This session is about practising solutions to break the opposition team’s press.
Area | Full pitch |
Equipment |
2 full size goals |
No. of Players | Up to 20 plus 2 goalkeepers |
Session Time | Up to 1 hour |
This session is about practising solutions to break the opposition team’s press. After a warm-up with balls, the session begins with a passing practice which offers different solutions based on which opposition players press.
This is followed by two possession-based practices. The first looks to find a spare player in the back third, create an overload and create chances in the final third. The second is an 11v11 in which players will consolidate what they’ve worked on already – recognising the press, finding a spare player and creating overloads.
This session can be tailored dependent on the opposition and the way we expect them to play. If we expect them to press in a certain way, for example, we can work on patterns and ideas to break such a press.
“We can tailor the session depending on the opposition”
Following a 15-minute warm-up, we begin this in-possession activity. This is a deliberate passing practice intended to find solutions for three things: first, finding our full back if the winger presses in a front three down the white side of the drill; second, finding our midfield overload once the 10 jumps to a 4-4-2 press down the green side of the drill; third, on both sides, timing the wingers’ runs when the 8 is facing forward against their high line.
This includes 20 players, with two players on the stations for central defence (CD), full back (FB), 7 and 9, with one player in the 6 and one in the 8. Players rotate through the passing carousel following their pass. Two balls can be in operation at the same time, from opposite ends.
Players rotate through the passing carousel following their pass
Here the intent is to find the spare player in the back third to create an overload in the middle third and move into the front third to create activity on goal. Restarts come from the coaches behind the goals into the goalkeeper, to create the problem of breaking the front third press.
Find the spare player in the back third to create an overload in the middle third
“Move into the front third to create activity on goal”
We move into an 11v11 to consolidate what we’ve been working on in the rest of the session. Here we are looking to create an overload, recognise the press and the spare player.
Begin a small-sided game - create overload, recognise press and spare player
“The 11v11 consolidates what we’ve been working on”
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