Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Pressing

FAW Coach Ed

Craig Rogers

Profile Summary

Name:	Craig Rogers
City:	Heswall
Country:	United Kingdom
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

Interface Language

Share this Session

Link Session

Build 3D sessions in seconds

Access to 1000’s of sessions

Professionalise and modernise your coaching

Used by the world’s best coaches

US$

per year

Join today

Description

Organisation (Practice Layout & Transition)

Good practice to set out final mini game to begin with and build drills into the space. Mini goals/mannequins(equipment used for hook exercise) can be kept to the side during earlier practices. After opening small sided game, did not need equipment to move into the changing places game. We had 1 coach to observe 2 different groups and maintained distances this way, but using cones/defined space would be needed if not enough coaches to groups.

Drinks break given and mannequins brought onto the pitch and placed in between end lines, no further equipment needed. On this occasion did not use a cone to set out marker for players to stand in preparation for cuts exercise, asked them to stand in their pair at opposite sides of the mannequin. Cones can be done quickly if necessary.

After cuts exercise, remove mannequins and split the pitch in half with a single line of cones as players took a drinks break. Also placed mini goals (by side of pitch) on opposite ends of the pitch (players can be asked to do this if back early or not taking a drink).

From the pressing game players given drinks break, center line of cones removed and then choice of having mini goal or larger small goals. I was lucky to have the use of larger goals for the 5v5 game at the end and so used these.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Free play mini game

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

Save Image:

Create Video:

Free play mini game (5 mins)

Warm up
Players straight into 3v3 games
No conditions given, no teams picked, players given freedom to run games

Coaches supervise

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

None for the warm up, goal is to give autonomy to players

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

None for the warm up

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Ball Mastery/Change Position game

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

Save Image:

Create Video:

Ball Mastery/Change Position game (10 mins)

Ball Mastery (Toe taps)/Change Places game
5 players stand in a circle, all have a ball at their feet
1 player in the middle with a bib on, without ball

Outside players must use toe taps move to keep their ball moving.
At the same time the goal is to change places with another player with a ball, leaving their ball where it is.
When the red players attempt to switch positions, the blue player can intercept a swap by beating one of the red players to one of the vacated footballs.
Blue player stay in the middle of the circle for 1 minute, then change with a red player.
Each player has a turn in the middle of the circle

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Changing number of players on the outside/inside of the drill can present an easier or harder game. Less players on the outside makes it easier for the middle player etc.
Skill used to manipulate the ball on the outside can be adjusted to make it harder for outside players, alternatively skill can be removed to make it easier, and place focus on communication and changing positions.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Set target for players to reach for interceptions, award a goal/point
Target for player changes, award a goal/point
if more than once circle playing, create competition between teams
individual competition for most changes/interceptions
Potential penalty for players who stop manipulating the ball (can't change until the next game)

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Inside/Outside hooks

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

Save Image:

Create Video:

Inside/Outside hooks (10 mins)

Inside/Outside hook drill
Separate players into pairs, ensure each player has a ball and have them stand facing each other 20 yards apart
Place 4 mannequins/poles/cones in the middle, 10 yards from each opposing pair.
Goal is to dribble toward the centre object, treating it as a defender and perform first the inside hook, then dribble their ball to the back of the line. Once they have got back the next player advances.

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Periodically add yourself as a passive defender
Use a player as a passive defender
To add dribbling element, can use cones to dribble around before players arrive at the mannequin.
To add passing element can have 1 ball for each pair and require player to pass the ball to their partner after performing the hook.
Can further add to this by making 2 separate lines of 4 players perform their skill in a straight line, then dribble back or pass back to the adjacent line of players.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Can you perform both inside & outside hook with left and right feet with no mistakes at speed.
Can you dribble only with one foot, perform turn, and return.
Set target for amount of touches to reach the mannequin, less touches allowing focus on running with the ball rather than dribbling.
Add competition:
First team to perform inside cut on left and right foot each and back to starting position. Add target for outside hook, require both are performed etc..

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Pressing game

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

Save Image:

Create Video:

Pressing game (20 mins)

Pressing practice
Small pitch (10x10) with mini goals on either touchline
3 players begin in the pitch. with 3 in bibs beginning at the side
Players on the pitch are tasked with keeping the ball for as long as possible (no target to begin with).
The other team send 1 player into the box at a time to try and win the ball back. If this player successfully wins the ball, they can score a goal in either of the goals on the pitch.
Goal is for the team in possession of the ball to not concede.

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Increase/decrease amount of players in the pitch to keep possession
Increase/decrease amount of players entering the pitch to press
Add more goals for pressing team to score in/take away a goal for defending team to score in
Require defending player to keep the ball for as long as possible. If number of players pressing increases, require them to keep the ball for as long as they can.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Amount of passes equals a goal (eg.10)
Touch limit for players in possession
Time limit for pressing player to win the ball back/possessing players to keep the ball
If 2 separate pitches:
1st pressing team to score a goal.
1st possessing team to complete 50 passes
Set time limit for amount of goals to be scored

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Small sided game

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

Save Image:

Create Video:

Small sided game (20 mins)

Small sided game
Game to end practice with
No conditions used, players observed to see pressing principals were adopted

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

- If pressing focussed game, Give one team task of keeping the ball to defend their goal, and the other team to press, win the ball back and score a goal. Set time limit and rotate teams tasks.
- Change one player to create a 6v4 overload to encourage press, or use a magic man for team without the ball. (must add condition for whenthat player changes to another team, easier to create 6v4)
- Use a half way line (cone on the sidelines) allowing use of halves to encourage pressing i.e if team wins the ball back in their opponents half and score a goal, an extra goal is awarded.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Add goal for each successful inside/outside hook performed.
Can your team win the ball back by pressing the opposition and score a goal, award extra goal
First team to win the ball back in a press and score wins (time limit)
Team to win the ball back quickest in a press wins (multiple game restarts)

Build 3D sessions in seconds

Access to 1000’s of sessions

Professionalise and modernise your coaching

Used by the world’s best coaches

US$

per year

Join today