Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): session plan 1 ( specific practice/ small sided game ) (Start Time: 2020-09-18 18:30:00)

Screen 1 (25 mins)

Key Factors

• Defending the lines ( out of possession )  
• Specific Practice (20min)

Organisation

• Area size half pitch
• 3 x 8m zones
• 4 mini goals
• 1 full size goal
• Nest of balls on half way line
• 4 cones
• 14 players
• Red team = GK + 6 ( coached )
• Blue team = 6 ( managed )
• Yellow feeder

Duration 20 minutes ( 4 blocks of 4 minutes )

Explanation

- Blue team always start from a pass from the yellow feeder on the half way line.

- Blue team are tasked with trying to score in the full size goals by playing through, around or over the red team.

- The red team who will be set up as a back 4 and 2 screening defensive midfielders will be told to keep their shape, protect the space behind them and prevent split passes.

- The red team will also be encouraged to force the blue team to play it wide and put pressure on the player with the ball as quickly as possible.

- When the red team win possession they can try and start a counter attack by playing the ball into one of the mini goals which in a 11 v 11 game would be the 2 wide players and 2 strikers.

Targets/ Challenges/ Conditions

Can the red team

- Stop passes being played to the 2 strikers.

- Defend as a unit (4 + 2 )?

- Protect the space behind

- Force the blue team to play back or wide

- To put fast pressure on the ball

- Win back possession and start a counter attack

Blue team

- Play into one of the strikers before they can score

- Get behind the back four without being offside

- To play combination passes to get around the red team before scoring

Points

Red team

1 point for scoring in nearest mini goal 

2 points for scoring in furthest mini goal

Blue team 

1 point for scoring from playing into one of their strikers

2 points for scoring from a ball over the top

Interventions ( depending on teaching points identified )

At the end of every 4 min block there will be 30 sec to a minute of feedback, instruction or Q + A to the coached team and the blue team would be given guidance from the assistant coach.

Progression

The red team are to try and defend further up the pitch, closing the space for the blues to play in.

The feeder now becomes an extra player for the blues to give the red team more problems to deal with.

The play will always start with the blue team as before and the ball will be fed in by the half way line by the blues GK that will be playing in the small sided game.

Points

Red team 

1 point for winning possession in zone 1 and starting a counter attack by scoring in one of the mini goals

2 points for winning possession in zone 2 and starting a counter attack by 

scoring in one of the mini goals

3 points for winning possession in zone 3 and starting a counter attack by scoring in one of the mini goals

Blue team same scoring as before

Key points ( out of possession )

- protect the space behind

- force wide

- prevent the split pass 

- fast pressure on the ball