Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Playing Through The Thirds

Warm Up (5 mins)

Organisation

Pitch size approximately 30ft x 20ft

3 groups of players, each in their own third and with one ball.

Knock ball around in each third - free play.

On coaches command, each team moves to a different grid.

On coaches command, execute a wall pass to one of the other teams.

Coaching Points

Try to incorporate the following in free play:

- One touch passing

- Give and go's

When executing wall passes, ensure communication is clear and the execution is accurate.

Part 2 (15 mins)

Organisation

Defending team starts in the middle third (yellows) and sends 2 players in to win the ball.

The team in possession (whites) knocks the ball around avoiding pressure until THEY decide when to infiltrate the middle third.

Once inside the middle third, the whites must execute a combination (e.g. 1-2, switch, pass) before passing through to the receiving team (reds) for 1 point.

If the yellows win the ball in the whites third, they must find one of their own players in the middle third before passing on to the reds for 1 point.

If the yellows win the ball in the middle third, they must pass to the reds for 1 point.

Each team takes an equal turn in each third.

The team with the most points at the end is the winner.

Coaching Points

- Encourage the team in possession to relax (it's 5v2 after all).

- When is the right time to infiltrate the middle third?

- Encourage spacial awareness.

- Encourage support play offering more than one option for the player on the ball.