BOX TO BOX

Teams with good counter attacks are highly capable of finishing their opponents. If I could specify the main elements of one counter attack, they could be in this order: mental focus and awareness, physical, technical, tactical.

Team mates who are assigned to perform a counter attack have to be watching and waiting for the moment to hit. Their team could be under pressuer, defending corner kick, free kick, or even in possession trying to pull the opponents into their areas and create the right moment to hit with a counter attack. Once they counter, the players have to be physically ready to sprint while controlling the ball. They have also to be able to control the weight of their pass, shot, or sending the ball further to beat a closely marking defender with their speed, or even dribble with maximum control of the ball… Players must be knowing what could be the next move. A clear tactical pattern if I might say, must be determind by the coach without restricting the possible creative decision by the players.

Objective:
Counter attack after th finish of the play in the penalty box.

Simulation:
This situation simulates the counter attack of teams under pressure in their box and hit once they win the ball.

Rules:
5 players each team. The dotted lines determine the players who allowed participate in and an end line for the ones outside.

Phase 1: coach starts the play by passing the ball behind the goal line to one team’s player. Now this player has to move up and make a pass to 2 assigned players into the box. 2 of each team only allowed in. The others wait outside the dotted line watching waiting for this phase to end. This phase ends either by the team in possession scoring, or the team in defense winning the ball back.

Phase 2: when the ball is scored, or won by the defenders, the mates outside the dotted line create the right space to receive a pass. They sprint with the ball up to the next field where they have to finish into one of the goals. The players counter attacking can not send the ball into the other side box to finish unless several number of passes made between them. That is without slowing the counter attack down at any cost. The last player with the counter attacking team stays in a distance keeping the balance. He also has to move to the sides required to create an option for his mates in case they need him. That if the defending team could outspeed them and cover their areas. Coach can set time for each counter attack producing more pressure on both sides.

Progression:
The drill could be introduced with no defensive pressure upon forwards. Then defnders added, set some time for the attack to be finished, add manniquine in the middle which the 2 players in the middle have to change sides after…