Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Striking the ball - Through balls - 4v4+2

Striking the ball - through ball into the end zone (10 mins)

Practice Objective:

Exercise aimed at encouraging the players to utilise the extra players to create opportunities to play through balls for players to run onto. 

Main moment- BP. Key principle - Effective possession; structured build up

Main Moment BPO. Key Principle - Deny opponents time and space to build up.

Specifically looking for the team in possession to identify the weight of pass, creating combinations and to identify the runners from midfield

Set Up

• 1 bag of balls
• 3 sets of bibs
• agility poles
• cones
• 3 x 3min/1R

Practice Explanation:

• Set up as shown and divide players into 2 groups, with 2 neutral players on the side who play with the team in possession. For U9's, 4v4 +2, but adjust numbers to suit.

• Aim of the exercise is play a through ball into the end zone for a player to run onto = 1 point
• Players must not stand in the end zone waiting for a pass, can only run on to the ball - try to mimic a game situation where standing in that zone would be offside.
• Each time a point is scored, team that earned the point restarts by getting a ball from their end. 

• Striking the ball - ball speed and accuracy. Can players demonstrate different techniques - inside of the foot, laces, outside of the foot, etc
• Positioning - neutral players on the outside always on the move, offering an option. Moving along the line changes the angle for the pass. Players in the middle - are we always looking to break into the end zone. Scanning - start to make players aware of this skill and encourage them to scan.
• Communicating - can we tell the player with the ball where we want it played? Verbally or pointing.
• Deny time and space - team in BPO, can we put our opponent under pressure and win the ball back quickly.