Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Principles of Possession: Principles 1&2 (Full Practice) (Start Time: 2021-08-03 19:00:00)

Opening up to find space (20 mins)

For this drill, you need to have three groups around the same size. At the minimum, I would recommend 12 players split into three groups of four as is shown in the model above. The basic goal of the drill is for players to move around finding passing options and playing the ball.  The goal of this drill is to move around by finding space and creating passing options making sure players open up when receiving the ball to find more options quicker.

After each player passes they must also check over their shoulder. This is always something to add whenever a player passes so to develop the muscle memory for in a game.

One group will start off with the ball (White in the model)and must stay inside the square and looking around the square for passing options; this group is able to take either one or two touches when passing and receiving and pass to either the bouncers (Blue in the model) or the players on the outside of the square (Red in the model). 

Bouncers (Blue in the model) only have one job which is to stay inside the square and move to open space to create passing options for the players with the ball (White players in the model). Bouncers must stay within the square and can only play one-touch passes back to the other group in the square (White players in the model). If possible bouncers should try to be in a position to play the ball around a manikin. (Look at the manikin while the triangle around it.)

The players on the outside (Red in the model) are responsible for playing the ball to the group in the square who started off with the ball (White in the model). 

To advance the practice change the passes from the outside players (Red players in the model) and the players with the ball (White players in the model) to two bounce passes.

I would do 1:00- 2:00 minute intervals swapping the roles of each team. The size of the square is determined by the number of players and how big you want the space for them. 

Scrimmage or Game Like activity (20 mins)

For the end of practice, you can do a scrimmage based on the number of players you have or set up a gamelike scenario. This gamelike scenario is a staple for my practices and while I add small changes depending on the goal of the practice, it typically looks something like this. 

The attacking team is put into a 3-3 or more if I have the players and the defense has the keeper and is set up into a 4-1. Both offense and defense teams are based on our 4-3-3 that we play on game day. The ball will start from the attacking team's 6 from here we let them play only emphasizing to open up when receiving the ball and to open the field up by moving into space. If the ball goes out the back play from the keeper. The numbers are the positional numbers.

The goal of the attacking team is to spread out and open up when receiving to try a create scoring opportunities,  just as I worked on earlier. We are now putting those principles into a game-like scenario. The defense of course is working together to defend the goal and play the ball out wide to open up the field for the attack. (Score in the small goals.) The reason I like this gamelike scenario over a small scrimmage is that it works on the players in their gameday formation.