By Anthony Hazelwood
The following activity has three teams of four players playing a possession game. Players will be working to adapt their anaerobic capacity through intermittent endurance. A 30-length x 50-yard width split into a half will be built. To begin, two teams will be located on one side of the activity grid as the offensive teams. The other team will be playing as the defensive team and located on one side of the grid.
The objective of the activity is to maintain possession and to switch play when the passing restriction has been broken. Once this is done the defending team moves to the other side of the grid to defend the other team. If the defending team wins the ball, then they become the attacking team. The team that lost the ball will turn into the defending group.
When preparing the activity, if needed, concentration and difficulty levels may be increased by having players execute something extra unique by setting more restrictions. Every activity may be modified, and it is up to the coach to be creative. However, it is important to respect the parameters of the exercise time, the rest, the types of actions used and the weekly periodization of the activity.
Additionally, it is beneficial to train a soccer team and its players with all the elements of the game is present in the session. By doing so, it will promote soccer specific adaptations to the player’s body, mind, and emotional triad. Ultimately, these adjustments will enhance their real-time game performances on a physical, emotional, conscious, and subconscious mental level.
Area Size: 30 yds. length x 50 yds. width.
Total Activity Time: 16 minutes.
Sets: 1.
Number of Repetitions: 5
Activity Repetition Time: 2 minutes.
Recovery Interval Time: 1 minute.
Intensity: High.
Objectives:
• Tactical: Quick supporting actions to maintain possession to switch play.
• Fitness: Maintain high intense corporal actions.
• Technique: Proper fitness and off/on the ball execution/techniques.
• Mental-Emotional: Players fully engaged and concentration is high.
• Concentration Level: High.
Setup:
• Create a grid that is 30 yds length and 50 yds. width split down the middle.
• Two teams of four players located on each side of the grid.
• One defensive team ready to commence vs. another team.
• At the whistle, the run of play will commence.
• The team in attack will have to make four passes before the ball may be passed to the other team.
• Once this is done, the defending team moves quickly to the other half and defends.
• If the team successfully takes the ball away, then they pass to the other grid and stay as the team in offense.
Coaching Points:
• Attentiveness.
• Keep track of time, 2 minutes play - 1 minute rest.
• High intensity.
• This session is continuous for two minutes, make sure to keep moving.
• Proper technique and Proper Exercise Movement.
• Proper exercise movements when attacking players are idle.
• If progressions are needed: After every pass a five yard sprint must be completed – Team waiting in the attack needs to perform some kind of upper body exercise until the ball is switched.
By Anthony Hazelwood
Coach Anthony is a USSF “A” licensed coach with an M.S. in Sports Training and Nutrition and a B.S. in Physical Education. Currently, he is an Assistant and Sports Performance coach with the Miami FC. He has previous European youth academy coaching experience as a soccer fitness and strength/conditioning assistant coach with Levante U.D. and Getafe SAD in Valencia and Madrid, Spain.
