Football Fitness

Counter Ball Interval Fitness

Build football-specific endurance with the ball

Football Fitness
Speed & Agility
Dribbling

Counter Ball Interval Fitness is a 16-minute football fitness drill for 2-20 players, suitable for Under 12 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.

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Football Fitness
Speed & Agility
Dribbling
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Fitness Type: Interval
Counter Attack

Duration

16 min

Players

2-20

Pitch size

36 x 21 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Objectives

  • -Build football-specific endurance with the ball
  • -Repeat high-intensity efforts with proper recovery
  • -Keep technique clean when tired

Setup

  1. 1A shuttle course with cones at 5, 10 and 15 yards in a 36 x 21 yards area.
  2. 2Place two mini goals on the halfway line for the counter-attacking side to aim at.
  3. 3One ball per player.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1Players dribble out and back to each cone in turn as one rep.
  2. 2Work for 30 seconds then rest for 60 seconds.
  3. 3Six reps in total with a longer break at halfway.
  4. 4The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
  5. 5Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.

Coaching points

  • -Keep the touch tight even when tired
  • -Turn off both feet
  • -Use the rest properly
  • -Counter in a straight line — the first pass forward beats the recovery run

Common mistakes

  • -Pacing the work interval
  • -Cutting the rest short
  • -Dribbling into traffic when the counter is on

Where this drill fits

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