By Philip Cauchi
Title: Team in – Team out: Continuous play.
Area of practice: 30 yards by 25 yards.
Number of players: Two goalkeepers and twelve outfield players. The outfield players are divided into three groups.
Workload: Continuous play for eight minutes with a rest period of three minutes in between series. Play three of four series depending on the level of the soccer fitness of your players.
Description of the practice:
Two groups start playing against each other as in a normal game. Each group/team attacks one goalpost and defends the opposite. A goalkeeper is assigned to each team. The third team act as neutrals and are positioned on the side lines as shown in the diagram below. When one of the two teams score, they retain the ball and immediately counter on the opposite goalpost. In the meantime the team who were neutral must immediately switch roles with the team that conceded the goal.
The two teams start the practice as a normal game where they attack one goalpost and defend the opposite. The neutral players on the side lines help the team in possession to secure the ball but are not allowed to score. This forces the players of the team in possession to create and exploit space in order to be able to finish on goal.
One of the team scores and retains possession of the ball. Immediately the team who suffered the goal switch places with the team who is actively recovering by acting as neutrals on the side lines.
The team that scored attacks in the opposite direction. All the players must quickly react to the change of the situation by adapting their position on the field of play accordingly.
By Philip Cauchi
