Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): FAW - UEFA C - In possession - Switching play

Technical 1

Set up: Using 3 red cones, set up position for a left sided striker, left sided central midfielder and wide right winger. Repeat using 3 blue cones for a right sided striker, right sided central midfielder and a wide left winger.

3 players start on each cone, the rest of the players start behind the white line, moving to a cone after the previous players take their turn.

Explanation:

Coach 1 passes a ball to the striker who controls and plays to the central midfielder. The CM then switches play to the opposite winger. CF and CM run into the box, with the winger either crossing the ball into the box for teammates to score, or scoring themselves. (Players on red cone go first, after the winger receives, coach 2 plays to striker on the blue cone). 

Repeat for 2 minutes.

Coaching points:

Making the pitch big initially, wingers staying wide and creating width from cf and cm.

Ball speed - playing the ball on the floor or in the air with good speed to reach the winger quickly.

Exploiting the space - Winger make decision to go wide or invert, CF and CM move to free positions.

Progressions:

Add two defenders stood next to the CF. Defenders do not tackle, but put pressure on the CF to play the ball back quickly.

Throwing the ball in the air to CF, use different heights and variations to simulate game like situations.

Adding Manneqins - Add 2/3 mannequins for defenders and 2 midfielder players, cm now have challenge to not hit the mannequin when passing, decision making for direction of pass.

Winger now challenged to beat mannequin 1 vs 1 outside to cross, or invert and cut inside to shoot, play pass.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Challenges: in each team of 3, Can each positional player score.

Conditions: can add condition for passing on the floor or in the air, depending on the challenge point required for the group.

Conditioned game

Set up:

On the half pitch, bring the 11-a-side goal forwards to the halfway line. Add two wide zones (width point as wide as the 16 yard box area). 

Split the group into two teams of 6 (red and blue bibs), add two neutral players that start in each wide area (yellow bib)

A 6 vs 6 + 2 game. The team in possession has the two wide players on the team to make it an 8 vs 6 game. 

Conditions: The two neutral players start in the wide zones. Each neutral player may move into the central area in an attempt to assist/shoot on goal. 

Only the two neutral players are permitted in the wide areas!

Maintaining width - a wide player is always an option.

Decision making - when should we switch? (Right or left side overloaded, isolated winger on the other side). 

Ball speed - moving the ball with speed.

Targets: A team will receive 1 point every time they switch play, if they can score from a switch of play, the team will receive 3 points.

A goal scored without a switch of play will receive a point for the team.

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Adaptation: If players are not switching play (i.e just shooting), add the condition where a goal can only be scored via a switch of play.