Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Specific Practice-breaking lines

Description

Breaking lines- in possession (Specific Practice). The specific practice is highlighting the roles of the midfielders, how can the midfield receive the ball with an open body shape to play between lines for their attackers to receive in the end channel. The midfielder's will need to create space and be clever with their movement, receiving the ball on the back foot, checking their shoulder and having the alertness to know what's going on. A successful midfielder is a clever midfield who gets out of difficult situations and finds a way to play forward. The midfield and attackers need to communicate and work together, the forwards need to create movement so the ball can then be received off the midfielders with in the end zone. 

Coaching Points:

1- How can the midfield receive the ball in pockets of space and be on the half turn, demand the ball! The perfect timing to receive the ball in them pockets disappears in a second therefore communicating you want that ball in them pockets allows the picture of the half turn to then play forward happen. Main objective for this session is the body position of the midfielder in question, encouraging that player to have a more open body stance and not to rely on a safe bounce pass back to a facing player

2- We want midfield to play forward but how can be combine to get forward efficiently, do we drop the ball off for the third man runner to then receive the ball? Do we play between the midfield unit to move the opposition then we execute a forward pass which has greater potential for the forward to score from. Encouraging body position for a quick turn and to encourage the dominance in the 1:1 scenario

3- Receiving the ball on the half turn, make sure the shoulder is checked so the player knows what is going on around them.  Communication is heavily important, making sure your player knows what's going on around them or options they may have is key to retaining possession of the ball. Really important factor for this particular drill as it is about building confidence in a specific player

4- Runs from the forwards into the end channels, a straight ball and straight run never work. How can the midfielders play a pass which allows the forwards to run onto the ball in the end channel without it getting cut out or just overhit.