Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Pushing up/playing through the thirds

Increased demand H.I.I.T (10 mins)

Area:

Use whole pitch.

Equipment:

Cones, discs or poles to mark out course.

Objective:

Start in bottom left corner. Walk to halfway line then at marker start jogging till next marker. Turn around and start to run back down to halfway line marker Then sprint to the end. Turn around the marker then start to walk back up to halfway line and repeat sequence. On the third sequence the players walk, run and sprint the entire lenth of the pitch to the bottom right corner then walk back to the start to repeat.

Key points:

Ephasise changing pace and going through the gears and not going 1 speed.When performing with larger numbers set them off in groups of 4-6. The next group start after the group ahead reach the first halfway marker.

Screen 3

The defending team push up and as you can see 2 blue players are in an offside position so the reds score 2 points. It doesn't matter that the ball doesn't get passed to them so they are caught offside. This will hopefully instill a mindset to push up when the ball is higher up the pitch to stop players defending too deep or leaving a gap between midfield and defence. A secondary outcome will be that the attackers will also have to learn to stay onside otherwise their opponents will score a point.

Key points:

Emphasise the need to push up and call to team mates to push up and not leave any players behind. Push up into a defensive line. Try to maintain just over a 5 yard distance behind the midfield or up to the edge of defensive third if midfield are in their own half. Drop off as required to defend goal from advancing players then push up when possesion is won, ball is cleared up field or opponent playes ball backwards.

Screen 5 (20 mins)

Area:

Can be used for any size of pitch from mini game to full size pitch.

Equipment:

goals, discs, flags/poles, bibs, balls.

Number of players:

6-22

Objective:

Normal game objective of scoring goals but certain rules apply for each zone the ball is in. The pitcure shows only one team . the other teams zones with be the oposite. (i.e the red teams zone one will be the oppositions zone3).

Zone 1:

the team who are defending zone 1 can only play 3 touch and have 3 seconds on the ball in this zone. this is to help develope moving the ball quickly and under pressure in the defending third of the pitch. no restriction on number of passes before moving to zone 2. you can move to zone 2 as long as you take 2 touches and pass with your third. then that player follows the rules of zone 2.

Zone 2:

In this zone the team has to make at leat 3 passes before the ball can be passed or dribbled into zone 3. This is to help develope combination play in the middle third. There is no restriction on touches or time on the ball.

Zone 3:

Freeplay. Anything goes in this zone. Encourage the players to be creative, take people on and try a difficult pass.

Progression:

Remove discs/flags to make players gauge thirds without visual aids.

Developement:

The options for this are ranging to suit the practice area you are working on. Chage rules for each zone to suit your objective. Give specific players/units individual objectives. out of possesion strikers press as a unit in zone 3, midfield press or delay/deny, defenders drop off and back up.