DEVELOPMENT

The pass is played in and set back before a driven pass to the striker is supported and a strike on goal. Movements away to then come to the ball are a key part of creating space to support the striker and get the shot away


INTRODUCTION

Get a high tempo with the next ball comming in quickly and have a good supply of footballs for players.

Vary the drill by letting players be creative, for example passin into the target player and asking what side they wish the ball to be layed off to. You can also introduce the option for the striker just to turn and shoot meaning the run to a side is a decoy. Or add the return pass/cut back as an option instead of a shot just lay the ball off to a wide position.

Promote quick play and always looking for rebounds


COMPONENT 2

small sided game with more points for goals being awarded if you can travel through the gate on the way to goal


COMPONENT 1

similar to the warm up but shooting player attempts to get through the gate on their way to goal, they can chose not to use the gate as decision making is down to them.

if they don't go through the gate however they need to become the defender on the next rotation, if the defender wins the ball they also become the defender


WARM UP

quick combinations, focus on tempo, quality of pass and timing of movements and of course the accuracy in the finish


PRESSURE FROM THE SIDE

A passing pattern which I then progressed to the player who started the passing runs around a cone and goes to defend

Giving the wide attacker the situation of being pressed from the side and an oppertunity to cut inside and shoot or protect the ball and keep it on the outside to try and get the shot away

Mini goal for striker movement to check off and move around but also for defender to transition towards when winning the ball


GAME

Game:

This game is simply a 3v3+1 with GK in each goal.

The cones run the middle area of the pitch, the area we have been trying to keep the ball out of throughout the session. Play a normal game but if your team can score a goal in the breadth of the middle section it is worth 3 goals.

This means out of possession you need to show wide and be compact in the middle, knowing when to press and when to sit off and frustrate the other team when the ball is near the goal. It will also show young players that you can let the team get the ball in wide areas which will be a trap to press. If the ball is in a wide zone the team should press it and stop any central passes with the furthest away zone forgotten about, as we can shift accross as the ball travells.

Progression:

Free play


PROGRESSION

The 3 in possession are aiming to create the oppertunity to play through the middle markers avoiding the screening player winning the ball.

The team in possession must make at least 3 passes before playing forward, they can play down a channel but get no points for this as this is exactly what the pressing team want to force or they want to win the ball and score a goal.

The team that gives away the ball becomes the defenders

Two players press but you must always have 1 screening, paint the picture of this player stopping passes through the lines, into central midfielder or strikers feet. The screening player always needs to be scanning to know what the movement is like behind him/her.

Progressions:

- Minimize touches

Coaching:

3 players = 1 press to show wide, 1 cut off middle and ready to press the next ball, 1 screen forward passes and mark middle


DEVELOPMENT

6 v 3 with two colors working together against the 3 pressing players. Play a time limit to see how many times the 3 pressing players can win the ball and play into a goal or back to the coach (feeder), After time limit switch the 3 in the middle.

Possession team:

Keep shape, always with a central player who can rotate in and out to get on the ball. Encourage using the middle player as much as possible but if the simple option is to keep the ball circulating then do this until you can play through the middle player. (adaptation to drill could be to have a competition between the possession team and pressing team, with the possession team getting a point everytime they successfully play through the middle players and the pressing team get a point everytime they win the ball)

Pressing team:

- Approach at pace and at an angle
- Always check shoulder and block passes into central player
- Aviod central passes and be ready to press your closest man
- Show player on the ball channel passes
- Set traps to crowd out and win the ball