Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): RMSC Div1&2 - Playing with Depth to Penetrate

Penetration through Depth Balls

We used the same Activity to introduce the reason for playing with Width, now we want players to start being more clinical to identify the Depth Ball opportunities and play it when the chance comes, because that will lead to penetration, that brings us closer to the Goal, for scoring opportunities.

  When playing effectively with Width, it forces your opponents to react to your teams actions with more intensity, and this can result in disruption of their defence.

  When the defence is disrupted and organization lost, we get TWO key things:

    - More 1vs1's in the wide channels - directly related to creating more goalscoring opportunities

    - More space between channels - allows for depth penetration and potential elimination of an opponents whole defensive line

Aim of Activity:

  To teach players to be patient in using the Width and when to Switch the point of attack, till Depth Ball opportunities arrive, and then penetrating.

  Patience and Quick Execution is Key - My personal Playing Principle in AO - Switch and Stretch till they Snap

Key Concepts:

1) Depth Balls

  Look up and see if there are 'low risk' opportunities to penetrate, and play immediate if you think it is on, else play with width.

2) Immediate Width

  On the Ball - Look to play wide option immediately if it is available

  Off the Ball - If you are a wide player, get wide immediately (Guide for wide players: Get Wide, Get Up, Check Back)

3) Switching Play

  Moving the ball from High Pressure flank to Low Pressure flank

  by Retaining and then Switching the Ball around to the other side

  Do Not Skip Players

4) Supporting Underneath

5) Backfoot Ball Control

6) Two-Touch Football

Activity:

It is a relatively low pressure environment, but Intensity and Quality of Actions are key for success.

Maximum 3-touches on the ball for Attacking players

The Aim of the Activity is to Split the defenders and Go from Low to Deep with a penetrating Depth Ball Pass (Blue Line) and then back again.

Ball can go to outside Flanks, and around to end players, flank players can play to each other.

Red players CAN contest all the players, even past the lines, but they should focus on shaping and defending the middle of the pitch.

Scoring and Rotation:

Scoring

 - Attacking team needs to go from Low to Deep to get a point, every pass through the middle is 1-point. Going on the outside you get only 1-point, for every four switches through the flanks.

 - Defensive team needs to win it to get 1-point, they then play it to the opposite end and the activity keeps going.

Rotation

 - Let them play 2-3min and then rotate

 - Flank Players to Ends, Ends to Defence, and Defence to Flanks.

SSG - Playing with Natural Depth

Players will play the Game, but each team will provide a neutral on the goal line. Neutrals can be used by both teams. Neutrals can move all along the whole goal line. Neutrals are allowed maximum 3-touches.

Thus we have a game where the team in possession always have numbers up, and natural depth to penetrate and progress up the field. Team need to create width, to split opponents themselves.

Restart from goals if scored, or with dribble and pass-ins from side lines.

Encourage players to make use of the Concepts learned, and apply it patiently, till gaps open up, and then penetrate.

- Two-Touch Football: Control-Decision-Action

- Backfoot Ball Control: Foot Furthest Away from the Ball

- Supporting Underneath: Giving an easy passing angle behind a player

- Connect and Stretch: Checking to, to become a passing option, but after collecting it, give it back and make a run to stretch the opponent

See Animation.