Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Midfield Rotation

Warm Up (15 mins)

Warm Up 3v1

- Player who has the ball, should have two options either side of him.

- Players who dont have the ball, move to show support.

- Two touch.

Small Sided Game (15 mins)

Organisation

Create Pitch 60 x 30 yards;

Create coned area (as shaded);

Split players into 2 teams of 10 players - blues and reds - both teams playing in a 4-3-2 formation;

Aim

Play commences with the red team's (to be coached) goalkeeper initially;

Blues try to score on the counter attack within 6 passes - if they fail to do so, possession is returned to the red team.

Red team are tasked with using the midfield rotation to create space and get on the ball as much as possible;

Conditions

1. To begin with, each side must ensure they retain 2 deep lying midfield players at any one time, who must not proceed higher than the limits of the shaded area;

2. Only red Midfield players can pass the ball to the attackers (thereby encouraging ball to be played via midfielders by defenders);

Progressions

1. Allow red full backs to be able to pass the ball to attackers as well as midfielders and encourage full backs to present themselves as an outlet for midfield (thus creating an overload) or to attack down the wings themselves;

2. When attacking, allow the red team to play with one deep lying midfielder, the other joining the attack outside the shaded area, but regaining shape if possession is lost.

Key Coaching Points

- Angles and distances of players

- when in possession make area wide as possible

- look at movement of attacking midfielder and rotation of players

- Be wary of work to rest ratio of middle 3 defending

- accuracy of pass

- when how and where to make runs

- quality of movement

- support from full backs