Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): First Touch into space/play forward transfer game

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Core Skill; First Touch

Specific Aspect; First touch into space to play forward

Key Principles;

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Practice Objective:

Practice designed to give multiple opportunities for players to practice receiving on the back foot and with the aid of their first touch, body shape and movement into space, play forward

Set Up

Practice Explanation:

Divide players into zones as shown. Objective is transfer the ball from one side to another for 1 point. Players are locked in their zones. When the ball is played to the player at the end inbetween the cones they must use their first touch to move the ball to either the lefty or right of the cones before playing back into the same team.

Possession can be won or lost by the players in the middle - to gain points they must play the end player and back again to the opposite side.

Coaching Points

Receiving ball - What does our body shape look like? Are you open, receiving foot facing forward to past our opponent?
Do we need to always play forward? if we are under pressure, can we play back and move into space to receive again - 1-2?
Ball speed - are our passes hard enough to allow the receiving player to use the pace of the ball to manipulate it around our opponent?
Movement off the ball - can we use the whole of our square and drag our defender around to create space for others?
BPO - can we close down and deny space and time - jockey and push them away - shepherd them away from passing lanes forward. Make them play back.
Scan - are we aware of where our defender is? where the next pass is going. Encourage all players to check their shoulder before receiving.

Progression

When the player inbetween the cones receives the ball, they take a first touch forward into the grid and replace the player who passed i to them - quick rotation.
If there is an odd number - include a joker who can play with the team in possession

Step back

Defenders become passive - no tackling, just pressure to draw out the desired skill - first touch to play forward.