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Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): YW4.1 - Transition Attack to Defense

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Richard Jones

Profile Summary

Richard Jones
Name: Richard Jones
City: Caernarfon
Country: United Kingdom
Membership: Adult Member
Sport: Football/Soccer
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Description

Emphasis on Defensive Principles

These sessions emphasize intelligent movement and precision passing as the foundation for effective team play, with a focus on timing, awareness, and creating numerical advantages. Defensively, players are encouraged to press aggressively in small groups and react immediately in transition, while attackers are challenged to break lines, recognize overloads, and execute purposeful off-the-ball runs into space.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Passing Warmup - Square

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Passing Warmup - Square
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Passing Warmup - Square (30 mins)

Adapt to Need:

  • Area Size: 4 cones set in a square ~8 x 8 yards with 1 ball on a corner.
  • Player Numbers: 1 player stands on each corner to form a square.

Practice Setup:

  • Start with 2 touches to establish the pattern before moving to 1 touch.
  • Each pair stays on their side of the square, rotating with their partner. 
  • Orange passes to their partner and follows pass. 
  • Next Orange passes diagonally across to White and switches places with their Orange teammate. 
  • White receives and mirrors the pattern before sending the ball back. Repeat. 

Coaching Points:

  • Timing is key for each side when players cross over to replace their teammate's positions.
  • Players need to stay light on their feet, balanced and ready to anticipate incoming passes & any bad touches.

  • Prioritize proper technique to keep the ball low & under control.

Progressions:

  • Convert this to a competition between teams of 4 to see how many full rotations each team can do within timed ~3 minute rounds.  
  • Change the pattern Ex: A passes to 2 and then runs outside the diamond to overlap 1. 2 bumps a pass to 1, who then plays player A a thru ball to cycle into new positions.
Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Win the Ball

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Win the Ball
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Win the Ball (30 mins)

Adapt to Need:

  • Area Size: 30 x 15 field with a half line.
  • Player Numbers: 5v5 for each field setup.

Practice Setup:

  • This is a 5v2 build up in possession game with 2 teams. 
  • 5v2 in one half where the2 defenders try to pressure a mistake or to win the ball from their opponents. 
  • The object is for your pair of defenders to press quickly and win the ball back for their team. 
  • The defenders transition to attackers whilst middle player ignites a immediate press and calls another teammate to defend with him. 
  • The player who loses possession becomes the new defender and calls a teammate to join him to win the ball back. 
  • Coach can keep balls on the side to quickly play a new ball straight in to keep up the intensity of the game.

Coaching Points:

  • Create space and get unmarked - Can you teach players to create width, length and depth.
  • Break Lines - Play through, play around, play over or play back. Can you recognize the moments to retain possession vs penetration. Teach players to be brave and take risks with their passes without fear to fail if they make a mistake.
  • Create and use Overloads - Movement of players to create numbers up situation.

Progressions:

  • Limit touches on the ball for team in possession, place small goals on outside for the defender to either score or transition the ball across middle channel.
Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): SSG Break the Line

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): SSG Break the Line
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SSG Break the Line (30 mins)

Game Organisation:

  • Area: 25 x 20 yards

  • Format: 4v4

  • Zones: 2 end zones (one at each end of the pitch)

Setup:

  • Teams score by passing into a teammate who receives in the end zone

  • Defenders cannot enter their own end zone until the pass is played

  • Encourages timed runs, penetrative passes, and off-ball movement

Progressions:

  • 1-touch finish in the end zone for advanced players

  • Add a neutral player (joker) who can play for the team in possession

  • Limit touches (e.g. 2-touch max) to encourage quicker decision-making

Build 3D sessions in seconds
Access to 1000’s of sessions
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75
per year
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