Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): UEFA B Licence Session 6: Breaking Lines (In-Possession)

Specific Practice:

WELSH WAY PRINCIPLES - BREAKING LINES:

• Play through.
• Play around.
• Play over.

• Fast pressure on the ball.
• Protect the middle.
• Stay narrow and compact.
• Stop split passes.
• Protect the space behind.

• Secure the first pass.
• Play forward.
• Support quickly.
• Create attacking shape.

• Fast pressure on the ball.
• Stop forward passes.
• Force the ball away from goal.
• Create defensive shape.

• GK: Starts play, drops near-side to restart play.
• #2 & #3: Create width. Starting position in-line with edge of the “D”.
• #5’s: Option to receive from GK, drop near-side if nearest FB is on the ball. Starting position in-line with six yard box.
• #6’s: Create depth, option to play centrally. Starting position ten yards higher than FB’s.

• (CHAL): Can the focus team play through or around the lines and score in any of the mini goals? 
• (COND): The ball will always start with the GK.
• (COND): Can only score in the middle third. (progression)
• (COND): Limited to two touches in the defensive third. (progression)
• (COND): Middle small-sized net is worth three points. (progression)

• (TARG): Play “through” or “around” the lines to advance to the middle third and score in any of the small-sized nets.

• (CHAL): Can the managed team protect the lines and then score in the full-sized net?
• (COND): Always start out-of-possession.
• (COND): Eight seconds to counter-attack if the ball is won in defensive third, ten seconds if won in the middle third. (progression)
• (TARG): Protect the lines to counter-attack and score in the full-sized net.

Block Three & Four:

PROBLEM #2:

• The managed team are pressing high in order to protect the middle. They are looking to block off opportunities to play centrally.

• The focus team will look to play “around”. They will look to use width and depth to force their players to one side of the pitch before playing around the lines.

• The managed team are applying fast pressure? The focus team will use width and depth to try and force the managed team to one side. Then they will look to play to the far side FB who should have space to receive on the other side of the pitch.
• The middle is being protected? Same as the above.
• The managed team are staying narrow/compact? Same as the above.
• No split passes? Same as the above.
• The space behind is being protected? Same as the above.

Reflection

Coaching Practice Review and Reflection

Mainly how much more confident the players were this time with switching the sides of attack and finding overloads. Some players still hesitated when recognising when to break a line, especially through the middle. A few players took too many touches (especially ones who are not midfielders) or played safe when the forward pass was on. Also, the body positioning when receiving still needs a bit of work too many closed body shaped players when receiving.

What did you do well in the session?

I felt like I got the balance right between stepping in and letting the game flow. My coaching points during the blocks were clear, and I helped the players link the positional rotations to actual game scenarios. I could also give good individual feedback especially to the pivots which helped improve their movement, body shape and timing.

Why did these good things happen?

Mainly down to solid planning and knowing what to expect from the players. I built in realistic conditions and triggered challenges that made the players think and adapt. The bonus point system worked a treat it added urgency and made breaking lines feel natural.

What impact did you have on the achievement of the objectives?

I feel I had a good impact and some the players definitely started to spot space quicker and were more confident playing through the thirds. The way they used the fullbacks to pull the opposition apart and create gaps centrally was much improved from before. The objectives around breaking lines and creating overloads were mostly met.

What do you need to do more of to improve your performance next time?

I need to get better at drawing out decision-making through questioning, rather than giving too many answers. Also, I’d like to manage the defending team better during some phases, to make sure they press in a way that gives the attackers realistic problems without it becoming too predictable.

How will this help improve your performance?

By using more guided discovery and managing opposition more effectively, I’ll get better learning outcomes and push players to think for themselves under pressure which is key at this age (U16). It’ll also keep the session realistic and game-related, which helps development.

What have you learnt about you and your coaching?

I’ve learnt that I’m good at setting up realistic, purposeful drills and that I can adapt my coaching to support both team and individual needs. But I’ve also seen I can improve on giving players space to explore and work things out and point these new revelations out.

What have you learnt about the session and/or your players?

The players are beginning to understand the tactical side of breaking lines both in terms of movement and timing. However, some still go back to safe habits under pressure, so I’ll need to keep encouraging more bravery in decision-making. The session format worked well again, especially the free play block at the end.

9. How will you be better next time?

Next time, I will:

Set small challenges for individuals based on their role.

Make better use of opposition triggers to vary the problem.