Football/Soccer Session (Advanced): Playing through the thirds - Central area.

Technical Warmup

Organization:

Set up the playing area as shown with 8 Mannequins creating to banks of 4 in the middle of the field.

Instructions:

- At the start of the technical warmup, the players are spit into two groups to work on their passing and receiving techniques, movement off the ball and their decision making.

- The ball starts with the players at the end. The attacker (player 0) passes to the player who is positioned on the left mannequin (player 1) who receives the ball and sets it back to the same player. Player 0 then passes to the player on the second mannequin on the left (player 2) to then pass back to player 1 who then passes forward to the Target player at the end.

- The players follow their pass and rotate around to the left.

- The practice is then repeated in the oppositie direction after 3 minutes to allow the players to experience the exercise in the opposite direction.

Coaching Points/Questions:

1. Body Shape - Players need to look to have good body shape throughout the practice with their hips in ine with the ball to receive the pass on the angle.

2. Movement to Support - To improve forward play, attackers should look to support around the ball when passing through the lines, offering to support whilst also meeting the ball to improve passing. Players also need to keep game realistic movements in mind.

3. Rhythm and Tempo of Passes - Players need to recognize when to change the rhythm of passes depending on the position of the field. Slower passes simulate drawing out the opposition to then speeding up as the spaces become smaller and closer to the attacking goal

Progressions:

1. Pass, Set and Pass Diagonally - The ball starts with the players at the end. The attacker (player 0) passes to the player who is positioned on the left mannequin (player 1) who receives the ball and sets it back to the same player. Player 0 then passes to the player on the second mannequin on the right (player 2), diagonally, to then pass back to player 1 who then passes forward to the Target player at the end.

2. Decision Making / Rotate Possessions - Now with only 1 ball per group. Players can pass to anyone and use a variety of combinations, turns and dribbles to break the lines and pass forward. The objective is to keep each position occupied (mannequins). The exercise repeats.

Conditioned Game

Organization:

Same setup as shown.

Instructions:

Blues starts as the attacking team.

Yellows starts as the defending team.

Reds starts as the resting team.

Greens always play as neutrals (link players).

The ball starts with the Coach who plays a high ball to the Goalkeeper. In this case, the attacking team that starts play are the Blues. There are 2 players in Green players in the centre (1 in the 'attacking half' and 1 in the 'defensive half') with both of them being the link players for the attacking team, they always look to play with the team that is in possession. There are 4 defenders (Yellows), 3 in one half with 1 in the other half. The lone yellow player applies immediate pressure on the ball once the play is live, being able to block passes to the other link player in their own half and pressing to stop blues build up in the attacking half while the other 3 defenders defend the defensive half during the first phase.

Once the Goalkeeper catches the ball, the Goalkeeper play to the attacking team (Blues) who look to play their first pass to one of the link players (Green) in the other half. The defending team (Yellow) must start behind the cones on the opposite side of the field but are active to defend their goal as the Blue team passes to one of the link players. This creates a 7v5 game. The game has 3 balls that are played in at different times to replicate game-like scenarios:

1.The ball is played to the attacking team (Blue) for the Goalkeeper to catch and play out from the back and into midfield.

2.Another ball is played to the attacking team (Blue) in the attacking half, to replicate breaking down a low block.

3.The final ball is played to the defending team (Yellow) who must transition by passing to the link player on the other side (Green) replicating a counter-attack whilst the Blue team recovers.

Once the coach has finished putting the 3 types of scenarios into the practice, the Yellow team now becomes the attacking team, with the Red team becoming the defending team and the Blue team walk behind the goal of where the Yellows were, originally. The practice, and 3 balls, start again.

Coaching Points/Questions (Attacking Team):

1. Timing - When moving through the lines, players need to focus on the speed of combination but just as importantly their timing. Players need to time their passes for their teammates to arrive at the ball and into space. When timing runs, especially in the attacking third, players should arrive 'late and fast' to replicate game situations.

2. Movement to Support - Players need to use intelligent movement on different lines to their teammate to offer sufficient width, depth, and length. When in the attacking third, players need to focus on the 3 key areas of the box, back post, front post and edge of the box to cover goal scoring positions.

3. Rhythm and Tempo of Passes - When playing through the thirds, players need to focus on their rhythm of passes to 'catapult' each other through the field, moving from slow (to draw out the opponent) to quick (when spaces are found and the team is closer to the goal). Also when switching play, players must do this quickly to unbalance the opposition.

4. What if moments?

Coaching Points/Questions (Defending Team):

1. Defending Principles: Pressure, Cover, Balance, Delay and Compactness.

2. Angle and speed of approach.

3. Force play into one direction i.e. outside / inside.

4. Be able to see the opponent and the ball.

5. Correct distances between defending players.

6. Don't dive in.

7. Communication i.e. I go, I got you covered etc.

8. Defend i.e. blocks, tackles, clearances etc.

9. Transition quickly to attack / counter attack upon winning possession.

Progression:

1. 8v8 free play.