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Football/Soccer Session (Difficult): THROUGH-BALLS & RUNS IN BEHIND

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Graeme Smaill

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Graeme Smaill
Name: Graeme Smaill
City: Dunedin
Country: New Zealand
Membership: Adult Member
Sport: Football/Soccer
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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): POSTIONING GAME

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): POSTIONING GAME
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POSTIONING GAME

THROUGH-BALLS & RUNS IN BEHIND

ORGANISATION

  • 4v4+3.
  • Field approximately 15m wide x 30m long (split into 2 x halves of 15m x 15m).
FUNCTION
  • 4v4+3.
  • Blues vs Yellows with neutral players (Blacks) supporting the team in possession.
  • Both teams occupy one half of the pitch, divided by the halfway line, with the in-possession team looking to switch play across to the other half.
  • The out of possession team looks to win possession and do the same.
  • To switch play the in-possession team must play a through-ball into the other half, received by a teammate making a run from the original half as shown above.
  • Once they have done this, the rest of the players switch across to the new half, including the neutrals, with the initial receiver requiring quick support in order to retain possession.
  • The halfway line acts as the offside line (so the player receiving the pass cannot be in the other half when the pass is played and must therefore time their movement effectively).
  • Teams can only play this switch through-ball again once all of their teammates have transferred across to the other half.  The out of possession team should shift across quickly and organise themselves to try to prevent a through-ball being played.
  • Teams receive one point every time they switch play to the other half successfully.
NOTE:  This is an effective practice to work on the idea of runs in behind and through-balls with smaller numbers and a significant overload in possession.  This means players have a lot of repetition passing and receiving through-balls, enabling them to work on the timing of movements and their weight of pass.

HANNAH, depending on numbers, you could make it 5v5 in the middle and have one team of 5 resting (4v1 rondo while waiting), or have the resting team watching and identifying missed opportunities to play a through-ball and make a run in behind.  Play for period of time and rotate teams.  

COACHING DETAIL

Making the Run

  • Timing is everything, and a run in behind should only be made when the player on the ball, or receiving it, is in a position to immediately play a through-ball.
  • A cue for the runner is often a player making a short dribble or receiving a sideways pass, as these give the player passing the best view of the pitch. 
  • Identify the space to attack and make the run before the pass is played.
  • Blind-side runs...  can you position to take advantage of the blind side run?  Can you position to see the number on the back of your defenders shirt, if so you will have an opportunity to start your movement before the defender realises and reacts. 

Making the Pass

  • Early through-balls... the first couple of seconds of the possession are most effective, as they are played before the defensive team has time to organise (if not on be patient and retain possession).
  • See the space, and see the runner.
  • What is the best pass to make... straight ball for angled run, angled ball for straight run.
  • Weight of the pass crucial.


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): BREAKOUT GAME

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): BREAKOUT GAME
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BREAKOUT GAME

THROUGH-BALLS & RUNS IN BEHIND

This game allows players to build on the idea of runs in behind in a more game realistic scenario with a full size goal and goalkeeper at one end and neutrals on the outside supporting the team in possession.

ORGANISATION

  • One large goal and two mini-goals.
  • Half field or similar (adjust depending on numbers), split in half by the red flat cones. 
  • Orange flat cones to designate playing area prior to break-out (adjust the width of this to suit the level of players to ensure getting successful repetitions of through-balls and runs in behind).

HANNAH, once again you could have a resting team you could rotate in.

FUNCTION
  • The pitch is essentially split into two halves separated by the red flat cones above - halfway.
  • Teams occupy the area further out from goal and look to break over the halfway line to try and score.
  •  The halfway line also acts as an offside line, with normal offside rules applying beyond it.
  • The game starts with Blue looking to 'break out' towards the goal and the Yellows attacking the two mini-goals at the other end.
  • If the Yellows score in the mini-goals, the roles swap and Yellows now become the team trying to break out.
  • The initial playing area is the area inside the orange cones with only the two Black neutral players allowed outside that area (neutrals cannot enter the initial playing area).
  • Once a team has successfully broken out, the game now covers the full field, but defenders are not allowed to drop over the line until the pass has been played (you may choose to limit the number of defenders who are allowed to enter their defensive zone, to allow the attacking team an overload in this area).
  • Only goals scored in the big goal count towards the score of the game (this implicitly presents the opportunity to run in behind as a reward as it is the only way to impact the score).

COACHING DETAIL

Making the Run

  • Timing is everything, and a run in behind should only be made when the player on the ball, or receiving it, is in a position to immediately play a through-ball.
  • A cue for the runner is often a player making a short dribble or receiving a sideways pass, as these give the player passing the best view of the pitch.
  • Identify the space to attack and make the run before the pass is played.
  • Blind-side runs... can you position to take advantage of the blind side run? Can you position to see the number on the back of your defenders shirt, if so you will have an opportunity to start your movement before the defender realises and reacts.

Making the Pass

  • Early through-balls... the first couple of seconds of the possession are most effective, as they are played before the defensive team has time to organise (if not on be patient and retain possession).
  • See the space, and see the runner.
  • What is the best pass to make... straight ball for angled run, angled ball for straight run.
  • Weight of the pass crucial.


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