Time to make a break for it - Practice 2

WHY USE IT

 

This practice develops principles behind transitional play, counter-attacking and pressing in a competitive environment.

 

SET-UP

 

Set up an area relative to the number and ability of your players, with the area split into three zones. The two end zones should be the same size as each other, with a smaller central zone. Players are split into three equal teams, each occupying a zone.

 

HOW TO DO IT

 

The in-possession team (blues, in our example) must play a minimum of three passes before switching the ball to the team in the other end zone (yellows) – this pass must be below waist height. Successful switches of play earn the passing team a point.

 

The defending team (reds, in our example) send two players to press and attempt to win possession. The remaining defending players stay and protect the middle (to further challenge in-possession players, you can add two mannequins to the middle zone).

 

If the ball gets switched to the other end zone, two defenders from the middle press the ball while the other defenders recover to protect the middle zone. If the defending team win possession, they can play the ball to the other end zone and switch roles with the team that lost possession.

 

If the ball goes out of bounds, the team that played it out become the defenders.

 

TECHNIQUE

 

This practice allows players to work on passing and receiving under pressure, combination play and breaking lines.

 

When out of possession, players should look to press intelligently in pairs and close off passing lanes to regain possession.

 

PROGRESSIONS

 

The practice can be progressed in several ways to provide players with additional challenges - for example, after four passes, one extra middle defender can go in to press as a three.

 

Alternatively, the ball can be played in the air or coaches can remove the passing limit, so the ball can be immediately switched back across if the pass is available.