Third-player runs

This session is about third-player runs to break high lines and low blocks. It’s all about creating relationships, creating, understanding, communication, recovery skills and enjoyment. Everyone gets plenty of touches. It’s all game-related. We need players to create the understanding of how we want to play. We want them to enjoy the session with lots of football, crosses, movement, shots on goal and eagerness to run forward creating opportunities for the team. We want players to use their vision to execute the right pass. We will run this session once a week. We can use the opposition backline as reference for our game plan and ideas using correct terminology.

You can progress the session by using a bigger space, having more area to move.

We can use a tighter area for closer contact or use it as a thinking day so players can create better understanding of what you’re looking for, technically and tactically.

Activity 1

Depending on your numbers, run this with seven or eight players in two or three groups.

Player 1 passes to Player 2, Player 2 passes to Player 3, Player 3 passes to Player 4, and then repeat the opposite way [1]. Challenge players to sharpen up speed of passes, increase their communication and use their imagination. We’re looking at delivery and execution activity too.

[1]

1. Players run through a passing pattern, playing the ball from 1 to 2, to 3, to 4 (as shown 
   in top group)

2. And the back from 4 to 3, to 2, to 1 (as shown in bottom group)

Possession with purpose

Emphasise to both teams to use the third-player run to enter the shaded area. We’re looking at breaking defensive lines. We can run this four times for four minutes, all running in the big area. Use the spaces to create good opportunities for forward passing, so runs from strikers and runs for midfielders. I like wing backs, so it’s a great opportunity for those to break lines. We are looking at forward runs, forward passes, willingness, quality and communication.

The coach starts the exercise once the ball is played into the shaded area. No one other than the third player is allowed in that space. We score in the mini goals. You cannot run the ball through [2]. 

[2]

1. The coach plays a ball in to the red team

2. The red team work the ball up the pitch
3. The blue team look to win the ball back
4. The red right wing back makes a third-player run and receives a through ball in the end zone
5. The wing back scores in the mini goal

Activity 3

We’re still looking at keeping possession but in a tighter area than last time. We’re still looking for forward runs and passes to break lines and good execution. The game starts between the mannequins but still with an emphasis on breaking lines. Defenders can now defend the runs and enter the area behind the mannequin. We’re looking at shot attempts, goals, movement and quick recovery. Goalkeeper plays to restart. We’re operating within a tight area [3a, 3b]. 

[3a]

1. The ball starts with the red goalkeeper

2. The reds build
3. A wing-back makes a third-player run and receives the ball in the end zone
4. The tracking blue defender wins the ball

[3b]

1. The blues transition to attack

2. An attacking midfielder
3. The reds track back into the end zone
4. Blues score a goal