Football/Soccer Session (Difficult): The Back 4 - Playing out of the Back

Set Up

Area 24x15 divided in half to provide the Pivot (Blue 6) and Centre Midfielders (Blue 8 and 10) with reference points for when, where and how they can take up positions to support the back 4, provide balance and release or combine with the Full Backs (Blue 2 and 3).

7 x Attackers (Blue) positioned along the lines or inside the area against 3 x Defenders (Reds) inside the area, with only 2 of the 3 Defenders allowed in a half (15x12) at any one time to defend.

Centre Backs (Blue 4 and 5) and Centre Midfielders (Blue 8 and 10) can play along the length of their 12 yard designated line. Full Backs (Blue 2 and 3) can play along the length of their 15 yard line and Pivot (Blue 6) can play anywhere in the 24x15 area.

Task

Blue Team (Attackers): Maintain positions and possession of the ball with the emphasis on adopting shapes to advance forward from Centre Backs to Centre Midfielders through penetration and switches of play.

Red Team (Defenders): If the ball is won, maintain possession 3v1 and attempt to dribble or pass the ball to a Red player over the opposition’s defensive end line (Centre Back line).

Coaching Points

- Positioning of Back 4 to provide arc shape and advance forwards

- Support play of Pivot to release the Full Backs and provide balance to switch play

- Decision making of player in possession - penetrate, play around or retain possession

Detail

- Body angle to receive the pass and play forwards

- Receiving areas of foot or body

- Angles, distances and areas of structure to penetrate effectively and patiently

- Understanding slow and quick play through the area to exploit space on opposite side

- Timing of passes - ‘La Pausa’

- Use the 3 passing lines (in front of Defenders, around the Defenders and through the Defenders) to create opportunities to penetrate the opposition and advance forwards utilising the Full Backs

- Passing options around, behind and ahead of the ball

- Communication

Exploit Weak Side

A key concept in positional play is to lure the opposition in to a specific area of the field, inviting them to press, to then expose the space created in another area.

In this example the Left Centre Back (Blue 5), Left Back (Blue 3), Centre Midfielder (Blue 8) and Pivot (Blue 6) look to keep possession in the left half of the area, drawing in 2 Defenders (Red 8 and 9).

This creates space on the right half of the area for the ball to be switched quickly through combinations for the Right Back (Blue 2) to exploit.

Progression - Centre Midfielders Move Inside

When the Back 4 (Blue 2, 3, 4 and 5) are familiar with maintaining positions to provide forward passing options and combine with the Midfield (Blue 6, 8 and 10), the Rondo can be progressed to allow the Centre Midfielders (Blue 8 and 10) to move off their designated line and come inside the area, with the condition that they cannot occupy the same half at any one time.

This provides balance to the attack with a short passing option to switch play inside the area, and also releases the Full Backs to push even higher as security is provided centrally. The coaching points and detail remain the same as the initial 7v3 Rondo.

Task

Blue Team (Attackers): Maintain positions and possession of the ball with the emphasis on adopting shapes to advance forward from Centre Back line to Centre Midfield line through co-ordinated movements from Centre Backs, Full Backs and Midfielders.

Red Team (Defenders): If the ball is won, maintain possession 3v3 and attempt to dribble or pass the ball to a Red player over the opposition’s defensive end line (Centre Back line).