Counter Attacking From Deep
Practice Organisation
• Area 80x40yds, divided into three zones, with goals at each end, as illustrated.
• 14 players (including 2 goalkeepers), arranged 7v7, 1 ball.
• Teams are arranged 4v4 in centre zone, 2v2 in opposite half.
• Practice starts with: an attacking player serves into goalkeeper from wide position.
• This player then recovers to establish a good marking position in 2v2.
• Goalkeeper distributes ball to attacking team, who attack the goal.
• Defenders work to nullify the attack and on gaining possession, initiate counter-attack through
playing quickly into strikers or breaking from defensive areas with 2 players able to support,
unopposed.
• The team has 10 seconds to create a goal scoring opportunity and shoot on goal.
Detail
• If recovering team regains possession it can initiate its own counter-attack.
• Quick change of defending to attacking attitude.
• Moving the play forward early, accurately and quickly.
• Actions by players ahead of ball to ensure quick attack and strike at goal.
• Ensure defensive security as team counters the counter-attack.
• Simple progression for this practice is:
- Challenge counter-attacking team to score within a time frame (e.g. 6 seconds)
Key Coaching Points
• Speed of initiating attack after gaining possession.
• Timing and speed of supporting runs from players breaking forward.
• Moving forward quickly with ball under control.
• Assessing play whilst moving quickly with ball.
• Inter-play and movement of forwards (in 2v2 situation).
Defending When Outnumbered
Practice Organisation
• Area 60x40yds set-out in equal thirds with goals at each end, as illustrated.
• 14 players (including 2 goalkeepers), with defenders out-numbered 2v3 in each end third.
• Practice starts with: neutral players in mid third, serve ball into attackers and support play from
behind, without entering end third.
• Objective of practice: defenders play out-numbered to prevent attackers from scoring, gain
possession and pass in to neutral players, to score one point.
• Rotate roles of players.
Detail
• Distance between 2 defenders when being attacked by three opponents.
• Communication, changing roles and working with goalkeeper as sweeper.
• Deflecting attacks away from central goal-scoring areas.
• Balanced, controlled 1v1 defending skills.
• Defenders identifying opportunity to pass or run with ball on gaining possession.
• Simple progressions for this practice are:
- Neutral player serves and moves into end zone to become an attacker i.e. 2 defenders v 4 attackers.
- Neutral player serves and moves forward and other recovers to defend i.e. 3 defenders v 4
attackers.
Key Coaching Points
• Blocking shots.
• Pressing man on ball and employing delaying tactics to avert attack.
• Marking and covering.
• Winning ball and quickly playing forward to a neutral player
Quick Play In & Around The Penalty Area
Practice Organisation
• Area 45x40yds marked into two zones of 20x40yds, with a 5yd central channel
and appropriate size goals, placed 6yds behind line at each end, as illustrated.
• 14 players (including 2 goalkeepers), 2 balls.
• 3v2 in each end grid.
• The central channel can be used in possession, where player on ball cannot be challenged by an
opponent.
• Offside applies and objective is to create goal scoring opportunities and score.
• Practice starts with: ball served into end grid by an attacker, who starts in safe zone and then
moves forward to support
play (making 3v3).
• Possession is retained if a goal is scored. If not, possession changes hands.
• If defenders gain possession during open play the ball must be transferred into safe zone before
reversing roles and becoming attackers.
Detail
• Challenge 1: Try to use one touch opportunities to set-up attacks.
• Challenge 2: Try to score without using support players.
• Encourage a variety of passing skills to either feet or space according to attacker’s circumstances.
• Encourage clever and unexpected turning skills, especially from attackers in attacking zone.
• Quick and deceptive combination play from attackers.
• Simple progressions for this practice are:
- Allow 2 defenders to man mark forward players to encourage movement to lose markers.
- Expand practice to a 6v6 game, but no challenging for ball in safe zone.
Spreading Out to Maintain & Exploit Space
Practice Organisation
• Area 70x30yds, marked in 10x10yd grids, as illustrated.
• 16 players, 2 balls.
• 2 groups of 6 players, plus 4 target players – 1 in each sector of the split end zones.
• Practice starts with: each team has a ball and the objective is to pass through main area to
eventually play unopposed into a target player, moving
in the end zone.
• 1 player only allowed in each grid, to maintain spacing.
• If 2 players arrive in the same grid, they may only play 1 touch and move-off.
• In end zones: target players move in and out of split sectors to create space in which to receive
passes.
• Play resumes in opposite direction, from target players.
Detail
• Awareness of other players’ positions and movements.
• Variations in types and speed of passes to supply team-mates.
• Encourage invention and unusual passing skills.
• Encourage quick sequences of 1 touch passing if possible.
• Understanding where 1st touch may be directed according to space
and time available.
• Simple progression for this practice is:
- Set challenge for each team to play from end to end as many times as possible in 1/2 minutes
(coach/players decide) – to encourage speedy but accurate passing and support play.
Key Coaching Points
- Varying passes and engaging team mates through midfield areas.
- Maintaining good spacing to provide passing options.
- Timing and nature of movement off ball to support passer.
- Understanding where to move to next.
- Strikers timing their movement to link-in with advancing support players.
Support Play in the Final Third
Practice Organisation
• Area 60x40yds, divided into thirds with an offside line drawn 15yds from each end line of
practice area and goals at each end, as illustrated.
• 16 players (including 2 goalkeepers) arranged 8v8, 1 ball.
• Teams are arranged 4v4 in centre zone, 2v1 (in favour of defenders who are pushed-up to
offside line) in end zones.
• Practice starts with: ball served into central zone by coach and receiving team initiates attack
by playing into lone striker.
• Two attacking midfielders can be released into end zone to create 3v2 and support front
player, working to
create goal-scoring opportunity.
• If defenders gain possession: they transfer ball into central zone, for their team mates to
initiate attack via their lone striker.
• Attackers supporting midfielders are able to recover into central zone to challenge.
• Practice is reset when ball goes dead.
Detail
• Challenge: try to set-up attacks off 3rd man movement.
• If recovering team regains possession it can initiate its own counter-attack.
• Striker moving defender towards ball to create space behind for runners.
• Simple progressions for this practice are:
- Defenders send one player back from central zone to challenge 2 breaking players (and create a
3v3 in defensive half).
- Goalkeeper gathering ball and quickly identifying opportunity to throw into central zone where
numbers are in team’s favour, to maintain momentum
of game (outfield players to remain aware of restrictions).