Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Over the River with Goalkeeper

Over the River (20 mins)

Adapt to Need:

• Field: Split playing field in half with 1 cone goal along the center of the halfway line. 
• Players: Split into 2 teams of ~6v6 with 1 Goalkeeper. 

Setup:

• Each team must stay in their own half except for the 2 defenders that will work while the other team has possession. 
• Coach plays a ball into one side and two defenders from the opposite side enter and try to win the ball. 
• The possession team tries to get 4-6 passes and then score through the gate. 
• The keeper plays all-time defense. 
• If the defenders win the ball, they try to pass it back to their teammate to assume possession in their half. 

Coaching Points:

• Emphasize the importance of reacting quickly to the changes in possession. 
• Take note of which players rotate into defense and which do not. Encourage all to prioritize this time.

Progressions:

• Shrink the size of the field by 50% for a couple rounds and let players adjust. Then return to the original size (or a little bigger) and emphasize the importance of making use of ALL available space.
• Add a mini goal to the end of each side for defenders to score on when they win possession. 
• Increase the # of defenders sent to pressure the possession team.

#Small_Sided_Game