Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Playing out from the back U8-U11

Description

PRINCIPLES OF PLAY

• Positioning between and behind opposition lines

• Finding the free player

UNOPPOSED TECHNICAL WARM-UP

• This practice is an unopposed technical warm-up, laying down the foundations of playing out from the back. • The practice sees a group of 14 players split into two groups of seven.

FUNCTION

• This unopposed technical warm-up begins as pictured in Diagram 1.

• The ball begins with a player at Cone 1. As they touch the ball out of their feet, one of the players at Cone 3 drops to receive (Pass 1) and sets the ball with one touch (Pass 2) on an angle back to the original player at Cone 1, who has moved to receive.

• This player receives with the back foot to quickly play towards a third player – who is moving forward from Cone 2 – between the pole and the cone within 2 touches (Pass 3).

• The player at Cone 2 receives with the back foot, with the aim of crossing the dashed orange line with the ball under control before finishing in the small goal (Pass 4).

• Diagram 2 shows a variation where the ball is played into a player at Cone 3 (Pass 1), who moves to receive behind the mannequins with a side-on body shape.

• As the ball is travelling to the player at Cone 3, the player at Cone 2 begins to move forward to receive the pass outside (Pass 2).

• This player again receives with the back foot, to collect on the run and cross the dotted orange line before finishing in the small goal (Pass 3).

• In both sequences, the players will rotate from Cone 1 to Cone 2 to Cone 3.

• The practice can extend to playing the ball out in the same way before working it to a player at Cone 4 to finish in the small goal on the opposite side.

COACHING DETAIL: TECHNICAL

TIMING OF MOVEMENTS

• The players positioned on Cone 3 will ‘unmark’ themselves by initiating their movements in the opposite direction of where they would like to receive the ball. Players should use two or three steps to create appropriate space and move towards the ball as the player on the ball takes a touch out of their feet and lifts their head. This visual connection is important.

• The players at Cone 2 in Diagram 1 will move towards the player at Cone 1 as the ball is being set backwards. As the player at Cone 1 takes their first touch, they will quickly initiate their movement forward to receive between the cone and pole, in order to receive a forward pass. Pointing with the arm forward can help the ball-carrier know where the player at Cone 2 wants to receive the ball.

• In Diagram 2, players at Cone 2 will move towards the player at Cone 1 as they take their first touch out of their feet. As the ball travels into the player at Cone 3, the player at Cone 2 will quickly accelerate in order to receive a pass outside and behind the mannequin line.

WEIGHT AND ACCURACY OF PASS

• It is important that all passes are kept on the ground to allow the receivers to have the best opportunity to complete the next play.

• When playing to a teammate’s feet, a stronger weight of pass can be used towards the foot furthest from pressure.

• When passing into space towards a teammate’s movement, players should prioritise accuracy over power.

RECEIVING WITH A SIDE-ON BODY SHAPE

• When receiving and passing with two touches, the player receiving the ball must first move towards the space they want to move into. It is important to receive with the back foot, to remain facing forward and receive away from pressure.

RECEIVING ON THE RUN

• When receiving on the run, the receiver should move their body in a side-on manner. However, when the ball is approximately 2 metres away, they should lower their hips for better balance to push the ball towards the space they are moving into.

• That first touch will then ideally be 1 or 2 metres away from their body, to allow them to maintain their running speed.