Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): UEFA B Course: Switching the Play (OA3)

Description

Objective: 

Understand when and how to switch the point of an attack based on the pressure applied from the opposition.

Tactical Focus:

1-3-5-2 Attacking Half Play

Key Points:

Make the Pitch Big

Maintain Width

Decision Making When to Switch

Who Can Switch?

Exploit the Space

Ball Speed

Make the Pitch Big:

9 staying high to force defenders to drop and provide depth and space for midfielders to operate

When the ball is central, 3 & 7 to spread close to the touchline to provide width

Maintain Width:

When the ball is in the wide zone, the opposite wide player tucks in. As the ball shifts into central his movement again expands the pitch.

When the ball is in a central or wide zone, minimum one advanced central midfield player (8 or 10) is spaced in the opposite central inside zone to provide and outlet to switch and attack the space.

4 and 5 avoid positioning themselves in the same zone

Decision Making When to Switch:

Awareness of opposition players shape and positioning.

Receive the ball on the back foot to be able to see the full picture.

If the fullbacks are too central, can the space wide be exploited.

When play is in a tight area, an the ball be shifted out to the opposite side.

Who Can Switch? 

6 can be the most crucial in the ball movement left to right. Focus on 6 receiving across the body to either shift ball wide or penetrate forward.

4 & 5 maximising the amount of times to shift the ball to keep opposition moving.

8,10, & 9 in advanced areas looking to drive forward but if limited space is a wide pass on to allow outside player to deliver a cross.

Exploit the Space

As ball continuously shifts, constant movement and spacing of the attacking players to recognise when to penetrate central.

Drag defenders apart to find line splitting passes.

Pass the ball for wide players to run onto so they can drive into the space.

Ball Speed:

High tempo and precision to execute properly and get opposition to become disorganised.