Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Playing Between the Lines

Playing Between the Lines

Key Factors

• The aim of the game is to get the ball from one target man (in black) to the other target mine by playing through the lines
• The target men are neutral and play the ball back to whoever plays it to them
• The wingers are also neutral, although if numbers allow one winger for each team can be used
• Players must stay in their assigned half, but can follow their pass into the other half
• The ball must be touched in each half before a goal can be scored

Organisation

• 25x15 yards
• Switch the target men and wingers every few minutes

Progressions

• Take the wingers out and put them in the middle (non-neutral) to take the wide option out and force the ball through congested areas in the middle
  
• Introduce a defensive overload by use of neutral players to make the gaps smaller
• Take out the own half rule so players can go where they want

•  The defensive players should be making the gaps between their lines as small as possible, so movements should be made to stretch them
  
• Can we find the half spaces between the lines and play on the half turn to advance forwards
• The quicker we pass the ball, the more stretched the defence will become