Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): U12/14 - Overload to isolate
FAW Coach Ed
Samuel Holmshaw
Description
Date: 1/8/25 Age: U12-14 Ability: Academy Number of players: 14 Session time: 90 minutes Pitch size: 7-a-side pitch
Phase: In possession (Sub-phase: Attack the goal)
Session topic: Overload to isolate
Practice structure: Varied, games based
Session objectives:
Most: Players will be able to demonstrate when to switch the ball to the isolated player at the suitable time.
Some: Players will be able to demonstrate how to overload an area of the pitch to create an isolated player, and when to switch the ball to the isolated player
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
10 mins
Set up: set up a 30 x 40 square box, add two mini nets into the middle of the box as shown.
Split the group up into one team of 6 and one team of 7, add one goalkeeper.
To start: Coach plays a ball into the area, the aim of the drill is to score in either of the nets past the goalkeeper.
Adaptations:
Condition 1: If blue or green team player receives the ball on the left side, 3 teammates must move into this zone to support.
Coaching points:
If one side of the pitch is overloaded, can we look to switch the play to the isolated player?
Challenges, Conditions or Targets:
Target - Can we score a goal by switching play to the other side, when one side is overloaded? Players gain a point for every successful goal scored through switching play to the isolated player.
Challenge 1 - Who can score the most points?
Challenge 2 - Can we play the ball to the isolated player (and score) within 5 passes?
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
Set up: Use the same teams as before
To Start: In the middle playing area is a 6 vs 5. The green team start with the ball, with the aim to score in the smaller net next to coach.
Coach plays the ball to the blue team who should immediately look to switch the ball to one of the wide areas. Once a successful switch is made, a 7 vs 6 game then begins. During this, if the team of 5 win the ball back, they continue to look to score in the mini goal.
Each time the ball goes out of play, the players move back into the middle playing area to form the 6 vs 5. Coach always plays to the blue team to restart play.
Conditions: Only the two wide players can enter the wide zone to start.
The two "isolated players" in the wide zone don't have to stay in the wide zones once the blue team win the ball.
As with 7 vs 7 rules - there is no offside in this activity.
Coaching points:
If one side of the pitch is overloaded, can we look to switch the play to the isolated player?
Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):
Regression: Condition - When the blue team win the ball, when the ball is transferred to a wide player, they must stay wide.
Progression: Condition - (from initial regression): If one players is wide (for example right), the player left can come into play.
Challenges, Conditions or Targets
Target - Every time a successful switch is made to the isolated player, the team will gain a point.
Target - For every goal scored from an assist to the isolated player, the team will win 3 points.
Challenge - Who can gain the most points?
Challenge 2 - Can we create an option and play the ball to an isolated player within 5 passes?
Challenge 3 (regression) - Can we create an option and play the ball to an isolated player within 8 passes?
- condition listed above -
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
Set up: Remove the middle area from the previous activity, leave the wide areas. Keep the teams as before, a 7 vs 7 (6 outfield and 1 goalkeeper).
Condition: Each team can select two "wide players". The rule is that at-least one wide player must be in either of the wide area's during play.
Start: A 7 vs 7 game incorporating all the 7 vs 7 rules (no offside)
Coaching points:
Create an isolated player by overloading one side of the pitch
Switch the ball to an isolated player
Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):
Remove the condition for wide players
Challenges, Conditions or Targets:
Target - Can we score from either the isolated player being in a 1 vs 1/ 1 vs 0 or an assist from the isolated player. The goal will count for 2.
Challenge - Can we create an option and play the ball to an isolated player within 5 passes?
Challenge 2 (regression) - Can we create an option and play the ball to an isolated player within 8 passes?
Play animation
Play step-by-step
Repeat (toggle)
Full Screen
Pause
Stop
To start - players need to get into a group of 3 and position themselves as shown on the diagram. Green starts with the ball and plays into blue, blue plays a short pass back to green, who then plays a long ranged pass to pink. Blue runs to pink and the passing pattern repeats.
Swap the player in the middle every 2 minutes.
Coaching points
- Short range passing
- Body posture, positioning, striking the ball, following through
- Long range passing
Low driven pass (mechanics )
- Run up offset to ball, body weight and head over the ball.
- Use top of foot, follow through to target and hit middle of ball
Lofted pass (mechanics)
- Run up offset to ball, eye contact on the ball, use top of foot, strike underneath the ball, slight lean back.
Challenges, Conditions or Targets:
Challenges - can we use a driven pass or a lofted pass when playing a long range pass.
Target 1 - Can players making long range passing use 2 touch to recieve the ball and a touch to pass the ball.
Target 2 - Can the player making a short range pass, can we do this with 1 touch.