness 5.Can the ball be played early in to striker in attacking zone 5.Give support early and quickly to create overloads in the attacking zone