Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Midfield combining with target player

Main Theme

Organization: 2 games going on at same time side by side. 2 endzones marked out with a player from each team in each end zone.

Instructions: Teams aim to play the ball into their player in the end zone. The player who passes the ball into the target player switches with the target player, and target player now comes into the field of play now looking to play into the opposite end zone.

Coaching Points:

Look to play the ball on the floor long, as you will still be able to see the short option. If you are only looking short you will not be able to see the deeper option.

Players off ball must provide support option, and the target player must be moving to provide an option to receive the ball.

Quick decision making (when we see the opportunity to play into target we must take that opportunity, if it is not on play ball short or backwards to maintain possession.

Progressions:

Add more players in end zone if proving to be difficult to find an available target player.

Conditioned Game

Organization: 3 equal numbered teams (ideal would be 3 teams of 5), set up three target areas, with the central target area

Instructions: 1 team plays towards goal, the defending team looks to win the ball and play into one of the players in the target area. If the defending team is able to play the ball into a target player in one of the areas, they come off the field and take the place t was not playing, and the previous attacking team becomes the defending unit as the new team is now attacking towards the goal.

In the scenario above white is the team attacking the goal, Blue is defending and green is the team off the field. Blue has won the ball and played into the targets, blue will now trade places with green, green will now become the team attacking the goal, and white is now the defending team

Coaching Points:

Holding midfielders Look to play the ball on the floor long, as you will still be able to see the short option. If you are only looking short you will not be able to see the deeper option.

Players off ball must provide support option, and the target player must be moving to provide an option to receive the ball.

Quick decision making (when we see the opportunity to play into target we must take that opportunity, if it is not on play ball short or backwards to maintain possession.

If ball is lost immediate high pressure to not let them out of their defending area, with one of the holding midfielders dropping deeper to be able to collect long balls before they can reach a target player.

Progressions: