In episode 9 of the WCC Podcast, Matt and Fed interviewed USL 1/2 Veteran Travis Ward and discussed drills he enjoyed as both a player and now as a coach as he begins his training career. One drill in particular stuck out as a drill he loved to work on while playing for the Greenville Triumph with John Harkes, and he still uses for his U9 and U10 teams today, Over the River. The simplicity of the game allows for it to be an effective teaching tool
The drill itself is simple to set up, two boxes for the control team separated by a “river” box between them. Changing the sizes of the boxes can be manipulated to make the drill more difficult for either the offensive or defensive side. There is two teams of offense, and one of defense; these teams operate independently and will switch positions throughout the drill. The drill usually has 4 players in the drill to simulate line breaking, but it can be minimized or expanded based on team needs.
The game starts with one team on one side of the “river” attempting to pass the ball to a team on the other side of the “river”. The team “in the river” cannot leave the box, so must rely on their positioning to intercept the opposition’s passes. In turn the offense cannot leave their box either.
If the ball is intercepted by the middle team, and they gain possession, then the team that was intercepted goes into the river, and the team that intercepted the ball comes out. Rules can be applied that affect what constitutes a completed pass, such as the ball must be on the ground, or a team must play three passes on their side before trying to play across the “river”.
The key offensive coaching points to focus on here are how the ball movement moves the defense as they apply pressure and cover. If a team plays the ball too slowly, that means the defensive side can quickly get into position and have a strong block in which to deny passes. If the offense can move the ball quickly enough, then the defense can be caught in transitio,n and this will mean they will leave passing lanes to attack and play the ball “over the river”.
