Football/Soccer Session (Difficult): U14-U21 Session 2, Sep 28. Creativity and Penetration in Zones 3 & 4

2v2 +4 Rondo (15 mins)

Objective: Activate the players technically for the session. 

Organization: 12x12, 2 orange bibs, 8 players, 2 yellow bibs, 4 cones & 4 balls. 

Conditions of play: Rondo based 2v2. Players on the outside are just used as bumpers (2 touch max) and give possession to the team that give them the ball (creating a 6v2 until a transition). 2-3 minutes work in the middle, before a rotation happens. 3-4 rotations. Score a point through combining with partner centrally and playing out to a different side than received. 

Key factors for application: Body shape for players in the middle to be open to keep as many options as possible or there to disguise the direction of play. Sharp movements into spaces. 

Attacking Zone 3 & 4 (30 mins)

Objective: Penetration to create goalscoring opportunities

Organization: 35x60, 5 orange bibs, 5 yellow bibs, 5 cones, 8 balls. 

Conditions of play: 

Ball starts in Zone 1, (3v2) with the objective to break into Zone 2, with 2 players following in to create 4v3 to go to goal and create a goalscoring opportunity. Players have 6-8 seconds from breaking into Zone 2 to get a shot off, there is then 5 seconds added on for them to get a second shot off (working like a shot clock in basketball). 

Key Factors for application: 

 Encouraging midfield runners above the ball. ensuring the front 2 have depth and can engage to create overloads to get shots off quickly.