Football/Soccer Session (Difficult): NFC curriculum - Central build up in the mid to att third

Arrival (5 mins)

Set Up

Create a 18x18 yard area with two teams of 4 playing across each other (2 on outside and 2 on inside).

How to Play

Both team play at the same time.

- The ball starts with an outside player who plays in for a combination between inside players and play out to the opposite outside player.

- Swap roles every 90 seconds

- Include FIFA 11+ stretches

Progressions

- Outside player can play straight through if it's on

- Limit touches

Details

- One CM short, one long

- Look to receive facing forward in space

- Quick ball speed

- Support in-front, behind, inside

Positional (15 mins)

Set Up

Create a 36x20m area (add 8m end zones to the passing practice) with a small goal at either end.

- 1v1 in each end zone (ST vs CB)

- 2v2 in the middle

- Additional player(s) to play as CM for team in possession.

How to Play

Coach starts the game by playing the ball in.

- Combine to score in the goal

- If in possession, your team can send one player into the end zone to support CB playing out or support ST

- Defending ST to defend passively to begin with.

- To start with, the ball has to be played into the ST (no dribbling into the end zone)

- Out of possession CM players cannot go into the end zones.

Progressions

- CB can drive forward as long as a team mate drops in to cover

- ST can come short as long as a team mate goes high into the end zone

- CM can score from outside the end zone (to keep position of opposition CB real)

- Always have to have at least 1 player in the end zones when in possession

Details

- Receive facing forward as high up the field as possible

- CM to interchange positions to support player on the ball

- Drive forward if space in front to engage opposition

- Late movements to receive higher up the field

- Checked movements to create space in-front or in-behind

- Look to make runs beyond the player on the ball if space behind

Training game (25 mins)

Set Up

Use just over 1/2 of a field with a full size goal at either end and sides brought in 8m. Split the field into 3rds.

How to Play

Normal football rules apply except a player can only move into the next 3rd of the field if they:

- Pass into the next 3rd

- Dribble into the next 3rd

No corners - ball to start with GK of team who won the corner.

Explanation

8v8 where the intention is for players to play freely and competitively whilst we observe whether learning / improvement has occurred in relation to the session objective.

Evaluation

1. Did the session achieve its objective?

2. Is there observable improvement in performance of the team task?

3. Are players executing player tasks independently?