Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Passing Exercises to encourage midfielders to break lines in a 4-4-2 Diamond

Drill Pt 1 (10 mins)

Numbers:

14 to 16 split into 2 teams

2 players take up coaching roles (rotate every 2 minutes) to hold up coloured bibs green and blue

Setup:

2 passing triangles as above with 20 yards seperating the manakins.

The Session:

- The players at station 1 start with the ball. They run through the manikins and pass the ball onto the player at station 2. Following the pass they then join station 2

- The player at station 2 moves towards the ball to receive and passes the ball the player at station 3. He then follows his pass.

- The player at station 3 moves towards the ball to receive and passes the ball the player at station 1. He then follows his pass.

- Before the players at station 2 or 3 receive a pass, they need to check their shoulder and call out the name of the coloured bib being held up by the player coach

- The session restarts

- Rotate the passing direction every 2 minutes and run the session for 10 minutes

Key Points

- Pace and quality of the pass

- Big movements away from the manikin towards the ball

- Receive the ball on the back foot

- Limited touch passing

- Communication both verbally and physically (hand movements)

Phase (20 mins)

Numbers:

14 to 16 split into 2 teams with one or 2 rotating GK's

Setup:

- A 1/2 pitch practice focusing on passing patterns into midfield utilising the CDM

- Set 3 defensive stations 1,2, and 3

- Set 4 midfeild station 5,6, and 7 and a station for the CDM that has 5 manikins making sheild shape.

- the sheild shape represents 2 Strikers 2 CM's and a CB

The Session pt1

- Reds play first and blues stand static until the first phase is over.

- Play always starts with the GK passing the ball out to one of his full backs

- The CDM breaks the line between the CM and the Striker manikins to receive a pass from the full back

- The full back passes to the CDM who turns (breaks the same line again) and breaks the line between the 2 striker Manikins.

- He then passes to the CB creates an angle and receives the ball back

- The CDM breaks the line between the right striker and CM manikins to play a one two with the 2nd full back.

- Just as the second full receives the ball the CB at station 2 steps into the manikin area to support the CDM passes forward.

- The CDM (once receiving a pass from the second full back plays a one to with the CB in the manikin area and passes to the RCM.

- Once this pass goes forward the players working on stations 1-3 rotate positions (so LB to CB, CB to RB and RB to LB)

The Session pt2

- The RCM receives a pass and plays a the ball back to the CDM

- The CDM breaks the line between the right CM and CB and plays a pass to the LCM.

- The LCM plays a pass to the CAM who then clips a ball back to the keeper

As the ball is travelling players between stations 4-7 rotate (so CDM to LCM, LCM to CAM, CAM to RCM and RCM to CDM) blue become the attacking team

Key Points

- Game like pace.

- Communication between players

- Change of pace to receive a ball and burst to break the lines.

- Develop confidence in receiving a pass between in the pockets between CB CM’s and ST’s

- CDM always on the move – no identical movements

- Receive on the front and back feet

- Different parts of the foot to receive a pass.

- Limited touch turns.

- Fire the ball into feet and develop confidence in your team mates’ first touch.