Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Playing Forward - Striking the ball

Playing forward - passing, receiving and movement (20 mins)

Practice Objective:

• Exercise aimed at encouraging players to look and play forward, with the aim of playing into the target player in the end zone.
• Key Principle - BP, effective possession.
• 20 minutes - 6x3min/2R

Set Up

• 1 bag of balls
• 2 sets of bibs
• cones 
• agility poles
• 25m x 15m pitch, divided into 4 zones as above

Practice Explanation:

• The aim of the exercise is for each team to play the ball through the zones to find their target player in the end zone. Each time this is achieved, 1 point.
• The game is always restarted by the team that just won a point retrieving a ball from the opposite end and starting the build up again. 
• Initially, players must respect their zones. 

Coaching Points

• Striking the ball - firm pass. Short or long - can we play direct to the target player, or do we need to move the ball in short passes to feet. Ball speed and accuracy.

• First touch - player in 1v3 situation - can they control the ball closely and shield from the defenders. Body between the defender and the ball. Receiving the ball on the move.

• Movement - are players constantly moving, trying to open up the space and create passing angles or pulling defenders away to open space for others. Can we identify the where the space is? 
• Awareness - scanning for the defenders and identify the space.

Progression

• Move 1 player from each team in the centre zones to create 2 x 2v2 situation
  
• allow players to break out of their 3v1 situation by either playing a 1-2 with their teammate in the attacking half or running with the ball across the halfway line. Must re-set to original position after each point.

Session Review and Feedback: