Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): U7 Match Preperation

3v3 (10 mins)

Set Up

• 3v3
• No GK's
• Players can dribble in from a throw in

SSG (10 mins)

• Your players will be playing 3v3, but you can adapt to your numbers
• Ask one player from each team to be the goalkeeper
• Carefully consider the dimensions of your area
• A short pitch results in more shots to save Goalkeeping: save, support, repeat
• A short and narrow pitch increases the number of players in the way of goal-bound efforts – meaning keepers may need to react to deflections
• A long pitch provides more 1v1 situations, more time on the ball and an opportunity to distribute the ball in a variety of ways
• Also, consider the types of goals you use
• Mini goals encourage more shots that are low and into corners
• Bigger goals encourage players to shoot more and lead to the keepers having to make diving saves

• This is a normal small-sided game – however, if a team scores, restart play from the opposition goalkeeper
• If a shot goes wide, the keeper can quickly restart play with one of the footballs placed near their goal
• Whoever shoots at goal must run around the back of the goal their attacking before returning back into play
• This will encourage the opposition to play quickly and try to take advantage of a brief overload
• After 1 minute, rotate the players on the outside (if their are any)

Positional Understanding

Goal Kick (In possession)

• 2 midfielders split and position themselves out wide
• Striker positions themselves high up the pitch
• Defender must position the ball anywhere across the byline
• They must also wait until the opposition have fully retreated to the halfway line
• Defender plays into one of the midfielders
• Important that the midfielders are on the half turn and can see 3 corners of the pitch when receiving the ball
• They are encouraged to receive the ball on their back foot
• The player then looks to move into the space out wide, or look for a pass up to the striker
• The striker will have started in a central position, but will move to the side of the ball and create an option for the midfielder to pass to
• The opposite midfielder immediately tucks inside if they did not receive the ball

• Midfielders and striker, spread out across the halfway and look to press as soon as the goal kick has been taken
• The player nearest to the ball is the one that applies the pressure on the receiving midfielder
• Defender sits centrally and a little deeper than the rest of the team
• How quickly can the defending team win the ball back