Football/Soccer Session (Advanced): Possession to Penetrate Against Organized Defenses in Low/Mid Block

3v2 Three-goal game (15 mins)

Set Up

Use an area 15*20 to play 3v2. The team of 3 (red) are attacking and scoring on the three mini goals while the team of 2 (blue) are defending the three mini goals. 

The attacking team of 3 is allowed to go anywhere inside the area while the defensive team of 2 is restricted to the defensive half closest to the three mini goals. 

Coaching Points: 

• OPPORTUNITIES TO PENETRATE - Players should be encouraged to be patient in possession and wait for opportunities to punch passes into a mini-goal once a passing line is open.
• DISGUISED PASSING - Players are encouraged to use disguised and reverse passes to make play unpredictable. These are useful when the defenders are blocking straight passes.
• BODY SHAPE TO PLAY OFF ONE TOUCH - Challenging the players to have an open body when receiving, so they can see the target goal and the teammate passing to them, will give them a better chance to play into a mini-goal off one touch.
• QUALITY OF PASS - Passes must be punched in with the correct weight and accuracy. This will help when trying to move defenders around to create space to play into a mini-goal.
• UNPREDICTABILITY “SPOIL THE RHYTHM” - Team A must look to be unpredictable and create goalscoring passes at every opportunity. This will create uncertainty in the defenders and make it harder for them to get into a rhythm out of possession.

COACHING DETAILS OUT OF POSSESSION

• MOVEMENT & COMMUNICATION - Players are encouraged to move their feet quickly in order to prevent easy passing lines into the mini-goals
• The coach should also stress the importance of communicating as a pair to minimise the chances of balls being played through the middle of them.

7v8 Functional Play

Set Up: 

Use half the field with a full size goal on the goal line and two counter goals on the midfield line. The field is divided into five vertical zones, these zones will be used as tactical reference points. The attacking team (red) plays in 5-2 (from a 3-5-2). The defending team (blue) plays in a 4-3 formation. Attacking team tries to play through the opposition and score on the full size goal, the opposition try to score in the two counter goals. 

Coaching Points: 

• OCCUPYING ALL FIVE LANES - The attacking team should be encouraged to use all five lanes across the pitch. Keeping the wing-backs as wide as possible will stretch the pitch and create space inside for the players to combine, circulate and penetrate. 
• FINDING SPACE IN MIDFIELD - Challenge the midfield players to find space to receive in between opposition units. A numerical advantage here should give the attacking team an opportunity to combine successfully through the middle of the pitch.
  
• RECEIVING HIGH AS A WING-BACK - When making passing angles, the wing-backs should stay as high as possible and attempt to play off the opposition midfield players. This way, they can take their first touch beyond and take them out of the game.
  
• POSITIONAL DISCIPLINE - Stress the importance of staying within the set system and using passes to exploit the opposition’s weak areas.