ADVANCED
Here, a physical component is added with 2 strikers in the front. Make sure a midfielder joins the striker when in the box. In this drill, transition is more frequent and competitiveness is higher.
MOVE FORWARD.
This is another drill forcing midfielders to always think of forward solutions. They build up in their half with 2 mates under pressure of 2 opponents, they should transfer the ball forward in set time of seconds. When the play os moved forward, a 3rd mate joins. They have to get the ball through the gate to their forward in the final zone. When successfully done, 2 other mates move there to possess with their 9 mate. Set some seconds before sending the ball back through the gate to the mate in the previous zone who should pass back to his late mate to build up again. If the defensive team win the ball, they can counter attack, or send the ball back to build up and start their turn.
INTRODUCTION
In the following drills, midfielders are educated to move the play forward while possessing the ball.
In this introductory drill, the team with the ball have the role of possessing the ball, transfer the play to the player in the box, then move back to the far cone and do again. The team in defense apply medium to low pressure in the beginners’ level, high pressure as they progress. However, if the team in defensive role win the ball, they must counter attack to the other side.
FORWARD
The midfield players are the ones who carry most of the work. In the next drills, these players will have to build up, move the game forward, possess, finish, then transition. On the other side, the opponent midfielders will have press high, mark, cover, defend, then transition.
In this drill, 3 gates in the middle with a number 9 in the next zone. The number 9 should be followoing the ball moving to the gate closest to the play. The team in possession should keep the ball for set number of passes or seconds before transferring the play to the next zone. In the next zone, play gets faster and the aim is to make a pass to the outside coach. The next team start once the pass is made by the coach.
MINI GAME 3
4 goals mini game. The team now transfer the ball to finish in one goal. Then transition. However, if the defenders were able to intercept the ball in the opponents’ half, they have to finish the ball in the goal of that zone, and that is another transition.
MINI GAME 2
Another form of deliberate mini games where the team in possession transfer the play to the other side with a long ball sent by the wing player to the other side wing player. They have set seconds in each zone to make the play faster, pressure by defenders higher and the concentration levels higher.
MINI GAME 1
This drill could be a mini form of a real game situation. It starts with a build up, posses the ball, transfer the play to the other side and forward, finish, then transition. The zone in the middle in this drill could be taken advantage of for multiple reasons. For example, only one player each team allowed in, the player in possession will have to make the cruyff turn, the defender doing the marking, or the player in possession is obliged to have the ball kept for some seconds while the defender in his back, and so on.
FINISH
Rules: keep possession for set number of passes in your zone. Transfer the play with a long pass to the neutral full back at the other side, follow tactical instructions to finish, and transition.
Progression: you could put gates where players will have to go through into the box before they finish.
