Overload Escape Square Dribble

Pitch diagram

Objectives

• -Protect the ball under real pressure
• -Use turns and shielding to escape tight areas
• -Keep the head up in traffic

Setup

1. 1A square with four exit gates, one on each side in a 22 x 22 yards area.
2. 2Split the group so the attacking side always has one spare player, and park the spare bibs on the halfway cone.
3. 3Balls for the dribblers, bibs for two ball-thieves.

Coaching instructions

1. 1Dribblers keep the ball alive in the square while two thieves try to kick it out.
2. 2A dribbler can escape through any gate and re-enter on the opposite side.
3. 3Thieves swap in every 90 seconds.
4. 4The spare player joins whichever side has the ball, so the attack always works with a plus-one.
5. 5A goal or completed end action counts double if the spare player touched the ball in the build-up.

Common mistakes

• -Dribbling into the busiest corner
• -Panicking and hitting the ball away
• -Spare player standing still instead of offering an angle