A Crossing Phase of Play Including an Overlap

Introduce this and the crossing and finishing game following this when you think the players are ready to follow and understand it fully.

Start with the overload situation to help gain success and breed confidence in the players. If defenders win the ball they pass to the targets and the play starts again.

We are looking to get the ball wide in this phase of play so overlap work comes in. Primarily working with wide players and how they create positions to cross the ball from. For your preparation you can play against a back four or a back three depending on what the opposition play like (better to plan for both).

Coaching Points of an Overlap:

1. Does the player need support behind or in front?

2. Create Space – Move inside with the ball to open it up outside.

3. Communicate – Support player can call “hold” to gain time to get into position

4. Timing of the Run – Go wide (angle and distance).

5. Player on the ball passes or uses the run as a decoy to come inside and attack.

The end product of the attacking movement.

I have left the defenders out to be able to show more easily where the attacking players need to finish up, (obviously they will track the players back towards their own goal). (9) And (10) may switch positions as to where they attack and do a crossover between them.

We have players attacking: the near post (10), the far post (9), beyond the far post for anything over hit from the crosser (11), around the edge of the box and in the center for the pull back (8), (3) and (7) in anticipation areas around the box also and (6) naturally moves forward to maintain the shape of the attack and fill spaces in behind (8).

The cross arrives at the far post area for (10) to try and score.