WORLD CLASS COACHING
Developing Soccer Intelligence Through 4v4 Vol 3
By Philip Cauchi
Table of Contents
PART TWO
Progressive Sessions
Progressive Sessions
Session number: 15.
Moment of the game: In possession.
Team task: Scoring.
Aim: Create and exploit space in attack to score.
Technical-tactical outcomes:
1. Staggered angles.
2. Look to play vertically.
3. Support the forward pass.
4. Insertions from deep positions into the attack.
5. Attitude towards finishing at goal.
Duration of session: 77 to 80 minutes.
Number of players: 16 outfield players and 2 goalkeepers or we may rotate players as goalkeepers.
Equipment:
Bibs – one set of eight and another set of six.
Markers – to mark pitch dimensions.
Cones – four.
Mini goals – four.
Session plan:
1. Movement preparation and coordination: 15 minutes.
2. Technical-tactical activation – Line soccer combination play: 10 minutes.
3. Game 1 – Goals galore! 10 minutes.
4. Shooting practice – 2v2+3 to score: 15 minutes.
5. Game 2 – Game on long and narrow pitch: 22 minutes.
6. Conclusion and recapitulation: 5 minutes.
Movement preparation and coordination.
1. Footwork followed by dynamic flexibility (10 minutes).
2. Maintaining equilibrium (5 minutes).
Technical-tactical activation – Line soccer combination play.
Remind players to focus on: 1) playing in verticality and 2) supporting the forward pass.
Area: 15 yards in length by 8 yards in width.
Players: Three attackers and one defender.
Duration: 10 minutes.
Description: Attackers 1 and 2 combine together with the help of attacker 3 to score by stopping the ball over the opposite end line while being contrasted by the defender. Change the defender every minute. Focus on playing the forward pass and on players supporting this pass from deeper positions.
Game 1 – Goals galore!
Remind players to focus on: 1) getting free of marking 2) finishing when the situation is on.
Area: 15 yards in length by 20 yards in width.
Players: One goalkeeper, three attackers, three defenders and a neutral player.
Duration: 10 minutes.
Workload: 2 x 4 minutes with two minutes rest in between.
Description: The team of attackers aim to score in the regular goal while the defending team aim to defend this goal and counter on the opposite two mini goals. The neutral player plays with the team in possession and is also allowed to score in the regular goal if the situation is favourable. Whenever a restart is in favour of the attackers they start from the neutral player. If the restart is in favour of the defenders, the goalkeeper puts the ball into play. Teams change roles, those who were previously attacking now defend and vice versa.
Shooting practice – 2v2+3 to score.
Remind players to focus on: 1) getting free of marking 2) attitude to finish at goal with accuracy.
Area: 15 yards by 15 yards.
Players: One goalkeeper, two teams of two players each and three neutrals, one on each of the other three sides of the area apart the goal line.
Duration: 15 minutes.
Workload: 4 x 3 minutes with one minute rest in between.
Description: One team attacks the goal while the other defends. The neutrals are allowed to score. If the defending team wins the ball they play it with the highlighted neutral player and switch roles with the opposite team. Now they attack! If a goal is scored or the ball goes out of play, the game restarts from the highlighted neutral player and teams rotate roles. Rotate neutral players after every round.
Progression: To challenge the attackers inside the area to create and exploit space to finish at goal with speed and accuracy, the neutral players are not allowed to score.
Game 2 – Game on long and narrow pitch.
Remind players to focus on: 1) playing in verticality 2) support the vertical pass.
Area: 30 yards in length by 15 yards in width.
Players: Both teams are composed of four outfield players and a goalkeeper. Two outfield players play inside the marked area while a player is situated on each flank.
Duration: 22 minutes.
Workload: 4 x 4 minutes with two minutes rest in between.
Description: Teams attack a goal and defend the opposite. Players from the inside may rotate positions with players on the flank. The flank players may finish at goal by moving inside to receive as shown in the above diagram.
Progression: To work on sharp finishing, all shots must be taken first time.
Session number: 16.
Moment of the game: In possession.
Team task: Scoring.
Aim: Create and exploit scoring opportunities.
