Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Uefa B - Creating and exploting overloads

FAW Coach Ed

Ben Clark

Profile Summary

Name:	Ben Clark
City:	Huddersfield
Country:	United Kingdom
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Description

Session Objective

To develop the attacking team’s ability to create and exploit overloads in wide and central areas through positional rotation, overlapping and underlapping movements, and effective ball speed.

Practice Objective

The attacking team (blues) aim to create overloads to score in the main goal.
The defending team (reds) aim to regain possession and score into one of the three mini goals, replicating a forward pass on transition.

Condition: Play always starts with the red team.

Technical: Execute quality passing, receiving, and crossing at speed to exploit overloads.

Tactical: Recognise when and where to create overloads through rotation, overlaps, and underlaps.

Social: Communicate and coordinate movements to support teammates and maintain attacking structure.

Physical: Repeatedly change pace and intensity to create separation and attack the box.

Psychological: Show awareness, patience, and confidence to make effective decisions under pressure

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Block 1 + 2

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Block 1 + 2 (10 mins)

Problem 1

The defending team protects central areas well, forcing the attacking team to play narrow and limiting penetration.

Solution 1

The attacking team should create overloads in wide areas through coordinated movements between the winger, full-back, and central midfielder.
Rotation into wide areas creates a 3v2, drawing defenders out and opening space centrally for players to arrive and finish.

Block 2 - Problem 2

As defenders are attracted to the wide overload, central spaces become temporarily unbalanced.

Solution 2

The attacking team should recognise when to exploit the space created by switching play or playing back inside.
Recycling possession allows the opposite full-back or midfielder to receive in space, creating a new overload and opportunities to penetrate or shoot.

Key Coaching Points

Timing and coordination of rotations
Speed and quality of ball circulation
Decision-making: when to exploit the overload and when to switch play
Variation in movement of the striker and opposite winger
Quality and variety of final-third delivery

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): SSG

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SSG (10 mins)

Small-Sided Game (SSG)

Both teams aim to score in the main goals.

Blue team (attack): Create and exploit overloads to score.
Red team (defence): Win possession and score within 8 seconds of regaining the ball.

Team Organisation

Blue team: 4-3-3 (full-backs included, one centre-back excluded)
Red team: 4-2-3-1 (wide attacking midfielder and striker excluded)

Problem 1 (Defensive Focus)

The red team defends in a narrow, compact block, denying central penetration and forcing play wide.

Solution 1 (Attacking Response)

The blue team uses the central midfielder to help create overloads in wide areas.
The winger can drag the red full-back away, allowing the central midfielder to arrive on an underlap, while the full-back overlaps to stretch the defensive line.

Attacking players should still expect:

The striker to attack the first space
The number 10 and opposite winger to attack the box for a finish

If penetration is not possible, the winger should recycle possession back to the holding midfielder to maintain control and restart the attack.

Problem 2 (Defensive Adaptation)

The red central midfielder now shifts wide to help defend the overload, preventing the underlap.

Solution 2 (Attacking Exploitation)

This defensive adjustment creates space centrally. The blue number 10 should recognise this moment and push higher to operate as a second striker.
The opposite central midfielder supports the number 10, while the opposite winger holds the width to pin the full-back, creating a central 3v3.

Quick ball speed and drawing a defender out of position allows the blues to break lines and attack the box.

Challenge

Can the blue team penetrate the penalty area and finish inside the box, rather than relying on shots from distance?

Key Coaching Points

Speed and tempo of ball circulation
Timing and coordination of rotations
Quality and variation of final-third delivery
Off-the-ball movement to drag defenders out of position
Decision-making: when to penetrate and when to recycle possession