Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): D2 - Switching Play

Arrival Drills

Switching play and movement off the ball

Scenario

Midfielder makes the interception and tries to play forward via the wingers but unable to.

Key phrases are: -

Other Door = Switch Play

Start Again = Go Back

Home - To Centre Back

Play

1. Coach plays ball to midfield (Interception)

2. Midfielder plays ball to Right Winger (RW). RW takes a touch and performs a protection turn (Hook, Drag Back) to change direction and play to Home (Start Again)

The turn is the trigger for the RCB and LCB to go wide outside the gates. 

3. The winger plays the ball back to RCB

4. RCB controls the ball on back foot (Left) and plays the ball back to Centre Back (CB). 

5. CB controls the ball with the back foot (l) and plays the ball to the LCB who controls the ball with the left foot. The touch of the LCB is the trigger for the winger (W) to come deep to create space behind. The winger going towards the defender triggers the Striker (S) to move into the space behind as a passing option.

6. LCB then passes to W

7. W squares the ball to M

8. M drives forward which is the trigger for the striker (S) to attack the space created by Ws movement creating a 2 v 1

9. M makes pass and striker scores

Repeat other side and change players

Defence  - Introduce defenders etc. etc.

Coaching Points

• Timing of movement to create space
• Quality of weight and speed of the pass
• Take no more than two touches when switching play
• Midfielders and Wingers playing on different lines and showing short to defenders when appropriate
• Strikers movement into space when Wingers go short
• Midfield and Strikers attacking space to score in response to triggers