Technical-tactical outcomes:
1. Staggered angles.
2. Rotation to create and exploit space.
3. Quick circulation of the ball.
4. Attitude towards finishing.
5. Apply immediate pressure on the ball upon losing possession.
Duration of session: 85 to 90 minutes.
Number of players: 16 outfield players and 2 goalkeepers or we may rotate players as goalkeepers.
Equipment:
Bibs – one set of eight.
Markers – to mark areas.
Cones – eight.
Regular goals – two.
Session plan:
1. Movement preparation and coordination: 10 minutes.
2. Technical-tactical activation – 2v2+2 line soccer: 10 minutes.
3. Game 1 – 4v4+GKs on a short and wide pitch: 22 minutes.
4. Shooting practice – 2v2+2 rapid shooting: 20 minutes.
5. Game 2 – 4v4+GKs regular game: 20 minutes.
6. Conclusion and recapitulation: 5 minutes.
N.B. If we do not have four regular goals and/or goalkeepers, for the games and practices we can have one group of eight players playing the four goal game while the other plays the game shown in this session plan. After two series the groups rotate.
Movement preparation and coordination.
1. Running coordination (2 minutes).
2. Mobility exercises (3 minutes).
3. Skipping and proprioception (5 minutes).
Technical-tactical activation – 2v2+2 Line soccer.
Remind players to focus on: 1) creating passing angles and 2) attitude to play forward.
Area: 20 yards in length by 12 yards in width.
Players: Two teams of four players where each team has a player on each flank and two inside the area.
Duration: 10 minutes.
Workload: 4 x 2 minutes – interspersed with one minute rest between series.
Description: Each team attacks one end and defends the opposite. Introduce rotations. Inside players may rotate with flank players with the aim of exploiting space.
Game 1 – 4v4+GKs on a short and wide pitch.
Remind players to focus on: 1) positioning and 2) receiving using an open body stance.
Area: 15 yards in length by 25 yards in width.
Players: Two teams composed of four outfield players plus a goalkeeper.
Duration: 22 minutes.
Workload: 4 x 4 minutes – interspersed with two minutes rest between series.
Description: Each team attacks one goal and defends the opposite. No corner kicks or throw-ins. Game restarts from the goalkeeper of the team in possession. It is recommended to have a large supply of balls to keep the flow of the session high. Ask questions that will elicit the players to identify the need to create angles and have width in attack. Examples would be “How can having angles help us get more shots on goal?” or “How having width will help us create central space to finish at goal?”
Shooting practice – 2v2+2 rapid shooting.
Remind players to focus on: 1) creating passing angles and 2) moving without the ball to create space and options.
Area: 20 yards in length by 15 yards in width.
Players: Two teams of four players plus goalkeepers. Each team has a goalkeeper in goal, two players in the central zone and a player on each flank.
Duration: 20 minutes.
Workload: 6 x 3 minutes – interspersed with one minute rest between series.
Description: Each team attacks one goal and defends the opposite. No corner kicks or throw-ins. Game restarts from the goalkeeper of the team in possession. It is recommended to have a large supply of balls to keep the flow of the session high. At first start with the flank players remaining on the perimeter where they may not be tackled by the opponent’s flank player. Progression: Introduce rotation where an inside player may move towards the flank while the flank player cuts inside.
Game 2 – 4v4+GKs regular game.
Remind players to focus on: 1) having a target player to provide height, 2) creating passing angles and 3) bearing and attitude to play forward.
Area: 40 yards in length by 30 yards in width.
Players: Both teams composed of four outfield players plus a goalkeeper.
Duration: 20 minutes.
Workload: 4 x 4 minutes – interspersed with one minute rest between series.
Description: Each team attacks one goal and defends the opposite. No corner kicks or throw-ins. Game restarts from the goalkeeper of the team in possession. This enables the players to have more opportunities to build a constructive attack from a central position. Ask the players questions on ideas how they can create the space needed to play vertically. An example would be to ask the players to show off-the-ball movements which might help them achieve this aim and support the attacker with the ball.
Session number: 17.
Moment of the game: Opponents in possession.
Team task: Prevent scoring.
Aim: Prevent opponents from scoring, win the ball and initiate the counter.
Technical-tactical outcomes:
1. Closest (first) defender applies pressure on the attacker with the ball.
2. Angles of coverage.
3. Overload ball area.
4. Mark opponent ball-side.
5. Defender in line between the attacker with the ball and the goal.
Duration of session: 85 to 90 minutes.
