Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Switching Play

FAI - Coach Education

Peter Murphy

Profile Summary

Name:	Peter Murphy
City:	Cork
Country:	Ireland
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 9v8 + GK

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9v8 + GK

Organisation

Mark out a 50x40m pitch.
Divide the pitch into 2 lanes by placing cones down the middle.
Place a full-size goal at one end of the pitch and a medium-size goal at the other.
Divide the players into 2 teams (9v8).
The team with 9 players (blue) play with a goalkeeper (10 players in total).
The team with 8 players (orange) do not have a dedicated goalkeeper and rotate
an additional outfield player to keep goal (9 players in total).

Explanation

The blue team set up in a 3-3-3 formation that represents a standard 4-3-3 set-up.
The orange team set up in a 3-3-2 formation that represents a standard 3-5-2 set-up.
The objective is to score a goal that involves a switch of play during the build-up.
The objective should be harder for the blue team to achieve as they are trying to
score into a smaller goal.
The exercise lasts 10 minutes.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 5V5 Switching

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5V5 Switching

Organisation
- Mark out two 10x8m pitches.
- Place 2 mini-goals on each pitch.
- Divide the pitch into 2 lanes by placing cones down the middle.
- Divide the teams as follows: the blue team in 2 teams of 5 and the orange team
  into 1 team of 5 and another team of 4.
- The goalkeeper joins the team with 4 players.
- Each pitch should host a 5v5 or 5v4 game between a blue team and an orange
  team.
  Explanation

The objective is to score a goal that involves a switch of play across the midline in the build-up.
Players can only score with a first-time finish.
A team is awarded 1 point if the goal involves a first-time finish.
A team is awarded 2 points if the play is switched across the midline in the
build-up to a goal involving a first-time finish.
The first-time finish rule does not apply to the orange team with only 4 players.
They are allowed to take multiple touches before attempting to score.
The exercise lasts 5 minutes.

Coaching points

The same principles from the previous exercise on the larger pitch apply, but players need to place greater emphasis on operating in tighter spaces.
Players should call on their individual technical ability to create opportunities to switch play across the midline.
Close control, precise passing and high intensity levels are key elements in creating opportunities to switch play.
NB: in the small-sided games, each team’s score is calculated across all of the games, with the team with the most goals declared the winner.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 9v8 + GK - 352 & 433

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9v8 + GK - 352 & 433

Rules
- A team is awarded 1 point for scoring a goal that does not involve a switch of play in the build-up.
- A team is awarded 2 points for scoring a goal that involves a switch of play in the build-up.
- The exercise lasts 10 minutes.
  Coaching points
  - The formations need to offer a realistic representation of the systems a team adopts in 11v11 matches (4-3-3 and 3-5-2).
  - Within the 3-3-3 formation, the blue team’s right- and left-sided defenders need to operate as full-backs in order to faithfully reflect the 4-3-3 system. As a result of this, the one remaining defender becomes the only centre-back, who lines up alongside 3 midfielders and attackers apiece.
  - The orange team operates with 3 centre-backs, 3 central midfielders and 2 strikers in a 3-3-2 set-up.
  - The players should use the pitch markings as a reference to help stretch the pitch.
  - The players need to use a range of passes when switching play and not rely solely on playing long balls.
  - Playing shorter passes through and across the midline can represent a more subtle approach and ultimately prove successful in opening up the opposition.
  - The blue team that sets up in a 3-3-3 formation should consider playing longer
    diagonal passes that pick out the wingers and give them the chance to isolate the opposite full-backs.
  - * Players should move over to the smaller pitch for the small-sided game.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 9V8 + GK - How & Why

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9V8 + GK - How & Why

Rule changes
• A team is awarded 1 point for scoring a goal that involves a first-time finish.
• A team is awarded 2 points for scoring a goal that involves a switch of play in the
build-up.
• The exercise lasts 10 minutes.

Coaching points

Players should concentrate on their movement off the ball to allow them to find the space that enables their team to switch play.
The central players should focus on acting as an anchor point and a conduit through which a switch of play is executed during the build-up phase.
The central players can shift the ball by finding pockets of space to make simple passes that initiate the switch.
A switch pass does not need to be played at every opportunity. Players should instead focus on timing and consider whether the opposition is stretched.
If the opposition defends compactly, the team in possession should look to occupy spaces that offer more than one option to initiate a switch.
* Players should move over to the smaller pitch for the small-sided game.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 9v8 + GK - Retaining Possession

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9v8 + GK - Retaining Possession

Rule changes
- A team is awarded 1 point for scoring a goal that does not involve a switch of play in the build-up.
- A team is awarded 2 points for scoring a goal that involves a switch of play in the build-up.
- A team is awarded 3 points for scoring a goal that involves a sequence of 8 or more passes in the build-up. Whilst a switch of play is not a requirement, it is likely to feature within the build-up.
- This exercise lasts 10 minutes.

Coaching points

Central players should seek to receive passes in pockets of space that have been created by intelligent movement to enable them to act as a successful anchor point in the team’s build-up.
Wide players should seek spaces on the flanks in which to operate, whilst stretching the opposition to provide the platform for the switch.
If the opportunity to switch play is not on, players should be encouraged to retain possession whilst creating more favourable circumstances in which to execute the switch.
* Players should move over to the smaller pitch for the small-sided game.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 9v8 + GK - Switching & Pressing

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9v8 + GK - Switching & Pressing

Rule changes

A team is awarded 1 point for scoring a goal that does not involve a switch of play in the build-up.
A team is awarded 2 points for scoring a goal that involves a switch of play in the build-up.
A team is awarded 3 points for scoring a goal that involves a sequence of 8 or more passes in the build-up. Whilst a switch of play is not a requirement, it is likely to feature within the build-up.
If a team loses the ball during a passing sequence, but regains possession before the opposition manages to progress beyond the halfway line, they may resume the passing sequence. For example, if a team has put 5 passes together and then loses the ball, they can resume their pass count from 5 passes as long as they regain possession before the opposition take the ball into their half.
However, if the team that lost possession fails to win the ball back before the opposition advances beyond the halfway line, their pass count returns to zero.
The exercise lasts 10 minutes.

The team regains possession and is allowed to resume their passing sequence.

Coaching points

Encouraging quick counter-pressing enables the team to retain control of the ball, whilst also remaining on the attack.
The players should seek to work the ball from one side of the pitch to the other and look after the ball as they do so.
The players should seek to work the ball from one side of the pitch to the other and look after the ball as they do so

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Screen 7

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Screen 7

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