By Sean Pearson
Area Size: 40 x 45 yrds
Teams: 5 v 5 (+ 5)
Time: 20 Minutes
Objectives
- To maintain possession
- To penetrate the lines of the defensive team
- Decision making to use the wings or the middle of the field
This possession exercise focuses on maintaining it while looking to move the ball forward beyond the line of the defending team. There are 5 areas. 2 wide zones, and 3 in the middle. In the two end zones there are 3 players who are keeping possession, when the ball is in this area there are 2 defenders.
There are also 3 defenders in the middle zone.
To start with, to promote success the wide players in the zones can pass to each other with no pressure but only 2 touch, if this is too easy for your group you can allow defenders into this section straight away to cut the pass out.
The team in possession aims to move the ball forward and pass to the team on the opposite side of the line look to play through gaps either between defenders or defenders and the touch line. As the ball moves to the opposite side, 2 defenders in the middle zone immediately pressure this team and the 2 defenders who were pressing move into the middle zone.
Now the other team looks to find ways of breaking the line of the defending team. To increase the difficulty allow the defender closest to the wide zone to enter to block any pass down the line, if the defending team win possession they switch with the team who lost it so the game can be continuous, they can either play a free pass to the opposite side or switch and be under pressure straight away.
Encourage the player in possession to make the right decision and see the correct time to penetrate the line with a pass.
Coaching Points
- Spread out when in possession and keep moving the ball
- Continuously look for openings and opportunities to break the line of the defending team
- Coach players to see the scenario in front of them and to decide if it is a good idea to pass forwards or maintain possession by passing elsewhere
Variations
- 2 touch
- Must pass forward to opposite side 1 touch
- Take the wide zones out
- Dribble through a wide gap to break the line of the defending team
By Sean Pearson. Sean is also the author Coaching Team Shape in the 3-3-1, Coaching Team Shape in the 4-2-3-1 and Coaching Team Shape in the 4-3-3
