If there's one standard possession game that just about every coach uses it must be 5 v 2. It's a great introduction to possession play because the intensity of the defending is easily controlled by the size of the area. The attackers have enough of an advantage that they can gain confidence from being successful but it is still a challenge. Once the players achieve a certain degree of comfort you can put a limit on their touches and challenge their ability to think quickly and read where the open pass is.
The most common way I've seen the game played is with five offensive players on the outside of an area and two defending players on the inside. The grid is usually a square and varies in size but 10 x 10 may be the most commonly used.
While there is a lot that can be taught in this format I've recently changed my 5 v 2's format so that there are four attackers on the outside and one in the center. As usual, the defending players are in the middle of the area.
Removing one attacker from the outside gives those players more clearly defined roles and more room to move and support the ball. The attacker in the middle provides an opportunity to train a creative center midfield player. Having them create passing angles mirrors what would be expected from them in the game.
By making the area rectangular and giving them a point every time the ball is moved from one end of the rectangle to the other it creates a functional exercise that mimics the movements, roles and responsibilities of players in defending, midfield and attacking positions. This makes it possible for the players to transfer the things they learn from the exercise to their games much more easily.
We have a new eBook coming out called, 'Training the Triangle Midfield' that started me thinking about this method of using the 5 v 2 possession game. Keep an eye out for this eBook in the coming weeks.
If you use 5 v 2 possession games try using this different format as a way to challenge your players in a different way.
[wpsharely id="6889"][/wpsharely]Are there other formats you use for 5 v 2 that work well for your players? Leave your ideas in the comment area below.
Have a Great Day!
Tom
