The following session is from the Soccer Awareness eBook "Tactical Thoughts on the Development of the 4 v 4, 7 v 7 and 9 v 9 Game Sizes" covering information on team shape and development. As the program moves from 4 v 4 through to 11 v 11 the focus changes from individual teachings at 4 v 4, to small sided situations at 7 v 7, to Phases of play and tactical needs at 9 v 9; through to team tactical development at 11 v 11. Find out more here

Constant Transitioning from attacking to defending as possession changes

1. Three teams the outside team works with the inside attacking team. Great to teach both defending and attacking play.

2. First team to score 2 goals stays on; the losing team goes off

3. Keep the score for number of wins per team

4. Transition game: Defending team wins the ball, they must pass to the outside team to then attack.

5. Teaches the mentality of transitional change.

6. Developing Quick Play in and around the box

7. As soon as the team lose possession they must try to defend on the offside line and beyond, thus immediately pushing opponents away from the goal

8. Using the set up through the “numbers” to suit how we set our teams up

9. Develop the idea through the 4-2-3-1 set up as shown

Attacking Play

Quick break using the overlapping wingback (3)

Crossing behind the defense

Defenders recover, attackers pressure, (3) drives the ball behind the recovering defenders

Striker (9) moves AWAY from the ball: The Crespo

(9) Off the shoulder of (5) to receive Facing forward. Short and sharp movements

Check away and back across: The Crespo

(9) Off the shoulder of (5) who follows the run. (9) checks back into the space he created

Subtle movements by the striker to get free

(9) Checks back into space to receive to feet and side on to attack (5) 1 v 1

Combination and Link Play

Round the corner pass from (9). (7) times the run between (3) and (4) to stay onside

Keeper saves the ball and distributes quickly

Defenders now have the ball and play out to transition back

Now defenders are attackers

Defenders now have the ball and play out to transition back

Defenders win the ball and now Transition

A bad pass by (6). Defenders must pass to the outside and they then become the attackers

Transition Defending to Attacking

Good to teach the front four how to defend effectively

A Shooting Game with big goals

Two large goals to shoot at to encourage success by scoring goals. Shorter field so lots of shots on goal because players are nearly always in shooting positions. Initially have the two team / two balls set up so no opposition to enable players working both ways to get lots of shots in. Once a team has worked a position to shoot and has done so that team’s keeper sets up another attack.

Progress it to the competitive even sided game.

Coaching Points:

1. Quick shooting.

2. Rebounds.

3. Transitions.

4. Quick break counter attack.

Players must be particularly aware of where teammates are, where the opposition are, the keepers position because the space to work in is small and the time they have on the ball is short.

Hence development of the mental side of the game in terms of the Awareness program, i.e. seeing situations quickly and acting upon them is very important to the player to help him or her have success by scoring goals. The shorter and sharper the practice then the less time the players have to make the correct decisions to be successful, the more important it is to train them to be able to cope with these pressure situations.