Possession #2 "Keeping the ball"

Purpose:

This session will focus on the ability of team to possess the ball.  Incorporated into this lesson will be key components on shape including length and width.   The session will also focus on off the ball runs which open up space and allow for possession with ease.  The fundamental principles of play will be brought up continually in these sessions as they are the continual focus of a team in possession

Equipment:

Cones, pinnies, balls.

Progression:

Unrestricted:
The session begins with players passing and moving, getting the bodies warm and ready to practice at a high level. The focus here is in the technical skill of possession as well as the movement of players off the ball in support.

Restricted:
The session moves to a game of possession in a large grid with points being assigned for passes in different grids. The emphasis in this part is on the movement and the passes as well as the passing lanes.

One goal with counters:
The simple possession game becomes a game of 5v5 with one goal and a counter goal. The focus can be two fold here as one team is trying to possess and the other team is trying to dispossess and quickly counter.

Two goals:
The session ends with a game of 5v5 or 6v6 with large goals. The players are continually looking incorporate the principles of play into the larger picture to create and effective attack.

Coaching Points:

• Create an appropriate shape.
• Open your hips to receive across your body into space
• Show to the ball in the seam
• Play the way you face.
• Knock the ball down and deal with it.
• After you play the ball run forward and vacate the space
• Find an empty space and fill it.
  

Activity

Setup

Passing and moving

• Play in a large grid
• The players have one ball for every four or five players. The players pass and move with stretching interspersed in between.
• Pass and move-stretch
• Pass and move: receive while moving; attack your touch, don't wait for it-stretch
• Pass and move: showing in a seam-stretch

  To the right it can be seen that there are two balls and players are passing and receiving both balls.

4v4v4 Possession

• Play in a 60x40 yard grid
• Can also be played as a 4v4 +2
• 1 poin for every time three passes are connected in the each small grid.
• When you give the ball up you go to “D”
  

Coaching Points:

• “Tell me what your options are?” – see the field and read it.
• “Pull em in, play it out”. Once the “D” is pulled in, play the ball out and go wide and long.
• Establish length and width to get out/ depth to establish passes in the small grids.
• Don’t be frantic, keep your head, keep score, know what you will do when you get the ball.
• Look for transition to be long balls.
• See the next page for more detailed explanations of coaching points.

• To the right, Blue pulls the defense in. Yellow spreads them apart with length and width and plays diagonally to beat.

5v5 in 60x40

• Pick up the cones from the above grid. Play 5 v 5 with one large goal and one counter goal.
• Play a 3-2
• Look to establish length and width
• Play balls on diagonally, not flat.
• Look to possess before scoring by playing the way you face.
• Communicate verbally and non-verbally (body language)
  

Coaching Points:

• same as above

2 Goals + Keepers

• Play the same game but now to two large goals.

Coaching Points

• “Can you play quickly to beat a defense”
• “Can you establish length and width”
• When defense wins, play away from pressure to maintain possession
• Quickly form a shape when in possession
  

Coaching Points for the 60x40 possession game

The diagrams below show specific grids in the first game of 60x40 with smaller grids of 15x20.
The dashed lines are the extensions of the grids but are not needed to make the point.

In this case blue and yellow are to close. It is easy for one red player to defend two blues and a yellow.

The arrow for yellow shows the movement outward opening a passing lane as red goes with.

The movement by yellow does not necessitate that they receive the ball to make the run effective.

Simply spreading the field opens the lanes and allows blue to make a pass.

Coaching point: don’t be clustered, get width.
This will make the defender move.

The blue players are too flat allowing for red to easily defend.

Coaching Point
Wrong positioning– too flat, there are no options. You can't escape pressure.

Two blue has moved in a position of support creating depth and passing options out of the grid.

Coaching Point
By moving, blue has established depth and support. Blue can play the way they face then play long to espcape pressure.

Blue must find depth and then find the passing seam using one touch or two at most. If yellows run is slower, it may require another touch if there is time.

Coaching Point.
Yellow must read the game and see blue is compact and has red pulled in, therefore they must make the run into free space..

Find a seam and move into it.