Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): UEFA B OA1 - Breaking lines playing through, around and over (focus: in possession)

Specific Practice20 mins

Welsh Way Principles - Playing through/around/over

- Understand when and how to play through, around or over the opposition depending on the type of pressure applied

Organisation/Area Size:

-35x20yds

- Area split into 3 zones (size as shown)

- 7 vs 7 format. 3 zones: 2x 3v3 and middle zone 1v1, end zone player on each end

- Players locked in their respective zones to begin with

- Play 4 x 3min periods with 2min break in between

Explanation:

- The aim for the in-possession team is to transfer possession through, around or over the zones to create scoring chances. This encourages clever movement off the ball to create space and overloads without being able to leave a zone (dependable on the movement of others) and to create opportunities to pass forwards and break lines. 

How:

- Coach is to work with red team (in possession). When ball goes dead, play is to resume from the outside players.

Conditions/Challenges/Targets:

- Players are locked into grey zones to begin with, with one player per team in the middle zone

-1 point for each goal scored; goal scored by playing from one end player to the other

- Passes can be made that bypass the middle zone

- Progression - player can move up one zone when in possession in order to create an overload (3v2 or 2v1)

Key Points:

In possession:

- Try to play through, around, or over the opposition

- Make the pitch big (width and depth)

- Scan the pitch regularly

- Look to play forward

- Move the ball quickly with limited touches

- See three corners of the pitch 

- Fast and late movements to create space

Interventions

• Add progression during a terminal intervention
• Concurrent feedback from both coaches, one focusing on each team using guided discovery to work towards the aims of the session