Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): DEFENSIVE TRANSITION

Rondo 9V3

SET-UP: Up to two thirds of a pitch. Start with 12X12

Equipment: Balls, bibs, cones, 5 small goals, 1 full size goal

Number of Players: Up to 20 players + 1 goalkeeper

Session time :

Rondo 9v3: 10mins

System ball possession: 15mins

Horizontal and vertical compaction: 30mins

SSG: 30mins

Rondo 9v3

12 players split into four teams of three. Play starts with three of the teams working together to keep possession from the fourth team, making it a 9v3 situation. The pressing team must try to win the ball.

When one of the passing players loses possession, his team of three swaps roles with the pressing team and must react immediately to the transition by trying to win the ball back.

All players are one touch except the player who wins the ball, who is allowed unlimited touches until he passes.

2 X 5 minute games.

Horizontal & Vertical Compaction

Horizontal and vertical compaction

We set up between the penalty area and the halfway line of our pitch, coned off to the width of the penalty area. We’re using five small goals, with two at one end (goals 1 and 2), one at the other end (goal 5) and two positioned on opposite sides of the playing area (goals 3 and 4). We’re using 20 players split into two teams of 10.

The team that starts in possession has five players inside the playing area (two central midfielders, two wingers and an attacking midfielder) and five supporting players around the outside (two central defenders, two full backs and a striker). The other team has 10 players inside the playing area and is set-up in a defensive formation.

The team that starts in possession must make 10 passes on the way to trying to score in goals 1 and 2, as shown . They use the outside players to help them when they attack, using the width and depth given to them by the supporting players in order to unbalance the defensive organization of their opponents.

If the defending team wins the ball, they must make a minimum of three passes before they can counter-attack goals 3, 4 or 5. To stop them scoring, the outside players are now able to enter the playing area to even things up for the team that lost the ball, making it 10v10, as shown . They must quickly transition into a defensive organisation, making the team’s vertical and horizontal shape more compact, and then attempt to regain the ball.

How would you put this into a game situation?

Game 10v8 plus keeper

We set up on just over half a pitch, with a full size goal in its normal position at one end and two small goals at the other end. We’re using 18 outfield players and a goalkeeper, split into an attacking team of 10 and a defending team of eight plus the keeper.

The team of 10 starts with the ball and they attack the large goal, using smart possession to unbalance the defensive organization of their opponents and using space to create scoring opportunities.

The defending team are set up in two banks of four and if they win the ball, they try to score in the two small goals, as shown [4]. In response to losing possession, the attacking team must quickly transition into a defensive organization.