Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Passing and Receiving Session (3 passing and receiving drills with progressions, finish with a game)

Big circle small square (20 mins)

Divide team into even numbers (if its odd numbers have the extra player on the outside).

Place half the team in the middle square with a ball and the other half on the outside circle.

Players inside the square have to dribble out to the players around the circle and play a pass to a player.

The outside player then plays a pass back to that player who has to turn and dribble back into the square.

The player should then make a move back out of the square to a different player on the outside and repeat the process.

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Progression 1 - Players inside the square have to dribble out to the players around the circle and play a pass to a player.

The outside player plays a one two pass with that player then dribbles to the inside square where they then have to make a run through the square before passing and playing a one two pass with a different player.

Progression 2 - Repeat the drills but add 2 defenders who aren't allowed in the square and can only move around the space within the circle to try and pressure the play.

Possession game with gates (20 mins)

Session set up and purpose.

This is a possession game which can be played with as little or as many players as desired.

This drawing shows a 7 v 7 example.

This session is designed to encourage switch of play and ball movement as well as moving into space.  It also helps teams practice transitioning into attacking and defensive shape. 

On a half pitch place 5 gates for scoring (agility poles or cones can be used), place 3 gates through the middle of the pitch in a straight line from half way to the goal line as shown. Space out the goals so they are placed evenly apart across the pitch.  These gates mimic playing to your central players (CB, CM, CF)

Place 2 further gates on the left and right wings as shown mimic playing your left and right sided players. (LW, RW, LM, RM, LB, RB)

Gate width can vary depending on difficulty level required. The smaller the gate size the harder to score.

Play is continuous and possession is with who ever wins the ball.

The objective is to play a pass through the gates to a player standing on the other side of the gate.  If your player receives the ball with control it counts as a point.  You can dribble through the gates but it does not count as a point.  Players are also encouraged to keep the ball along the ground whilst playing through the gate.

You are not allowed to play back through the same gate twice in a row, once you play through a gate you have to open up and look to attack another gate anywhere on the pitch before being allowed to score at the previous gate again.

Progressions:

When a point is scored by playing through the gates, a defensive player as decided by the coach / trainer must run a lap around the half pitch being played on, play continues and the attacking team has a numerical advantage until the defensive player completes there lap and returns to the field.  This encourages urgency in defense, creates overloads and also helps to improve player fitness.  As a further progression, each time a team scores through a gate, a defensive player does a lap around the half pitch, however if the attacking team scores again soon after whilst the first defender is still completing there lap, another defender must go also, each time a team scores a point defenders must complete a lap even if the other defender hasnt returned to the pitch, the idea is to try eliminate as many defenders as possible at one time.

There are multiple progressions that can used - A team wins when they reach a certain amount of points (5, 10, 15 etc). - A team wins when they eliminate all gates - Players can score a point by dribbling through gate also, not just passing - Playing to a timer, team with most gates wins when set time expires - Count a teams scoring streak (gates scored in consecutively without losing possession), longest streak wins at end of session wins.