Warm up: progressive passing

WHY USE IT

This three-part session is used to help introduce and develop the concepts of progressive passing: body shape, far-foot receiving, inviting pressure and breaking lines.

Set-up

Set up a square area, suitable for the age and ability of your players. Typically, we set up as 11 yards x 11 yards. Each square needs four attackers and two defenders. Play three rounds of five minutes.

HOW TO play

The aim is for the attackers to maintain possession in a rondo-style, moving the ball in the most efficient way possible. If a defender wins the ball, the person that caused play to break down, and the player to their right, go in and replace the defenders.

ADAPTATIONS

The rondo can be modified by changing the size of the area, the number of attackers or the number of defenders. You can start with defenders holding hands to promote success for the attackers.

COACHING POINTS

• Body shape: Open up your hips to see as much as possible. You should be able to see the past (the person with the ball), the present (what is in front of you) and the future (where you want to go/progress to next).
• Far-foot receiving: Always try to receive with the foot furthest from the passer, opening up your hips to see the whole field. Use the ’hamburger and lion’ analogy, where the hamburger is the ball and the lion is the defender - take the hamburger away from the lion, not towards it.
• Invite pressure before you pass: Can be done with a change of tempo or by moving the ball between two players to free up another. Think of ’Monkey in the Middle’, a game you might have played when you were little; it’s the same idea. Invite the defender to the ball then play to the free player.
• Break lines: How can you adjust, with and without the ball, to create a clear path to progress the ball?
• If the two defenders are together, play wide. If the two defenders are wide, play split. If one defender is pressing and another is covering, play wide and then split.