Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Week 7-9: Attacking third

IP General: Penetrating passes through central channels

Attacking in final third

IP Focus: Penetrating passes

Physical load: MD-4

3x4 minute blocks, 1 minute interventions
-Medium AC/DC/COD

-High HSP

Set up:

36x44 (2x18yd boxes)

2 teams, 5v5 +SW/GK's

Organisation:

Coaching IP team (Reds): Move/spread opposition back line to find penetrative pass and score

Managing OP team (Blue): Stay compact and organised in shape to limit space between lines, win ball back and Score

Conditions, Targets, Challenges:

Co 1- Restart from sweeper keeper

Co 2- Everyone plays in one half of field, (Red cones indicate offside line) until ball crosses line then it is live and normal rules apply 

Ta 1- 1 goal for going around, 2 goals for going over, 3 goals for playing through defensive line & scoring 

Ch- Can you effectively involve all players in build up to attack? 

Aims IP- Reds (Coach)

-Create gaps in opponent's shape through width, depth & length, allowing exploitation with line breaking passes

-Aim to play straight pass for diagonal runner and visa versa

-Use temporary loss of length as trigger for another player to make third man run in space left

Aims OP- Blue (Manage)

-Stay compact in shape, direct opponent towards parts of the field where you have built numerical and positional superiority

-Consistent pressure cover and balance, shift together in shape to maintain same space between players

Technical outcomes:

-Receive across body when possible to open up and play forward pass

-Weight of pass when playing ball through

-1 touch passes when applicable to maintain ball speed and exploit gaps when open

-Manipulate the ball at speed when receiving through ball to pass or shoot

Concurrent- Speed of ball movement to not allow defending players to get set in shape

Terminal- Demonstrate how to utilise players to draw pressure and disorganise opponents shape, allowing space to open up elsewhere

-Take away offside line to allow defenders to dictate space, give incentive to press higher together or drop back lower together

Regression:

Take away a player from each team to create more space and have them put in as neutral wide players to offer consistent width

IP MSG: Penetrating passes in central channel

Attacking in final third

IP Focus: Penetrating passes

Physical load: MD-3

3x4 minute blocks, 1 minute interventions
-Medium AC/DC/COD

-High HSP

Set up:

60x50 tapered (Half a field)

2 teams, 6+GK v 5+GK, 1 common player

Both teams in 1-4-3-3 formation

Organisation:

Coaching IP team (Reds): Move/spread opposition back line to find penetrative pass and score

Managing OP team (Blue): Stay compact and organised in shape to limit space between lines, win ball back and Score

Managing common player (Green): Act as secondary pivot/centre back for reds, Attacking midfielder/striker for blues

Conditions, Targets, Challenges:

Co 1- All restarts from Red GK or 4

Co 2- 1 touch finish outside box for reds

Ta 1- 1 goal for going around, 2 goals for going over, 3 goals for playing through defensive line & scoring

Ch- Can you utilise both interior channels in build up to scoring?

Aims IP- Reds (Coach)

-Create gaps in opponent's shape through width, depth & length, allowing exploitation with line breaking passes

-Aim to play straight pass for diagonal runner and visa versa

-Use temporary loss of length as trigger for another player to make third man run in space left

Aims OP- Blue (Manage)

-Stay compact in shape, direct opponent towards parts of the field where you have built numerical and positional superiority

-Consistent pressure cover and balance, shift together in shape to maintain same space between players

-Use common player as fast transition to attack

Technical outcomes:

-Receive across body when possible to open up and play forward pass

-Weight of pass when playing ball through

-1 touch passes when applicable to maintain ball speed and exploit gaps when open

-Manipulate the ball at speed when receiving through ball to pass or shoot

Concurrent- Speed of ball movement to not allow defending players to get set in shape

Terminal- Demonstrate how to utilise players to draw pressure and disorganise opponents shape, allowing space to open up elsewhere

-Reduce field size to width of box

Regression:

-Take red keeper away and use gates for Blues to advance through, use both common players as wide players creating width at all times and creating more space with less players on field

OP Specific: Defending central areas

Defending in defensive third

OP Focus: Protect central areas

Physical load: MD-4

6x3 minute blocks, 2 minute interventions
-Medium AC/DC/COD

-Medium to High HSP

Set up:

10x44yd box into 50x60yd field- tapered at 18yd box (Use field dimensions if possible)

2 teams, 6v6 +GK & Targets

11 a side formations: Reds 1-4-3-3, Blues 1-4-2-3-1

Organisation

Coaching OP team (Blues): 

