Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Specific Practice - Practice Design Task - Attacking In The Final 3rd
Description
Organization (Practice Layout & Transition)
Both the Specific practice and Small Sided Game (SSG) will be played using a whole half. Two corners will be tapered off on the red teams defensive end.
Equipment:
- Flat markers will divide the pitch into 3 zones: left, middle, right
- Cones will taper off the 2 corners of the field in the reds defensive half.
- Mannequins are set up on each side as a visual marker for the blue team.
Red team will be coached (focused team).
Blue team will be managed.
Red team plays a 2-3-3
Blue team plays a 4-2-1
Red teams focus is on breaking the lines.
Blue will be given instructions to create problems for the red team.
Welsh Way Principles:
Play Around- use width
Play Through- create overloads to play through
Play Over- invite the team to press to allow space for 11, 9, and/or 7 to run into space when a ball is played over the top.
Walkthrough to open session:
- Ball starts with the keeper
- Keeper plays the ball into an attacking midfielder.
- The attacking midfielder drops the ball to the holding mid.
- As the ball is traveling, the 9 is making a run between the center back and an outside back.
- The holding midfielder will play the ball through to the 9 for a chance on goal.

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
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Specific Practice
Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):
Problem 1: Blue team stays compact and defends the center of the pitch.
Solution 1: Play Around
Ex: ball goes to the 11. The 10 drops slightly to support. The 9 makes a curling run between the 2 and 4. And the 8 runs into the space created by the 9
Ex 2: ball goes to the 7. The 8 makes an overlapping run to create an overload. If the 3 follows the 8, 7 drives inside. If the 3 sticks with the 7, the 7 plays the ball through to the 8.
Problem 2: Blue Team is holding a high line/pressing high.
Solution 2: Play Through or Over
Ex: 10 drops the ball to 5. 11 makes a run between 2 and 4. 9 makes a run between 4 and 5. 7 makes a run between 5 and 3. 5 plays a ball over the top to one of the attacking players.
Challenges, Conditions or Targets:
If 1v1 on the outside, can the 11 or 7 take the defender on in the dribble?
Targets: both teams will score on the large goals.