Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Passing to Over the River (Start Time: 2024-09-19 17:00:00)

Technical passing warm-up (10 mins)

Organization

• Parallel technical warm up. Pass and follow 
• Dual Areas each 18 x 18
• Then switch directions to work on opposite foot

Progression:

Require players to take a lateral touch around the mannequin before playing the ball forward to the other player. 

Challenge:

Can you incorporate a feint or change of speed prior to your pass and follow?

• Transition to SSG and remove mannequins to transition to 3 teams of 5 (yellow, blue and red). 

Over the River SSG (25 mins)

OVER THE RIVER SSG

Breaking lines (In Possession)

Organization

• Area 40 x 20 (including 5 yd channel in middle)
• 3 x 5 min blocks (1 min rest between blocks)
• 15 players. 3 teams of 5 players. One team defending for time (Yellow) & other 2 teams combining (Blue & Red)
• Defending team (yellow) is positioned in the central zone and remains in this role as the defending team throughout the block.
• Once the ball is fed in to either side by the coach, the defending team may send two player to press the attacking team creating a 5v2 situation in one end of the grid. The other 3 defending players remain in the central zone and are allowed to slide and attempt to prevent passes through to opposite side.
• Attacking teams aim to complete 7 passes, and then play the ball through to the other attacking team by playing through, around or over the "river" initially.
• If successful, the attacking teams receive a point.
• If the defending team are successful in regaining possession, they can counter attack to any of the mini goals to score themselves.
• Keep score. At the end of the block, rotate defending team.

Progressions / Challenges, Conditions, Targets:

• Challenges: "Can we try to disguise to our passes?"
• Extra point for splitting the players in the middle channel
• Progression/Regression: Lengten/shorten end zone by 2 yards to give more/less space to passers.
• Progression: Require more passes before sending the ball over the river to the other side.
• Conditions: Ball must be played below head height (through or around).
• Progression: After 4 passes, extra defender can join to press
• Targets: Defenders in "river" play a full block without allowing defending team to score
• Challenge: Can you call the name of the player on the opposite team that you are passing to?
• Progression, allow the receiving team to immediately, with the first player's first touch, send the ball back to the first group.
• Progression: decrease the minimum passes to speed up the game and shift focus to breaking lines instead of keeping possession.

Coaching Points

• Face the way we want to play as much as possible
• Add deception, feints and disguise to passes to break lines
• Strong communication. Players count the passes. Call for the ball or encourage your teammate to break the line.
• Passing empathy for teammates (weight of pass, correct foot timing)
• Decisions of when to play around, through, over... or play another pass and look for opening
• Mechanics of passing / receiving. Locked or loose ankle
• Scanning / heightened awareness of surroundings