Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Split passes to penetrate (Start Time: 2015-07-30 18:00:00)

Ball Mastery Warm Up (15 mins)

Warm Up (Ball Mastery and Technique Work - 15 mins)

Setup - Players are separated in 4 groups, with each group being split into 4 stations 8 yards apart. Each station has a ball and there is a goal at the end of each group.

Instruction (Exercise 1: 7 minutes) -Players move through the sequence of stations in each group, lasting 30 seconds at each station.

Station 1: Scissor, outside touch

Station 2: Drag and Push / L-Turn

Station 3: Inside, Inside, Outside, Drag Towards

Station 4: Stepover, outside touch

Instruction (Exercise 2: 7 minutes) - Players have a ball each and start at station 1. They drive through station 3 performing a quick turn (cruyff, dragback, L-Turn, etc) to change direction, drive back to station 2, perform another quick turn before passing into the goal at the end of the group.

Last 2 minutes: Competition to see which team can score the most goals.

Coaching Points - Correct use of skills, passing, turns

Split Passes Unopposed/Opposed (15 mins)

Split passes Unopposed/Opposed - 15 mins

Setup - Players 1 and 3 are approximately 12 - 15 yards apart, with 2 opponents between them. 2 defenders play narrow and close together. Player 2 plays out to the right side of player 1 as a wide option to receive the ball.

Instruction -  Aim of the exercise is for player 1 to play a split pass between 2 defenders into the feet of player 3. Player 1 can use player 2 as a bounce pass to separate the 2 defenders, which will allow for a greater space between the 2 and make the split pass easier (using width to create space centrally)

To begin with, 2 defenders will only apply slight pressure (not allowed to win ball) to allow success at beginning of exercise. Pressure will gradually be increased to pull pressure as exercise progresses.

Progression - Once the ball is fed into player 3, he lays the ball off in front of player 2 who looks to play a pass into the empty goal to score 1 point. Explain to players how this would translate into a match situation to ensure players do not just think of the practice as just an exercise.

Coaching Points - Correct weight and accuracy of pass, quick tempo to passing (don't allow opponents to close spaces once they have opened), head up, driven pass through the split

Small Sided Game (15 mins)

Small Sided Game - 15 mins

Setup - Using 1/3 of the field, players will play a small sided game with 6 goals. 1 team will attack 3 goals with the other team attacking the other 3 goals. The central goal is worth 2 goals, whilst the 4 goals in the wider positions are worth 1 goal.

Instruction - Players are again encouraged to use split passes in order to try and score into the goals. If the split passes are not on, players can move the ball into wider areas and score in the outer goals. This will force the team out of possession to track the ball down and leave space centrally.

Progressions -  If success is coming to easy for the players the field can be decreased in size, or certain goals can be taken away.  If teams are struggling to see success 1 or 2 players may be used as support players for the team in possession. This ensures the attacking team always has an overload when in possession.

Coaching Points - Weight and accuracy of pass, encourage width (WHY?), create angles (WHERE?), maximize space, quick passing, give and go's (WHY?)