Tag Archives for " Possession "

1 Shielding Game for Strength and Skill

By Alex Trukan

The following practice is designed to develop upper body (core) and lower body strength. That can be used in and around the penalty box by the strikers holding the ball away from the opposition as well as in the own half of the pitch by the defenders. From the technical point of view, the practice focuses on defending position with the player pressurising from the back. The great thing about this exercise is that it can be adapted to different numbers as well as it’s a great fun.

Set-Up and Directions

Organise six cones as shown on the diagram below. Designate one player with the

2 Possession Game to Develop Strength

By Alex Trukan

This exercise is focused on developing functional strength to improve individual ball possession skills under pressure. That will help the players to stay on the ball for longer periods of time if needed and be confident in manipulating the ball when pressurised and doubled up. From the conditioning perspective, the practice develops both upper and lower body strength as well as strengthens the core. It also contains an element of acceleration over short distances.

Set-Up and Directions

Set up a square of approximately 15x15 yards. In the middle of each side of the square, place a bigger cone. Divide the players into pairs. Each pair should take a position on each of the

1 Four Zone Game - Progression

By Renato Lopez Moreira - 

This is a progression of last week's 5 v 5 game to work spacing and player movement. We now play 8 v 8 The game area is 50 x 45 yards and it is played as two 15 minute halves. 

The field is once again divided into four zones. This time each zone contains

0 Four Zone Game

By Renato Lopez Moreira -  This is a 5 v 5 game to work spacing and player movement. The game area is 44 x 39 yards and it is played as two 10 minute halves.  The field is divided into four zones. Each zone contains an attacker and a defender. An additional attacker and defender begin

0 Team Dribbling that Develops Endurance

By Alex Trukan

This practice is suitable for almost every age group and can be implemented with both U7’s as well as senior players. From the physical perspective, it is focused on improving endurance and ability to recover after high intensity bursts. That is integrated into highly technical practice focused on dribbling, awareness and ball manipulation. The practice has also benefits in the social side of the game, improving communication and teamwork.

Set up and directions

Organise a square of approximately 15x15 yards. Divide the team into three teams of three (number of players per team can be adapted). Two members of the team start with one

0 #022 Developing Vision and Awareness

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0 Six Goal Game

By Renato Lopez Moreira -  This game is a progression of the previous 5 v 5 games I've presented over that last few weeks. The game is played in a 30 x 30 yard area divided into two 15 x 30 yard areas There is no limitations on the number of touches each player can

0 Transitional Possession

By Renato Lopez Moreira -  This game is a progress of the one from 'Possession From Target to Target' last week. The game is played in a 30 x 30 yard area divided into two 15 x 30 yard areas There is no limitations on the number of touches each player can take Ten consecutive

0 Crossing and Finishing

By Sean Pearson Area Size: 2 x 18 yard area with 5 yard neutral zones Teams: 6 v 6 (+ 4) Time: 20 Minutes Objectives To get the ball out wide as quickly and as often as possible Decide which cross is best for the situation For the attacking team to make positive attacking runs to disorientate

0 Possession From Target to Target

By Renato Lopez Moreira - 

This game is a progress of the one from 'Possession Under Pressure' last week.

• There is no limitations on the number of touches each player can take
• The 'Jokers' play with the team who have possession of the ball
• Ten consecutive passes are worth one point
• The game is 10 minutes long

Exercise

The Attackers have to exchange passes between them and the

1 Possession - Breaking the Lines

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

0 Possession Under Pressure

By Renato Lopez Moreira - 

Today's featured activity is a small-sided.

It is a 5 v 5 game that is played on a 27 x 27 yard area for 10 minutes.

The players are not limited to a certain number of touches. The passes can be short or medium in length, with players moving without the ball to create options..

10 consecutive passes worth 1 point.

When the the ball leaves the team that touched it last is on defense.

Exercise

The Attackers exchange passes between them trying to

0 #012 Training Possession Play with Increasing Pressure

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1 The Proper Use of Give and Goes

By Sean Pearson

Session Length: 90 mins

During my days as a trainer, a lot of head coaches were (and still are) obsessed with the give and go, as if it’s the lifeblood of being a good team. While it is definitely a great combination to get behind opposition lines of defense it is not the be all and end all of attacking. Players and coaches alike need to understand it is a tool to use for specific scenarios to progress an attack, not to be used all the time as different scenarios will not allow it.
So to keep coaches happy and work on the give and go I developed a session that constantly worked on using the combination in the

0 #009 1 v 1 Training for Every Situation

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0 Switching the Play

By Sean Pearson

Session Length: 90 mins

This session focuses on players recognizing when, where are how to move the ball away from pressure on one side of the field to a point on the other side of the field to attack from. One of my frustrations with players is not seeing the ‘bigger picture’ of the situation in front of them when the space around them is crowded. Players either force the ball further into the ‘scrum’ or if the ball gets passes out or pressure, because of a lack of awareness and incorrect body position the player receiving this ball, plays the next pass back where it has come from. The end result? Usually a loss of possession. So below I talk about when to switch the ball, player movement to help the switch and where to attack from after the switch. The reason I talk about this last point is the point of a switch is to change the point of attack to create a scoring chance, not to just keep possession by going back and forth over and over again.

