POSITIONAL POSSESSION WITH PROGRESSION

We run this as 10v10 (no goalkeepers). The attacking side (reds) are set up as a 4-3-3, the defending side (blues) as 4-4-2. The ball starts with the reds, who should look to find and use the free player to progress through the zones. They can dribble or pass over the offside/end line (the red zone) [1a]. The attacking players are free to move between zones, and must counter-press following a loss of possession.

[1a]

1. Coach serves ball to attacking team (reds)
2. Reds look to progress through zones and cross into red zone
3. Blues apply pressure to player with the ball

The defending players are fixed in their zones. They should defend against the ball, trying to apply pressure to the player on the ball, and stay compact defending against the ball. If they regain the ball and make five passes in a row, they score a point [1b].

The coach needs to referee the offside line and count the defending team’s passes. Teams should swap roles after each block.

We run this for four reps of three minutes.

[1b]

1. Blues win possession
2. Blues put together five passes to score a point

FINISHING WITH TRANSITIONS

We set up in one half of the pitch, narrowed. The coach plays the ball in each time. We begin with four reds, who for the first four balls run an unopposed combination and finish [2a].

[2a]

1. Coach feeds ball to red team
2. Reds combine and finish

For the fifth ball, we have five teams – two on the pitch, three off it (two at one end, one at the other). Here the blue team start, playing against four reds [2b]. When one team scores, the team that concedes goes off. The team left on the pitch now defend the opposite goal, while the other team enters with a ball from other end [2c].

[2b]

1. Wave game starts with blue team from behind goal
2. Blues look to score
3. Reds look to gain possession

[2c]

1. Reds have conceded so they go off
2. Yellow team replaces them
3. Play begins with yellows behind the goal

For the sixth ball, we run 8v4 on a slightly wider pitch. Here the blues face two combined teams. The combined team starts with the ball. Play goes to completion. After that, two teams swap out, while two other teams swap in to replace them, and the team of eight starts with the ball [2d].

[2d]

1. Oranges become part of the red team to set up 8v4 on slightly wider pitch
2. Reds begin play from behind the goal
3. Reds attack, blues look to gain possession
4. When a team scores, the two teams not on the pitch swap in

MODIFIED 11v11

We set up in a full pitch. In one half of the pitch is a 10v7 (plus a goalkeeper). The ten attackers are looking at breaking lines, outside triangles, filling the box and counter-pressing. The seven defenders are looking to defend compactly, press with structure, and keeping in lines.

In the rest of the pitch, we set up as a an unopposed three, from the 18-yard line to goal line. Three attackers are seeking to execute three finishes with combinations against a goalkeeper, then recover to other half of pitch to create 11v11. The coach serves a ball to the 10v7, and the assistant to the three [3].

We run this for two reps of seven minutes.

[3]

POSITIONAL ATTACK AND QUICK ATTACK 

1. Coach serves ball to 10v7, assistant coach serves ball to the three
2. Attackers (reds) break lines and fill box
3. Defenders (blues) defend compactly and press with structure
4. Attackers (blues) attack quickly, using width
5. After three finishes with combinations, the three blues make recovery runs to create a full-pitch 11v11