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...
ANIMATION 3
In this drill, 1 team in possession, 1 team in defense, one team in the wait. Game starts with a pass made to the team who are to become in possession. Each team allowed 3 players in the area of possession, and 1 player in each adjacent area. The players outside the area of play are obliged to create a chance for a pass while being marked by a defender. While moving to the next zone, eqch player follows the roles given to himby the coach. Once th ball successfully delivered to the target player on the other side, the team in possession become defenders, the team who recieved the ball become now the team in possession, while the lost defenders go back to their zone and wait for the current flow to end.
ADVANCED SMALL SIDED 2
This is a more advanced drill with 3 teams competing and transitioning.
The blue team now start as target players. The red team are in possession while the yellow are in defense.
Team in possession: they possess the ball for set number of passes in the first box. They transfer the play and send the ball to the next area, possess for set number of passes and finish by passing the ball to a target player. They transfer the play to the next area. The next target player gets the ball and transfers it to a mate in a diagonal pass. Now the teams change roles.
Team in defense: as a start, begin with medium to low pressuer, and try to block the passes towards target players.
Teams at the sides: their main role is to keep 2 players as target players in where the play is on. The nearest moves to the free target.
ADVANCED SMALL SIDED GAME 1
Small sided games are usually multipurpose drills. In this drill, 2 target players on both ends, 2 neutral defenders helping the team in defense phase, and 5 players each team in the fields. The 2 targets in the middle are for the passes to the next field go through.
Team in possession: 3 players of each team start in the opponents’ half. Number 9 in the field and 2 side players. The coach sends the ball inside to on player to start the build up, and both teams start mini transitions. The role is to build up, get through the gates to the next field and finish by passing the ball to the next end target player. The next team now start transition with the forwards of the opponent’s apply high pressure at their field.
Team in defense: their role is to start the pressuer early at the phase of build up. The defenders at the back must try to block passes tothe next field by covering the gates. In their half of the field they have to press higher on ball holders, cut passing lanes and cover at the back trying to block the ball from reaching the target player.
4 GOALS
In this drill, the goals at the corners are in a diagonal position forcing both the finisher and the defender to perform and intercept diagonal pass. As well, the field is divided into 4 sections for the same purpose.
Each team is composed of 2 build up defenders, 3 players. There is 1 neutral player whose mission is cooperate and never finish nor pass outside his area.
Rules, 1 pass inside the zone is allowed. Pass diagonally to the far zone and not the adjacent one. The defenders should perform medium pressure, while the other one must intercept the passing lane. The defenders at their goals are restricted to the cone line and never deeper. The end of the first attack, there should start another one by the other defender. This time with more load attacking.
PASSING LANES
In this drill, the field is rectangular forcing more predictable passes. The roles for the defenders is mainly to follow the predicatble next pass and try to intercept.
Progression: allow players in the defensive phase to press higher on the ball cover the possible next player to receive.
INTRODUCTION
In the next few drills, we are going to focus on cutting the passing lanes, to intercept and take the ball, then counter attack.
As an introduction, the field here is divided into 6 zones. 4 players are in possession. 2 defenders inside with their 2 other mates outside as target players if they succeed to win the ball. The rules are to pass the ball diagonally,i.e, never pass to the zone that is adjacent to yours. After each pass, move, and your mates should move as well to keep the lines between players diagonal. The 2 defenders will communicate, i.e, one defender presses to cut the passing lane while the other is trying to cover the player who is expected to recieve the ball. Defenders will keep switching the roles, cut the lane, cover, as the play is on. If the defenders win the ball, they have to deliver a pass to their furthest mate, and then become the players in possession.
ANIMATION 3
One of the methods to progress to advanced level. The zone in the box is where the other flank player os allowed to finish. The neutral number 9 only helps to outnumber, whenever he recieves the ball he must send back to the team in possession. If he recieves the ball in the finishing zone, he should pass it to the wing player waiting in the zone and finish it. Then TRANSITION.
GO WIDER
In this drill the players on the flanks will have to move wider. They are triggered after 5 passes in the middle to move to the flanks. The one who recieves the ball will have to run wide being covered by the opponent who is trying to block his cross. The other flank player will go wide, then cut into the middle to recieve the ball and finish.
START
Transfer play to the flanks:
In this drill, you could introduce to the players several tips. The focus here is on transfering the play to the flank. Could be used for wingers or full backs who play wide and exploit that space. As well, center backs or center midfielders to possess the ball for several passes and help the build up. All that could be under medium pressure as a start, or no pressure at all.
The attacking team build, they possess the ball for 5 consecutive passes, the 5th pass triggers both wing players to move wide and recieve a pass in the opponent’s field. The winger who recieved the ball exploits the spac3 runs with the ball to a line where he passes to the other winger. He in turn passes to the outside player. Now TRANSITION begins.