Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Combination Play - SALA Boys (Maintenance Session).

Passing & Receiving

Organization:

Set up playing area as shown for (10 players), with another playing set up for the other (10 players).

Instructions:

Player A and Player E looks to start the exercise simultaneously with two balls in play. Player A starts by playing an entry pass to Player B and looking to play a quick give & go around the mannequin, upon combining, Player B plays in a long pass into Player C to combine for the next give & go around the mannequin, while Player C looks to combine with Player D for next give & go. Once Player D completes the give and go with Player C, Player D then drives towards the next starting position (where Player E started) and then quickly combine with the player waiting in line to restart the exercise going the opposite direction. Player E, Player F, Player G and Player H combine the give & go with the same passing sequence with H driving down to the starting position (where Player A started) to combine with the next player waiting in line.

Coaching Points/Questions:

- Quick Combinations: When passing the ball, players must use short and sharp combinations (give & go) preferably 1 touch if possible while focusing on accuracy and weight of pass to move the ball.

- Body shape: When receiving the ball, players need to focus on their body shape with their shoulders and hips being open and side-on so that they can receive the ball at an angle and combine quickly.

- Movement to receive: Players should use creative movement to move away from the mannequin to receive the ball to play quick give & go and be ready for the next action.

- Rhythm and Tempo of Passes: Players need to recognize when to change the rhythm of passes depending on whether they are combining centrally or when driving with speed on the outside to combine with the next player waiting at the starting point.

- Weight, accuracy and speed of passes: Players should focus on the weight of their passes i.e. played with the correct weight, accuracy of the passes i.e. ball going into feet / space, speed of pass i.e. recognising when to play the passes fast / slow in relation to the rythm and tempo of the exercise.

Progressions:

- Combinations 2, and 3 respectively.

- The technical practice progresses to the skill practice.

Conditioned Game

Organization:

Set up playing area as shown.

Instructions:

- The players are divided into teams i.e. five blues, five reds, five whites, two yellows and two GKs.

- The game starts with a 5v5+1 in the middle third (five blues versus five reds plus one neutral white), two whites neutral are placed on the outside of the middle third while two other white neutrals are placed in the attacking third as shown.

- Both blues and reds are looking to combine 5 consecutive passes before breaking out to score on either goal, they can use the white neutral inside the middle third when combining and they can also use the outside white neutrals in the middle third.

- The white neutrals on the outside of the middle third are only allowed to play on the outside width of the middle third, they are not allowed to join in attacking in the attacking third.

- Upon connecting five passes in the middle third, the attacking team should look to breakout either with a pass or a dribble to score in the nearest attacking third, only one attacking player is allowed to break out at the start of the exercise.

- The attacking player that breaks into the attacking third should look to combine with the white nuetral in the attacking third to create a 2v1 against the yellow defender and quickly score on goal as they only have six seconds to score.

- If the defender (yellows) win possession, the defender looks to play into the middle third to the defending team that conceded the attack or play back into the white neutrals on the sides or the white nuetral in the middle.

- When a goal is scored, the play restarts with the team that conceded the goal.

- When the ball goes out of play in the middle or the attacking third, the ball restarts with the team that should have possession in the middle third.

- On coach's call, the whites switches roles with either blues or reds to experience the exercise.

- Once all the teams experience the exercise for at least twice, the game progresses to a competition.

Coaching Points/Questions:

Key Notes:

- Coaching in the flow of the exercise.

- Individual references when necessary.

- Instructional points when necessary during natural stoppages.

- Q&A during natural stoppages on; awareness and scanning, movement to receive and combine, timing of movements e.t.c.

- Coaching the end product when necessary.

Progressions:

- Two team compete, once a goal is scored the losing team become the neutrals while winners stays on to compete with the team that started as the neutrals.

- A second attacker and a second defender is allowed to join-in to support in the attacking third to create a 3v2 attacking situation, they have 8 seconds to score.

- If the defending team wins back possession, they play back into their team mates in the middle third or the neutral in the middle third or the neutrals on the sides to start combining again.

- The two yellow defenders compete against each other on how many balls the win back and connect with the defending team.

- The combination and attacking play is now made directional with each team defending and attacking a specific goal and neutrals on the sides are now allowed into move down the sides of the attacking third.

- The conditioned game finally progresses into a 10v10 practice game with no condition.