Part Three
- The Attacking Fourth of the Field
- How to Improve Decision Making
- Attacking Combinations
- Staying Compact Defensively
- Long Passes
- A Killer Overlap Drill
The Attacking Fourth of the Field
This activity works on possession while looking to find a player in the attacking fourth of the field.
Start with a 40 x 30 grid with two 10 yard end zones. The attacking team has all of their players in the grid and the defending team has 4 players in the grid and the other 3 in the end zone.
The attacking team must make 3 passes in the grid and then earns a point by passing to a teammate in their attacking end zone. Any of the attacking players can go into their attacking end zone but the 3 defending players in the end zone can not leave the end zone until their team wins the ball.
If the defending team wins the ball, three of the new defending team must sprint back into their end zone and plays resumes in the other direction.
This is an excellent activity to work on possession and finding a player in the attacking fourth of the field.
How To Improve Decision Making
This activity is a game that involves decision making, spacing, movement and much more.
Start with a 40 x 40 grid with a 10 x 10 area in the middle. There is a 4 yard wide goal in each corner.
This is a 6 v 6 game (the numbers can vary) with a neutral player in the middle. Each team is assigned 2 goals opposite of each other (in the diagram below the yellow team defends goals 1 and 3 and the black team defends goals 2 and 4)
The only player allowed in the 10 x 10 grid is the neutral player.
To score a goal a team must pass into the neutral player and then then the neutral player (who is limited to one touch) must find a player on the attacking team who scores by passing through either of their goals they are attacking
If the other team wins the ball, they also must play through the neutral player to score.
The team that scores gets the ball again.
To make this game even more difficult replace the neutral player with a player from each team. This means there is a player from each team in the neutral area and the ball still must go through them. It’s more difficult because now the central player has a defender. If you make this change, you might want to get rid of the one touch limitation.
If the transition to two players in the middle is too difficult you can add a neutral player into the middle as well. This means it will always be 2 v 1 in the middle so while it’s more difficult than just a neutral player, it’s not as difficult as the 1 v 1. The neutral player would always be on offense.
These are great activities to work on spacing, finding a central midfielder to play through, movement off the ball and much more.
Attacking Combinations
This activity works on midfielders and forwards combining to get to goal.
Start with a midfielder in possession of the ball around midfield. Two other central midfielders out a bit wider and 10 yards in front and a forward just outside the top of the D. A keeper is in the goal they are attacking.
Player 1 finds the forward with a pass. He then starts overlapping around player 3
Player 2 passes to player 3 one touch and then player 3 one touches to player 4
Player 4 finds player 1 on the overlap.
Players 2,3 and 4 then make runs to finish players 1 cross. If player 1 has to take a touch to get the ball down closer to the end line and also to allow the other players to make their runs, that is fine.
As soon as the first group has gone, 4 new players take their place.
When the first group goes again, they rotate positions so player 1 now starts where player 2 was, player 2 starts where player 3 was, player 3 starts where player 4 was and player 4 starts where player 1 was.
This is a great activity working on combination play, crossing and finishing.
If you want, you could add a defender or two into the penalty area so the runs and crosses would have to be adjusted based on where the defenders are.
Staying Compact Defensively
This activity works on staying compact defensively.
This is a 5 v 3 game to goal with a keeper in the goal. The 3 are defending the goal. The 5 attacking players start at midfield with a ball
The attacking team gets a point by scoring a goal OR any time the defending team has a player more than 10 yards apart from another player.
The defending team gets a point any time they win the ball, the attacking team loses the ball or they cause the attacking team to take more than 30 seconds to get to goal.
The concept behind this game is for the defending players to stay together, stay compact and slow the game down.
If one defender comes out far and the other two stay back, there are too many holes so they lose
If come out together, they can close those holes and be much more effective
If the ball goes out wide and one defender pressures the ball and the other two stay central, there are too many holes so they lose
If they work together they can make it much more difficult
Working together, 3 defenders should be able to slow down 5 attackers. It’s when they get spread out that problems occur.
Do 8-10 attacks and then rotate in new defenders.
Long Passes
Todays featured activity works on playing a long ball, receiving long balls, attacking from width and defensive shape
Start with a player with a ball near the center circle. There are 2 attacking players out wide on each side between 18-25 yards out. There are three defenders inside the 18 a keeper in goal.
The player with the ball starts by playing a long ball to either of the most advanced attackers out wide. Unfortunately, this is a lost art these days so really emphasize the importance of being able to play and receive this type of a ball.
The player with the ball then attacks and the game is live. The teammate on the same side might overlap and the two players on the far side would make runs. The player who served the ball also joins in the attack.. The defenders adjust accordingly
The attackers will have numbers up on both sides so the key is for them to attack at speed and take advantage of the situation
Next they do the same thing in the other direction.
Once the players get accustomed to this type of attack, add a defensive midfielder.
To make it even more difficult for the attackers, you can add a fourth back
If you want, you can keep building and add a forward and two backs on the attacking team and two outside midfielders for the defending team
The idea is to get numbers going forward, encourage runs, and force the defending team to adjust on the fly.
A Killer Overlap Drill
This activity is a two person overlapping drill. It combines passing, receiving, dribbling and fitness.
Start with a player on the corner of the end line and the 18 and the second player is on the sideline around 25 yards out.
The player with the ball passes out wide to the front foot of the receiving player
The receiving player receives the ball and dribbles on an angle toward the middle
While this is happening, the original passer makes an overlapping run
The players then do the same thing again with the opposite roles
They do this all the way down the field
This activity allows the players to work on passing to feet (or just in front of feet), receiving and attacking with the first touch and then appropriate runs all while building in some fitness.