Phase 1- Active players #4 & 8 : Stop Reds progressing ball forwards out of box

Phase 2- All players active: Once 4 & 8 are beaten back line stay compact and organised in shape to limit space between lines, win ball back and play to target goals

Managing OP team (Red): 

Phase 1- Active players #4, 8 & 10: Progress ball through central channel

Phase 2- All players active: Move/spread opposition back line to find penetrative pass and score

Conditions, Targets, Challenges:

Co 1- Ball must progress through central channel for game to become live

Ta 1- 3 goals for denying forward progress in phase 1, 3 goals for dispossessing in wide channel

Ch- Can Blue 4 & 8 contain Red 4, 8 and 10 in box for 10 seconds or more 

Aims IP- Blues (Coach)

-Shift across field as unit, press as unit

-Use pressure, cover & balance effectively to condense opponent into one half/third of the field

-Be patient in approach to dispossess, using pressing triggers well to spring traps to dispossess

Aims OP- Reds (Manage)

-Look to overload opponents, maintaining width, depth and length at each opportunity, creating space to provide passing options and angles

-Look to penetrate between the defensive lines when possible

Technical outcomes:

-Start fast when anticipating pass, slow and set defensive stance on approach

-Ensure you are set to prepare to get your body between the ball and the player when the opportunity arises (bad touch)

Concurrent- Patience when under players control with their head up, Pressure when head down not under control

Terminal- Demonstrate how to move as a unit across field together to ensure no gap is too wide for pass between

-Start live from box, allowing any reds to exit box through any channel

Regression:

-Play phase 1 of drill inside half the centre circle

-Make Red 2 & 3 neutral for both teams

OP Specific: Defending wide areas

Defending in defensive third

OP Focus: Defending crosses

Physical load: MD-2

2 sets of 5x15 seconds work (+5 seconds if reds transition to attack)/45 seconds recovery to reset positions
-Low AC/DC/COD

-Low HSP

Set up:

50x60yd field (Use field dimensions if possible)

2 teams, 6v5 +GK & Targets

11 a side formations: Reds 1-4-3-3, Blues 1-4-3-3

Organisation

Coaching OP team (Reds): 

Once ball is played out to blue wide player, (#2/3/7/11) organise shape to defend cross from wide area, transition to attack towards target goals

Managing IP team (Blue): 

Play ball out to #2/3/7/11, aim to put cross into box from wide channel

Conditions, Targets, Challenges:

Co 1- Live from the moment the pass is made out to wide player

Co 2- Cross must come from wide area (unless coach specifies otherwise)

Ta 1- 1 goal for clearing ball back to where cross came from on first touch, 3 goals for scoring into target goals when transitioning to attack

Ch- Can the 2/3 for the Reds stop/block 50% of the crosses from wide areas?

Aims OP- Reds (Coach)

Once ball has been played out wide organise shape to defend cross:

*Near side full back- Move to wide channel to put pressure on wide player, prioritise stopping or blocking cross

*Near side centre back- retreat to 6 yard box level or in front of front post with hips and shoulders square to side line/ball

*Far side centre back- retreat to 6 yard box level with the middle of the goal with hips and shoulders square to side line/ball

*Far side full back- retreat to 6 yard box level or in front of back post with hips and shoulders square to side line/ball

*Deep lying midfielder- move across to help near side full back, follow runner if opposition overload with underlap, communicate to pass on player if they over lap, taking on responsibility to stop or block cross

Aims OP- Reds (Manage)

-Create overloads in wide areas and deliver crosses from wide areas

-At a minimum have one runner front post (9) and one runner back post (far side winger)

Technical outcomes:

OP Team

-Start fast when anticipating pass, slow and set defensive stance on approach

-Ensure you are set to prepare to step across and get your body between the ball and the player when the opportunity arises (bad touch)

IP Team

-Settle out of the air quickly and effectively

-Vary crossing techniques: Flat, curved, low, lofted, cut back



Concurrent- Maintain focus on positioning inside box when ball reaches wide channel, runners are a secondary thought

Terminal- Demonstrate positioning from near side full back to always be in a position to block a cross at a minimum and ready to stop if wide player takes a bad touch

-Start ball from 2/3 for Blues to give less time for Reds to defend overload and set up for cross

Regression:

-Take 2 and 3 away for Blues to decrease chance of overload in wide channel and put more emphasis on defending the cross in the box