Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): General Aerobic fitness session

General Aerobic session (10 mins)

General Aerobic session

Organisation

5 x red, 5 Blue bibs.

Plenty of Footballs will be near the coaches on either end of both 18 yard boxes.

Area size - Full pitch dependent of players age and period of the season.

The session details

5 v 5, both teams try to keep possession of the ball in the 18 yard box, for every 5 passes then that team gets a point. Coaches will be ready on the edge of both boxes to keep a ball in play. On coaches whistle after 30 sec both set of players must run to the other 18 yard box and do the same for another set of 30 sec. Each block will be 3 x 30 sec before recovery for 2 min 30 sec. Repeat 3 x block.

Challenge and Conditions

Dependent on what time of the season it is or players age.

1. Make the pitch smaller.

2. Less or more time between reps

3. Less or more passes to score a point.

4. Point for the first player / team to reach the opposite 18 yard box.

Physical Considerations

This session we will be working on endurance, speed, strength, recovery time and general fitness. 

The conditions are based on what you want from your players, if you want more intensity you can make the pitch smaller with less time in between reps which gives them less recovery time in between sprints. Also giving the players that challenge of a point form the first player/team in to 18 yard box is replicating a recovering run from a defender / midfielder in a realistic game scenario. 

Technical Returns

In possession

1. Teams make the pitch big, width and depth

2. Play through, around or over

3. Can they exploit overloads (While the other team might be slow in transition from one box to the next)

Out of possession

1. Keep narrow

2. Force them wide

3. Press quickly

4. Leave furthest man

Tactical 

Brings an element of realism to the drill as in every game there will be a point that you will have to make that recovering run after losing the ball in attack, or breaking quickly in the other direction. As the session goes on you will discover that the ball retention becomes easier or harder as the different fitness levels of players become apparent. 

The team that keeps possession has more recovery time as the team out of possession have to work hard in the 18 yard box to try and gain possession.