By Alex Trukan
This practice is focused on developing an ability to recover quickly between high intensity actions. This means that when a player makes a sprint, he'll be ready to do another one at his highest intensity. Players might therefore, gain advantage over the opposition both in attacking and defending duels. From a technical point of view, the practice improves the ability to stay on the ball both as an individual and as a team. It also challenges the players to make a decision whether to keep the ball or pass it to one of their teammates. It requires players to constantly scan and make decisions in tight spaces under pressure.
Set-Up and Directions
Organise a 16 x 16 yards box. Divide it further into four smaller boxes of equal sizes as shown on the diagram below. Split the team into three groups of four players. Two groups start in the middle and one group starts outside the square. Both team in the middle have one ball each in possession. Third ball is played in by a coach into one of the middle teams as the practice starts.
On the coach’s signal, the practice starts and two teams in the middle compete for possession of three balls. The aim is to have all three balls in possession.
The players are free to dribble/run with the ball anywhere in the big box. If a player doesn’t have the ball, he can win it off any opposition player.
One of the conditions is that the ball can’t be passed to a player positioned in a different small box. This will further challenge the player on the ball to keep it on his own and create more physical battles.
Players positioned outside can be used at any point by a player in possession of the ball. Outside players are limited to one touch. The team that has possession of more soccer balls after set amount of time wins the round and stays in the middle. The team that has less rotates with the outside team.
Timing
Each round should last 1-3 minutes and be repeated 6-10 times in 2 series. Rest between every round should last around 1 min, and between series, 4 minutes.
Variations
- 5 v 5 + 5 / 3 v 3 + 3
- Certain players are locked in their boxes
- More or less balls can be used
By Alex Trukan, Development Coach, Nottingham Forest
@AlexTrukan
