Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): UEFA C - Final Third - In/Out Possession

Final Third (In Possession) (5 mins)

Principle:

Understand when and how to combine, create and finish when attacking the final third.

Organization:

Area-

Height - Center Circle until Goal Line

Width - Width of the 18 yard box

Number of Players-

Equipment - 

Balls on either side of goals

• Each team picks a goal to defend and splits its players either side of the goals.

• Red team attacks first, sending a player from either side of the goal (2 players) and attack the Blue goal 2v1.

• Blue sends a player out to defend them.

• The players may not enter the wide area beyond the edge of the 18 yard box.

• Once the play ends (goal, shot, save etc), the Blue defender clears the field, and the Blue team now attacks 2v1 with two fresh players.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:  

• 1 point for every goal scored
• 2 points for a first time finish

Key Technical/Tactical Points:

In possession (Coaching Points):

- Lack of width, use space beyond

- Use limited touches and move the ball quickly

- Speed of the attack

- Weight and Angle of Final Pass

- First Time Finishing

Coaching Process:

Walk Through - Start teams on each end, have the red team attack the blue goal at a walk through pace, explain we are looking for EFFICIENT COMBINATIONS, CREATIVITY, AND FINISHING. 

Terminal - During the progression break, address the whole group trends in play break down.

Concurrent - Individual feedback, likely angle of final pass, weight of final pass.

Defending the Final Third (Out of Possession) (10 mins)

Organization:

4v4 +1 Neutral Player + 1GK in the goal and with two small goals on the half of the pitch. 

Defend the goal with the purpose of applying the Defensive Principles. 

• The back 4 must remain compact and look to regain possession to finish in one of two mini goals as shown. 
• Pressure on the ball must be applied immediately to delay the progress of the attacking team, allowing the defending action to organize. 
• While the ball is being pressured, other back players must get into good defensive cover and balancing positions to prevent penetration to the goal. 
• Changing roles quickly, as the ball travels, is vital to the success of the defending action. It takes discipline, communication, fitness and tactical speed. 
• The team in possession will play with the +1 Neutral Player, while playing with the defender, the neutral player must remember the principles of defense, either to play, cover or balance, based on the needs of the team defending. 

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions): 

Progression: Defender off the ball start to become aware of the attacking team’s 2nd and 3rd attacking players. · 

Regression: Remind the players the defending techniques and fundamentals during the Team Defense exercise. By now they should feel confident to win and posses the ball.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets: 

Challenges: 

1.If player receiving the ball does not have control, then tackle and win possession of the ball! 

2.If player receiving the ball does have control, then defender has to make a decision as to how closely to apply pressure,whether to contain or delay because they are numbers down, whether to close down space quickly because they are numbers up, and/or whether to force to cover or to the outside, depending upon where they are on the field and where the goal and their cover is located. 

Conditions: Count the times team defense recovers the ball. 

Targets: Ball wining – create defensive/offensive transitions trying to score on the small two goals. Try to intercept and keep possession of the ball defensively. 

Key Technical Points If defenders can force the player with the ball into a numbers down situation and cut off weak side players, they are more likely to be effective. · If there is immediate and tight pressure on the ball, defenders off the ball can squeeze the space centrally, making the field smaller for the attacking team. If pressure on the ball is light (loose), then cover and balance are looser, as well. The balancing player should recognize third attacker movement off the ball (i.e.: overlapping runs) and shift slightly to weak side if there is loose pressure on the ball. If there is tight pressure, balancing player simply needs to be aware of players coming through, communicating to teammates about when to pick them up, pass them off and when &where to shift on the field defensively. 

Coaching Interactions/Interventions (throughout all the sessions above): Can be ongoing, In The Flow (sideline coaching), Planned Stoppage (break), Natural Stoppage (ball out of bounds), In the Situation (Freeze).