Number of players: 16 outfield players and 2 goalkeepers or we may rotate players as goalkeepers.
Equipment:
Bibs – one set of eight.
Markers – to mark areas.
Cones – eight.
Regular goals – two.
Session plan:
1. Movement preparation and coordination: 10 minutes.
2. Technical-tactical activation – 2v2 to targets: 10 minutes.
3. Defending practice – 2v2+GKs on a small pitch: 22 minutes.
4. Defending practice – 4v3+1 plus GKs: 20 minutes.
5. Game – 4v4+GKs on three horizontal zones: 20 minutes.
6. Conclusion and recapitulation: 5 minutes.
N.B. If we do not have four regular goals and/or goalkeepers, for the games and practices we can have one group of eight players playing the four goal game while the other plays the game shown in this session plan. After two series the groups rotate.
Movement preparation and coordination.
1. Ball mastery (10 minutes).
2. Dynamic flexibility and mobility (5 minutes).
3. Reactive sprints on 10 meters (5 minutes).
Technical-tactical activation – 2v2 to targets.
Remind players to focus on: 1) applying pressure on the ball and 2) closing the passing lane to the target player.
Area: 15 yards in length by 15 yards in width.
Players: Two teams of four players of which two are inside the area and two players are situated on opposite ends as targets (highlighted in the diagram).
Duration: 10 minutes.
Workload: 4 x 2 minutes – interspersed with one minute rest between series.
Description: Teams aim to play the ball to a target player. If they succeed, they score a point, retain possession of the ball and aim to play to the opposite target player to score another point.
Defending practice – 2v2+GKs on a small pitch.
Remind players to focus on: 1) first defender applying pressure on the ball, 2) cover provided by the second defender.
Area: 25 yards in length by 15 yards in width.
Players: Groups of attackers and defenders plus two goalkeepers, one in each goal.
Duration: 15 minutes.
Workload: 2 x 6 minutes – recovery is included between repetitions and a three minute rest is taken between series.
Description: Attacker 1 may choose to either pass to attacker 2 or start the action by dribbling forward himself. The defenders aim to prevent the attackers from scoring, win the ball and counter in the opposite goal.
Progression: If the defenders do not win the ball and conclude at goal within ten seconds it counts as a goal for the attackers. The idea behind this time constraint is to instil a positive mental attitude in the defenders to win the ball. Furthermore, if we allow the opponents the time to manoeuvre the ball in front of our goal the chance of conceding a goal increases.
Defending practice – 4v3+1 plus GKs.
Remind players to focus on: 1) first defender applying pressure on the ball, 2) cut off the shooting angle, and 3) mark the opponent ball-side.
Area: 40 yards in length by 30 yards in width divided in two equal horizontal halves and with two flank zones each measuring 5 yards in width.
Players: A team of three players and a goalkeeper, a team of four players and a goalkeeper and a neutral player.
Duration: 15 minutes.
Description: The defending team (yellows) play with three outfield players and a goalkeeper and their aim is to prevent the attacking team from scoring, win the ball and counter on the opposite goal. Whenever the ball goes out of play or a goal is scored, play restarts by the attacking team from the neutral player. The attacking team must have a player in each wing zone. If the defenders win the ball, they counter attack against the two players (blacks) in the middle channel with the help of the neutral player. In this case the situation becomes a 4v2 in favour of the defenders.
Game – 4v4+GKs on three horizontal zones.
Remind players to focus on: 1) first defender applying pressure on the ball, 2) marking the opponent ball-side and tight when close to goal and 3) first defender staying in the same line between the attacker with the ball and the goal.
Area: 40 yards in length by 30 yards in width divided into three equal horizontal zones.
Players: Both team are composed of four outfield players and a goalkeeper.
Duration: 20 minutes.
Workload: 4 x 4 minutes – interspersed with one minute rest between series.
Description: Normal game, however if a goal is scored from inside the attacking third of the pitch it counts as double. This condition helps making the teams more aggressive towards aiming to win the ball higher up the pitch. Furthermore, if the opponents manage to enter the attacking third the defenders learn to defend with composure under pressure.
