Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): General Practice Playing Through The Lines

General

Session Focus

General session around the principle of breaking lines.

Organisation 

• 12 players organised into 3 teams of 4.
• Balls with Target players for quick restarts.

Area

Coned area 36m x 30m (with halfway line at 9m with discs)

Explanation 

Initially red team begin as the coached team in possession, support by the yellow team.  The blue team will look to press, regain possession and score by playing into the yellow team.  The red will regain possession and start again - each team will have the opportunity to play in possession.

To start a yellow target player will pass the ball into the red team who will aim to play through or around the blue team.  One yellow player will support the reds in the half where the ball starts with the aim of finding ways to play through the yellow players, to break the line to the other half and find the outside target player to score 3pts.  If they play around the blues without using the yellows 1pt will be scored. 

• Red v Blue - Yellow spare (3mins) - 1min Transitions between / use this time to filter in mechanics
• Yellow v Red - Blue spare (3mins)
• Yellow v Blue - Red spare (3mins)   

• 3pts - Play through yellow to target player
• 1pt - Play around to target player

Conditions

The pitch will be conditioned with a half way line to support players understanding of space and help the two spare players in understanding how, when and where to support the team in possession to break the line. Below head height to encourage playing through and around.

What are we looking for?

• Try to play through or around opposition.
• In possession make pitch big (width and depth)
• Find pockets of space
• Receive on the back foot to play forward
• Move the ball quickly with limited touches
• Checking Shoulders
• Realism
• Tempo

Challenge 

• Must make 3 passes before attempting to break the line
• Players can only transfer the ball through the yellow players - encourage players to move the ball quicker to create the opening.

Progression 

• Players have limited touches
• An extra defending player can press in the opposite half
• Open game up, no zone/halves

Regression

• The second spare player can support in the opposite half to create a 5v2