Using overloads to bear pressure

The main purpose of these exercises is to improve the basic habits of the players in possession of the ball. Firstly, the use of the neutrals shows the players how beneficial it can be to create numerical overloads to beat pressure. Although the numbers are manufactured in these practices, you can often create these situations in games by rotating or dropping players down. 

In order to turn these actions into habits, these are exercises that I would regularly repeat. This is the type of training where you really focus on the actions and decision making of the players without the distraction of competing through keeping score. By structuring the drills positionally, players are able to repeatedly practice actions that are relevant to their positions – for instance, full backs playing close to the line, as well as developing relationships with team mates in positions close to them. 

These sessions are fairly easy to adapt and we can change the intensity and general physical demand, meaning they can be used on a variety of different types of training day in terms of load. 

These exercises would often be followed by a free play game, where we’d be looking to see a transfer of the habits and behaviours we’ve focused on – particularly things like understanding the rhythm of the game and not playing too early and the detail on the pass like playing to the safe side to bounce back. 

Players then need to try and create these same numerical overloads in game situations by clearly understanding the resemblance to those in these exercises.

“This is the type of training where you really focus on the actions and decision making of the players without the distraction of competing”

DIRECTIONAL POSSESSION PRACTICE

We set up a playing area of 16x16 yards split into four even zones. We’re using 13 outfield players split into a blue team of six, a red team of six and one yellow neutral who plays for the team in possession. A pair of blue players are positioned on opposite outsides edges of the square, as shown, and two red players are positioned on the other two opposite outsides edges. The teams each have one player in each of the four zones. Inside the playing area all players must stay in their zones, except for the neutral player.

The blues start with the ball and they must pass and try to keep possession under pressure from the reds, as shown [1a]. 

[1a]

1. The blues start with the ball and they try to keep possession under pressure from the reds
2. Both teams have players on opposite outside edges of the playing area
3. Inside the playing area the blues and the reds each have one player in each zone. All players must stay in their zones, except for the neutral player
4. The yellow neutral plays for the team in possession, giving the team on the ball a 7v4 advantage
5. If one player in the passing sequence takes two touches, the next player is limited to just one touch. The passing team can play one touch consecutively, but never two touches consecutively

The blues effectively have a 7v4 overload when in possession but if one player in the passing sequence takes two touches, the next player is limited to just one touch. The passing team can play one touch consecutively, but never two touches consecutively.

If the reds win possession of the ball, they then become the new passing team while the blues counter-press and try to win the ball back.

Initially, the aim is just to keep the ball, but we progress the activity by setting teams either a target number of passes that they need to make to score a point, or by rewarding them with an extra point every time they get the ball from one of their outside players to the other, as shown [1b].

[1b]

1. Progress the activity by rewarding teams with an extra point every time they move the ball from one of their outside players to the other 

The main purpose of the activity is for the possession players to use their overload, particularly through the neutral player, to help create triangles around the ball. 

Players on the outside should understand the importance of controlling the rhythm of the game and recognise when to take two touches. At times they need to take two touches to slow the game down in order to give team mates time to move and adapt their angles. But at other times they need to pass in one touch in order to give the next player a better chance of being able to turn and change play by using two touches.

When a team loses the ball, there is a big focus from the players on reacting quickly in transition to block the middle of the pitch and stop easy passes into the neutral player by the opposition.

Another main focus of the activity is for the players to make good angles with good distances. They need to move away from their opponent quickly to create space, with the main idea of trying to receive the ball to play forward. By moving away, they give the defenders a problem in terms of blocking passes into the central neutral player. However, if they move too much and find themselves right in the corner of the box, this can make it easier for the defender to block the next pass and eventually pin them into one side. Longer distances between players also mean the ball takes longer to arrive. We want angles and distances that are big enough to take opponents out of the game, but still at a short enough distance to allow for quick passes to break lines.

We play five blocks of 90 seconds, or four blocks of two minutes, letting the players change position after every block.

6v6+2 POSITIONAL POSSESSION PRACTICE

We set up a playing area of 30x22 yards. We’re using 14 outfield players. The blue team has six players set up in a 2-4-2 formation with two centre backs, two full backs or wingers, and two attackers.

The red team is the opposition, while the two yellows are neutral players acting as midfielders and who are playing for the team in possession. Players are restricted to two or three touches.

Initially, the aim is just to pass and keep the ball, as shown [2a], but we can progress the activity by asking players to make a target number of consecutive passes to score a point. 

