Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Out of Possession - Pressing (Start Time: 2020-01-27 20:00:00)

Warm up 1 (5 mins)

Coach has a number of demands which the players must respond to immediately.

'Turn'

'Left'

'Right'

'Colour of cones'

When the coach shouts 'left', the players must run to the cones on the left of them, same for their right.

Players working on their quick reflexes, sprinting to a set of cones upon command.

Overloading (15 mins)

+1 attacking exercise

- Players start behind the goal, GK starts attack for orange team which starts with a 1 man advantage.

- Once the ball has either; gone out of play or a goal has been scored the players will continue to play.

- The opposite GK will then feed 2 more players who enter the team with a -1 player disadvantage to now become the team with +1. Defending team must work back into their defensive half and then press as a unit.

- This pattern continues until all players are in play.

- Reduce a number of players on each team until there is a 2v1 game again and maintain number of times the team with -1 scores 'against the run of play'

- What do they need to do with -1? Take risks, be direct, take chances, counter attack, embrace 1v1's, attack with pace.

- What do they need to do with +1? Utilise the player advantage, build through possession, expose and exploit dangerous areas in the pitch.

Consider the Barcelona V Atletico game (possession vs deep defending) & (counter attack upon transition)

3 team transition (2) (20 mins)

Same exercise as previous

Adaptations if only one goal is available.

- Central team start with the ball, they attack the black team.

- If blacks win the ball, they will pass the ball to the white team. (The white team now become attackers, the oranges take the role of defenders, and the black team become the team at the top of the pitch awaiting the ball)

- This is almost a carousel, once the defenders win the ball, they leave the field of play and return at the top end of the field

- If the orange team scores, the black team must leave the field of play, the orange team must travel to behind the half way line and allow the white team to become defensively prepared in the defensive third. Once the white team touch their line, the ball can be played in and the whites can press immediately.

- Encourage wide play, overloading specific areas, runs off the ball, escaping tight spaces, avoiding close contact from the opponents physical presence/ pressure.