Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Switching Play Across the back 4

Screen 1 (20 mins)

General Practice / Switching play / playing out from the back.

Organisation / Area

40x30 playing area divided into 2 zones with a 5 yard break in the middle.

2 defenders 2 attackers and a keeper in each playing zone and 2 wide players on the outside.

Coach feeds the keepers from the middle zone.

Explanation

Coach feeds a keeper the start the practice. Red team attempt to get the ball to the wide players who then drive forward into the next zone. The objective then is for the red team to switch the ball to the other flank and repeat the process going the other way. The blue team will attempt to intercept the ball and to score a goal.

How

Coach only coaching the red team.

Explain the objective and encourage players to solve how they achieve this.

coach positioning and movement to keep possession and move the ball.

Blue team not being coached attempt to win the ball and score to create realism.

Conditions Challenges Targets

Outside players must be used to move the ball to the next zone.

1 point scored for every full cycle of the ball

Limited time for the outside players to pass the ball

Outside players must drive forward with the ball.

Key Points

In possession

Receive on the back foot and half turn

Make the pitch wide

Positioning

Limited touches to move the ball

Decision making.

Out of possession

Close quickly

cut out passing lines

Interventions

Walkthrough

Concurrent

Coaching Process 

Terminal

Progression 1

One blue and red pair defending and one blue and red  pair attacking. Wide players can join in attack of which ever team has switched play and is moving the ball forward.

Progression 2

Remove central zone for an end to end game but ball must be switched before a goal can be scored. Wide common players can come in and join the attack and can score.