Counter-attacking

This training session is based on both aspects of the counter-attack, offering the defensive side of the team solutions to dealing with counter-attacks and giving the attackers more than a few things to think about.

I believe that the session is unique as it is something I have tweaked the more that I have run it and it always seems to keep the players interested and engaged. It helps that it doesn’t always have the same outcomes, because at times the defenders can come out on top and at other times the forwards will win the counter-attacking battle.

I chose this training session to share because it is one that I would run on either a physical training day or on a technical/tactical day.

As the session is quite physically demanding for the players I would tend to use it more on a match day –3 or a match day -4, just to make sure they are not physically and mentally fatigued by taking part in it. However, there are still parts of the session that I would run on match day -1. For instance, I would use it if I knew we were due to be coming up against a team who like to dominate possession and where I believe that we could dominate them instead.

 

“I believe this training session is unique as it is something that I have tweaked the more that I have run it and it always seems to keep the players interested and engaged”

WARM UP

Five different stations are set up across the playing area. Players start by running around the pitch twice and stretching, before rotating through the stations, as shown [1].

[1]

1. Players must hop through a series of hoops on the ground
2. Players must transfer their weight between legs as they hop over mini hurdles
3. Players must hurdle across a series of big hurdles
4. Players must run across a ladder, touching both feet in each space to practise quick feet
5. Players must move through the sets of cones, varying their movements and increasing the intensity each time

Station 1: Players must hop through a series of hoops on the ground.

Station 2: Players must transfer their weight between legs as they hop over mini hurdles.

Station 3: Players must hurdle across a series of bigger hurdles.

Station 4: Players must run across a ladder, touching both feet in each space to practise quick feet.

Station 5: Players must move through the sets of cones, varying their movements and increasing the intensity each time. This is to ensure that the players are ready for the demands of the session ahead.

PASSING WITH SPEED

We set up a playing area of 30x20 yards. We’re using 12 outfield players. They are positioned as shown [2a], with two pivot players in the centre of the area.

[2a]

1. The starting player passes the ball across to the second player
2. The second player receives and passes the ball to the pivot player. The pivot returns it to the starting player who has made a run to receive
3. The second player makes a supporting run to the end of the playing area
4. The starting player
   dribbles and passes to the first player at the opposite end, who launches the same passing pattern in the opposite direction

The player starting with the ball passes it across to a team mate. The receiving player passes the ball to the pivot player, who returns it to the starting player who has made a run to receive. The second player makes a supporting run to the end of the playing area, while the starting player also dribbles the ball to the end of the playing area. It is passed to the first player at the start of the opposite queue, who launches the same pattern of play in the opposite direction. Both players who just performed the drill join the back of the queue of players ready to run the drill in the opposite direction when their turn comes around again. We run this for five minutes.

Using the same set-up, we next run a second passing rotation, as shown [2b].

[2b]

1. The starting player passes the ball and follows it to overlap the second player before receiving it back and playing to the pivot
2. The starting player and the second player both run forwards and the pivot player decides who to combine with
3. The combining player passes to the first player
   at the bottom, who receives and launches the same pattern in the opposite direction

The player starting with the ball passes it across and follows it to overlap the receiving player before being given the ball back and then playing it to the first pivot. The starting player and the second player both run forward, and the pivot player decides who to combine with. The combining player passes the ball on to the first player in the queue in front of them, who prepares to launch the same pattern in the opposite direction. The second passing rotation is run for five minutes.

Using the same set-up, we next run a third passing rotation, as shown [2c].

[2c]

1. The first player passes the ball across and follows it to overlap the receiving player
2. The first player receives the ball back and then plays it to the first pivot. The first player runs on to receive it back from the first pivot and plays it off the second pivot
3. The first player runs on to receive it back from the second pivot and then play the ball to the first player at the bottom
4. The first player in the queue at the bottom receives the ball and launches the same passing pattern in the opposite direction

“The learning points include passing across to show players how to move the opposition, and overlapping to create space in fast paced attacks”

 

The first player passes the ball across and follows it to overlap the receiving player before being given the ball back and then playing it to the first pivot. They run on to receive it back and play it off the second pivot.

They run on to receive it back again and then play the ball to the first player in the queue in front of them, who launches the same passing pattern in the opposite direction. The third passing rotation is used for five minutes.

The learning points for the players include passing across to show them how to move the opposition; overlapping to create space in fast paced attacks; and playing with speed in order to utilise the space before the opposition can retreat into it.

COUNTER-ATTACKING PRACTICE

We set up a playing area of 50x40 yards with a full size goal and goalkeeper at each end. We’re using 12 outfield players split into a blue team of six and a red team of six. The blue team starts as the attacking team with three players on the pitch and three players resting off it, while the red team starts as the defending team with two players on the pitch and four players resting off it.

Play starts and restarts from the keepers. The blue team begins with the ball and attacks the opposition goal. They have just six seconds to shoot, as shown [3a].

[3a]

1. The blue team starts as the attacking team with three players on the pitch. They attack the opposition goal and have just six seconds to shoot
2. The red team starts as the defending team with two players on the pitch
3. Here the blues attack quickly and score within six seconds

When the ball is dead, the blue player that scored the goal, or took the shot before the ball went out of play, goes off the pitch and a red player comes on, meaning the reds are now the team with three players, as shown [3b].

[3b]

1. When the ball is dead, the blue player that took the shot goes off the pitch
2. A red player comes on, meaning the reds are now the team with three players and they use their overload to counter-attack the opposition goal and have six seconds to shoot

The red team now attacks the blue goal and the game continues in the same manner.

In this practice we want to see the defending team keeping the ball wide when out of possession. We also want to see them isolating one forward and trying to press down the line of the ball.

Additionally, we want to see the attacking team making quick decisions, attacking with speed and using overlaps to create space.

11v11 GAME

We set up on a full pitch with a goal and a goalkeeper at each end. A 25-yard end zone is marked at each end. We’re using 20 outfield players split into two teams of 11 including keepers and we play a conditioned 11v11 game. Both teams start with two defenders in their defensive end zone, and one attacker in their attacking end zone.

The team that kicks off from the centre circle tries to work the ball into their attacking end zone and once the ball has entered the end zone, the team has a maximum of ten seconds to score a goal, as shown [4a].

[4a]

1. Both teams start with two defenders in their defensive end zone and one attacker in their attacking end zone
2. The team that kicks off from the centre tries to work the ball into their attacking end zone
3. Once the ball has entered the end zone, the team has just ten seconds to score a goal

If a goal is scored the other team restarts play with a kick-off from the centre circle. However, if a team doesn’t manage to score within 10 seconds of entering the end zone, as shown [4b], the coach brings an end to the attack and play restarts with an opposition kick-off from the centre.

[4b]

1. If a goal is scored the other team restarts play with a kick-off and tries to work the ball into their attacking end zone
2. If a team doesn’t manage to score within 10 seconds of entering the end zone, as here, the coach brings an end to the attack and play restarts with an opposition kick-off from the centre

After two rounds of six minutes, the game becomes a normal 11v11 game with no restrictions or conditions. We place coaches around the pitch to keep the ball constantly in play and to encourage a good tempo from the players.