Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Session 15 - Breaking the lines - Beating a man for man high press - SP into SSG

Specific Practice

Specific Practice - Breaking the lines - Beating a man for man high press

The ball starts with the Red goal keeper. All throughout the practice players for the yellow team are instructed to try and play man for man pressure.

The idea is that there should always be a spare player for Reds, and players try to draw the defending team onto them in order to play around them.

Reds are aiming to play out from the back, through the middle 3rd and to make a goal scoring opportunity.

Key Considerations: 

- Every red player needs to want the ball and aim to affect the play at all times.

- The red GK needs to ensure they are providing a spare man option and must look to play a line breaking pass if possible. 

- Midfielder Movement must be quick and sharp 

- Strikers must avoid running in straight lines and must look to bend their runs around opposing CB's

- Players should make runs that take away opponents and stretch the pitch and players should be aware of not taking up the space their teammates are looking to use.

Breaking the lines

• Play through

• Play around

• Play over

Yellow Team considerations

Can yellows choose the right time to press and remember key pressing triggers such as:

- Bad touch
- Ball played towards opponents goal
- Slow pass
- Asking for a pass not aware where their marker is

Defending the breaking of lines

• Fast pressure on the ball

• Protect the middle

• Stay narrow and compact

• Stop defence splitting passes

• Protect the space behind

Specific Practice - What if? - Number 2

What if? - Number 2

What if one of the Yellow's CB begins to cheat a little bit and covers the space in behind (gray shaded area)?

Solution

This time the longer pass is to the Red number 9 who is free and makes a direct run. The space is now on the outside of the two CB's.