Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Half Field - Attack vs Defense - Playing out of the Back

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Name:	Jonathan Alger
City:	Fishers
Country:	United States of America
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Screen 1

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Screen 1

Setup players on cones in formation/positions on one half of field. Play starts with a goal kick and attacking team has to keep possession, working combination plays, and build the attack across the halfline against pressuring defender. The basic aim of this exercise is to help players learn how to play short out of goal kicks and to play around/through pressure with short passing combinations and movements to break the first line of pressure and advance the ball with good possession into the next phase. This setup is for 9v9 play, but you can adapt same setup for 7v7 or 11v11.

Defender Variations:

You can vary the number of defenders. And you can restrict the defender to pressuring certain zones or players.

If defenders win the ball, they get to go to goal and try to score against GK.

- Only 1 defender can to press high and remaining defenders can only defend in midfield zone.

- Only 2 defenders can press high.

- Progress from having 2 defenders pressing high with remaining defenders only defending midfield zone to 2 defenders pressing high, to 3 defenders pressing high.

- Defenders play along the halfine only to defend against scoring.

- 1 defender marks CF only

Scoring Variations:

Encourage players to keep the ball on the ground and use purposeful passes & movement and combination plays to get around pressure and advance ball forward - not just kick the ball long.

- Controlling ball across halfline on the ground.

- Small goals at halfline - 2-3 goals.

- Big goal with goalkeeper past halfline.

- Must pass to a runner across halfline.

- Allow players to continue play down the field in the other half and finish on goal.

- *Must achieve certain objectives before scoring such as; 8 passes, 3 touch play, switch field, play through certain players like complete pass into CAM or CF, or Switch across back, etc

Rotation Variations (extra players)

- Extra players take turns as defenders and rotate in.

- Players take turns in specific positions.

- After set time or # of balls, players rotate positions.

- Rondo style, players who loses ball becomes defender

- Team Competition. Play with two teams and same time and teams provide defenders to play against other team.

Coaching Points:

- Positioning

- Angles

- Movement off ball to support

- Reading & decision making

- Movement to support after passing

- First touch with purpose

- Creating Triangles/Diamonds

- Using split passes & gaps

- Drawing in defenders to create space

- Timing of movements & runs

- Identifying numbers & space - playing into the space

- Switching Play

- When to play longer or shorter depending on press

- Recovery after losing possession

- Movement & position of opposite side players

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Screen 2

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

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Screen 2

The Attacking team sets up in a goal kick to start play.

Setup a line of cones splitting the field in half vertically.

There are 4 defenders in the field who press the ball. But only 3 defenders can press on ball side of the line and 1 defender has to stay on the other side of the line/field.

There are also another 2-3 defenders along the halfline or "scoring line".

The attacking team is trying to keep possession of the ball, pass, move & and combine to get past defenders and score by controlling the ball past the "scoring line" (halfline).

The defensive line players along the halfine can only move laterally along the scoring line and are trying to stop the attacking team from being able to score easily. This is also an offsides line. So the attackers are then also working on movement, passes, & runs to play through or past these defensive players.

If the defenders win the ball, they are trying to go to goal and score. And there are no restrictions at that point. All players are live and can move anywhere and even the defensive players along the scoring line can come into play to help attack & score.

Rotate the defensive players between positions and few balls/turns.

DefenderVariations:

You can varythe number of defenders. And you can restrict the defender to pressuringcertain zones or players.

If defenderswin the ball, they get to go to goal and try to score against GK.

- Only 1defender can to press high and remaining defenders can only defend in midfieldzone.

- Only 2defenders can press high.

- Progress fromhaving 2 defenders pressing high with remaining defenders only defendingmidfield zone to 2 defenders pressing high, to 3 defenders pressing high.

- Defendersplay along the halfine only to defend against scoring.

- 1 defendermarks CF only

ScoringVariations:

Encourageplayers to keep the ball on the ground and use purposeful passes & movementand combination plays to get around pressure and advance ball forward - notjust kick the ball long.

- Controllingball across halfline on the ground.

- Small goalsat halfline - 2-3 goals.

- **Possessionball across halfline, but have defenders playing along halfline as a defensiveline that can only move laterally

- Big goal withgoalkeeper past halfline.

- Must pass toa runner across halfline.

- Allow playersto continue play down the field in the other half and finish on goal.

- *Must achievecertain objectives before scoring such as; 8 passes, 3 touch play, switchfield, play through certain players like complete pass into CAM or CF, orSwitch across back, etc

RotationVariations (extra players)

- Extra playerstake turns as defenders and rotate in.

- Players taketurns in specific positions.

- After settime or # of balls, players rotate positions.

- Rondo style,players who loses ball becomes defender

- TeamCompetition. Play with two teams and same time and teams provide defenders toplay against other team.

CoachingPoints:

- Positioning

- Angles

- Movement offball to support

- Reading &decision making

- Movement tosupport after passing

- First touchwith purpose

- CreatingTriangles/Diamonds

- Using splitpasses & gaps

- Drawing indefenders to create space

- Timing ofmovements & runs

- Identifyingnumbers & space - playing into the space

- SwitchingPlay

- When to playlonger or shorter depending on press

- Recovery afterlosing possession

- Movement& position of opposite side players