Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Keeping possession in tight areas

Set up (20 mins)

This practice involves keeping possession in tight areas, switching play and transition. The players are split up into 3 groups of 3. One team (green) starts with one in each corner ready to receive the ball from a blue player. Another team (red) are in the centre square where one player at a time will press and try and win the ball back. 

Conditions

There are no conditions in the game to make it as realistic as possible. There is no pass limit as it should hopefully give the players in possession success, it will also mean constant switching making everyone move all the time. A pass limit will be added if the session becomes to easy for the people in the session to challenge the players.

Detail

• Quick combinations
• Body position
• Ball speed 
• Open body when receiving, as the player can switch quickly. 
• Disguised passes, this can turn the defenders giving the receivers more time on the ball and more time on what their next pass can be.
• Always looking for the next pass.

Space: 20 x 20

Time: 20 minutes

Equipment: Stack of cones, 2 sets of 3 bibs, 6 balls to keep the players moving.

Players: 9

1st picture

The 1st picture is, the team in possession switches the ball across to the other side of the big square. This is to turn the defenders and makes them use more energy turning around meaning the switch can easily be played. It emulates switching the ball on a pitch.

Key Points:

Player needs to scan before pass to see the gap through the middle to see if the pass is on.

The team in possession should look to combine quickly, creating a gap in the square to play through.

Open the body to see all corners, so you can make the pass quickly and easily.

The pass needs to be played on the floor with no bobble, this means the player needs to get their head over the ball and lock their ankle. This will result in the player that receives the ball can easily play it to create another gap in the pressing team.

Don't force the pass, if it isn't on don't play it.