Warm Up: 10 mins

Use a basic passing warm up to get players moving, receiving, passing and making decision.

• 3 teams passing to only their own team, everybody on two touch. So players have to move to see the ball and make decisions on where and when the ball can be played,
• Players can pass to anyone but if they receive from the same color they keep the ball, if they receive from a different color they must play a one time pass back, but it can’t be in the same direction.

0 #006 Better Ways to Play 5 v 2

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2 Building from the Defensive to Middle Third of the Field

Building from the Defensive to Middle Third of the Field By Chris Kouns These activities are designed to help your players understand “some” of the options that will be available to build from the back and get your team into positive attacking positions heading into the final third of the field. Activity 1: 3 v

1 Train Midfielders and Defenders to Pass to Feet or Space

With only two practices per week with my teams I've found that it works best to focus on a technical topic (Running with the Ball, Dribbling, Control, Shooting) during our first practice of the week and then Passing and Possession progressing to a small-sided game during the second session. We also do one shooting exercise toward the end of practice just to keep a focus on that before the weekend.

I'm always looking for variations on possessions games to focus on different aspects of possession and to keep the practice fresh. I was reminded of one recently when I was looking through one of our best selling books, 'Players' Roles and Responsibilities in Systems of Play'. By creating target areas in each corner

0 Improving Possession Play

Getting our players to make runs off the ball is difficult if they don't know where or how to run. Giving the players options to choose from will take some of the decision making out of the process.

I've started to teach my young players three different runs that create the foundation of our player movement. They are also somewhat progressive so that if one doesn't create an option then they can move to the next one or the one after that before coming back to the first one again.

This concept is from David Goldstein's Improving Your Team's Possession Play.

The three runs that this session focuses on are checking, drifting and

4 Training Indoors for Outdoor Games

As the winter indoor season comes to an end coaches start to look at transitioning to the outdoor game while we're still forced to do most of our training indoor. This is a challenge as they prepare for outdoor leagues and tournaments just around the corner.

I'm fortunate to train my teams on two basketball courts that are side by side. This allows us to start to spread things out a bit and get the players looking for longer passes in open space.

Here are a couple of games that I used last week to start the transition.

After warming up and playing some 4 v 2 possession games we moved to

0 Penetrating Through the Lines

By Sean Pearson

This session is purposely detailed to give you, the coach, as much information on why, where and how specific things should happen.

Session Length: 1hr 30mins

Warm-Up Time: 10mins

• In pairs pass through gates. Make sure the pair are 10-15 yards apart when passing.
• Player A passes ball the player B, B takes ball and dribbles, player A finds a new gate, player B passes to player A’s feet through the gate.
• After the players have been going for a minute, introduce body position and receiving on the back foot. Explain how the receiver should have their shoulder facing the ball, NOT the chest. The reason is because, when the chest is facing the ball, every first touch is back in that direction. When your shoulder points to the ball, this opens up the body to a sideways stance and naturally the instep of the back foot (which is the foot furthest from the ball) is now at a different angle and will push the ball forwards, in front of you but at a different angle. Later we will see why this is important.
• Make players aware that it is not just good enough to stand sideways and face the side of the field but the must face in field to see as much as they possibly can. This may mean turning 180 degrees to be in the correct position. You will see players cheat and receive on their front foot because they are being lazy, do not let this happen and reinforce correct body shape.
• Explain that their first touch must not stop the ball underneath them, so their head goes down to see the ball for their second touch, but it should be pushed in front of them so they can make a decision with their second touch.
• Move on to receiving the ball on the move. Here player A passes the ball into the space beyond the gate for player B who is at the side of the gate and can run onto the pass. Again it is important to have your shoulder facing the direction of the passer, to turn your body and receive on your back foot in order to go forwards with your next touch.

0 4 v 4 + 3 Transition Game

By Alex Trukan

The 4 v 4 + 3 transition game can be used as a tool to develop not only technical aspects but also tactical and physical ones. From the fitness perspective, it focuses on improving Anaerobic Endurance which is responsible for maintaining high quantity of actions throughout the whole match due to quicker recovery between high intensity efforts. In addition to that, from a tactical point of view, this exercise places high demands on players to make quick transitions from attack to defence and vice versa.

Set-Up and Directions
Organise an area of approximately 20x30 yards. Divide the team into two groups of 4 players and additional group of 3 neutrals. One team of 4 players stays outside the square, second group of 4 is defending inside the

0 Atletico’s Defensive Struggles this Season

By Stevie Grieve

Last season, Atletico Madrid won La Liga on the back of a strong defensive unit, good individual players and speed in transitions in both attack and defence. After losing GK Courtois, LB Felipe Luis and CF (and talisman) Diego Costa to Chelsea, they have struggled to recreate the attacking transitions that provided so many goals for Diego Costa, while being much less organised in defensive play, particularly in both horizontal and vertical compactness.

In the last 7 games against Atletico, Barcelona have struggled as Atletico’s game plan was simple – reduce space between units, stop Barcelona from being able to get players between the lines to receive and reduce the space on the side of the ball as much as possible. This did not happen.

Good Compactness in a situational 3-4-3

Here, Games is to press and play 1v1 against Messi who plays as a