Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Attacking and Counter Attacking

Attacking & Counter Attacking I (20 mins)

Attacking & Counter Attacking (20 minutes, quarter pitch)

Practice Organisation

-Area 40x20yrds, with 2 zones marked 10yds into each end.

-2 small goals at one end, to serve as targets & one normal goal, set back 5yds behind opposite end line, defended by GK, as illustrated.

-17 players (incl. GK) divided into 2 teams of 8 (Reds & Blues).

-Players in each team work in pairs

-All balls with Blues.

-Practice starts with: Blues serve ball forward to Reds, who send-out 2 players to receive & attack goal.

-Blues send out 1 player (A) to make 1v2.

-Reds objective is to get ball into Blues end zone & shoot at goal.

-If Blues defender wins ball: a 2nd Blue (B) takes a ball and attacks either of the 2 goals at opposite end to score.

-2 Reds become recovering D’s attempt to stop this.

-Reverse roles of teams after suitable period fo practice.

Details

-Make sure organisations and pattern of practice is fully understood by players.

-Practice can be operated from an attacking or defending perspective.

-Emphasise need to think about space and time and how this affects decision-making.

-Monitor physical load on GK.

-Simple progressions for this practice are:

-- If Blue Defender (A) wins ball in middle area: 2nd blue (B) can support to make 2v2 and attack small goals to score

-- If Blues D delays long enough (decided by the Coach): 2nd Blue (B) can join in to create 2v2

-- Reds send out 3 A’s and Blues send out 2 D’s to create 3-2, with normal rules applying.

Key Coaching Points

-1v1 skills and individual attacking techniques

-Creating 2v1 passing opportunities with individual techniques

-Isolating individual D and making though pass to attack goal

-Shooting to score on the move, versus GK.

-Individual defending in 1v1 and 1v2 situations.

-Use of pitch perimeter to trap Attacker and deny pass to supporting player.

-Delaying and denying space to pass behind

-Recovering and blocking possible shots.

Counter Attacking (20 mins)

Counter Attacking (20 minutes, quarter pitch)

Practice Organisation

-Area 40x30yds, using penalty area divided into 2 zones (30x30 & 10x30yds), appropriate size goals at each end, as illustrated.

-14 players (incl 2GKs), arranged 5 Attackers v 7 Defenders, as shown in the diagram.

-D’s leave 1 strker in advance zone who can try to win the ball early.

-Remaining D’s drop into deep zone and can only win ball back there.

-If D’s win ball: they counter-attack, playing initially through lone striker.

-If A’s regain possession whilst defending the counter-attack; D’s retreat back to deep zone to defend & practice continues with A’s in possession.

-When ball goes dead; -practice recommences with initial set-up arrangements.

Detail:

-This practice can be developed for counter-attacking or for play against a compact defensive block.

-Simple progressions for this practice are:

-- Reduce numerical advantage of D’s in deep zone.

-- Reverse overload, so that A’s have numerical advantage

Key coaching points

-D;s need to be patient, slide, cover and communicate

-D’s looking for interceptions and being aware of possibility to act fact and counter-attack, should the opportunity arise

-D’s require defensive security to safeguard against the possible threat of a counter of the counter-attacking from A’s

-A’s looking for quality of passing, movement and support play to break down the defensive block.

-D’s looking for opportunity to pass forward quickly with quality and precision to lone striker.

-Supporting runs, distances and angles by breaking players combining with lone striker.