[2a]

1. The blue team is set up in a 2-4-2 formation with two centre backs, two full backs or wingers, and two attackers. Players are restricted to two or three touches
2. The reds are the opposition and they press and try to win the ball
3. The two yellows are neutral players acting as midfielders and who are playing for the team in possession
4. Initially the aim is just to pass and keep the ball while maintaining positional structure

If the red team wins the ball, the blue team must react immediately and instantly focus on the defensive transition to win the ball back, as shown [2b], while staying within their positional structure.

[2b]

1. Progress the activity by asking players the make a target number of consecutive passes to score a point
2. If the reds win the ball, the blues must react immediately and focus on their defensive transition to win the ball back, while staying within their positional structure

We want to see players bringing the key principles from the first exercise into this positional activity. We want to see players focusing on priority passes and the timing and rhythm of the possession. For example, centre backs should understand that it’s not always best to pass the ball instantly. If the opposition are blocking instead of pressing, then the player on the ball should pause and force them into a move. They should understand that we don’t want to pass early to a low full back just for the sake of making a quick pass. If we pass to players who are low and wide too early, this is a nice pressing trigger for the opposition and they can lock us into one side. 

The best pass we can play is into our neutrals for them to turn. From the middle of the pitch they can see several options – through to the front players or switching play to the side players. 

“The more we can maintain structure when defending, the quicker we can find it when we regain the ball, instantly knowing where everyone is”

If the number 6 is unable to turn, we still show bravery to use them for bounce passes, understanding that the more willingness we show to use our central players (who are spare), the more likely the opposition will have to narrow off, giving us much more space to go round and down the sides of them.

We want long spells of keeping the ball, but we don’t want long spells in the same area. We’re always looking to pass through or around the pitch as often as possible.

Another focus of this exercise is the defensive transition, which adds physical intensity to the activity. When losing the ball, all six players must react instantly and aggressively close the distances between them and their team mates. In addition, they must stick with the positional structure. Players should not end up chasing the ball all over the area, as this would be equivalent in a game to the left winger ending up defending in a right back position. The more we can maintain structure when defending, the quicker we can find it when we regain the ball, instantly knowing where everyone is and being able to trust our passing options and connections. 

Repetition of this is important for it to feel familiar when happening at high speed under pressure. We play six blocks of 2.5 minutes.

10v6 POSITIONAL GAME

We set up a playing area of 36x44 yards with a full size goal at each end five yards beyond the playing area. A goalkeeper is positioned in each goal and both keepers play for the team in possession.

We’re using 14 outfield players split into a blue team of eight and a red team of six. The blues are set up in a 2-4-2 shape, made up of defenders and midfielders while the reds are all attacking players, working in two pressing units of three.

We run this positional possession exercise to improve the quality of our deep players building up against pressure. The blues aim to pass to keep possession of the ball and if they make 10 consecutive passes, they score a point, as shown [3a]. 

[3a]

1. The blues are set up in a 2-4-2 shape, made up of defenders and midfielders 
2. The reds are made up of attacking players and they work in two pressing units of three
3. The blues aim to pass to keep possession of the ball and if they make 10 consecutive passes, they score a point 

If the red team wins the ball, they look to score in either goal, as shown [3b]. 

[3b]

1. If the red team wins the ball, they look to score in either goal 
2. If the blues lose possession to the reds, they should get people around the ball to quickly counter-press and try to win the ball back

In this game, we want to see the players continue to use the same principles learnt and employed in the previous two exercises. 

Naturally the ball will regularly be at the base of the pitch with the goalkeepers or the centre backs. When this happens, the idea is to be connected as a team with good angles and distances, with each player focusing on the idea of how they can be in a position to receive the ball and play forward – through or out of pressure. There is also the option to play longer, over the pressure. This is fine, but players must recognise that the more we play long passes, the more we have to then run to support the next pass, which will eventually start stretching us as a team. 

The benefit of keeping shorter passing connections across the team is that it enables us to make passes that get there quickly, but more importantly, if we turn the ball over we have people around the ball to quickly counter-press. If we open the pitch too much, we run the risk of giving the pressing team too much time and space to attack the goals when we lose possession. 

The pressing team must work together and decide when they stay compact and patiently block, and when to go and aggressively press. The speed and intensity of their work must vary and must be deliberate.

Additional players on the outside can rest and rotate in if necessary, particularly the attacking players as the drill is more physically demanding for them.

Keeping score is important because we want this exercise to be intense and highly competitive. 

We play six blocks of two minutes.