Pressure Possession Conditioning

Objectives

• -Build endurance inside a football practice
• -Keep decision quality high under fatigue
• -Avoid running without a ball

Setup

1. 1A large possession area with two teams and neutral players in a 34 x 28 yards area.
2. 2Position a recovering defender behind each working player, starting two yards back.
3. 3Balls with the coach, two sets of bibs.

Coaching instructions

1. 1Play possession in four-minute blocks with 90 seconds rest.
2. 2The team out of possession must press for the full block.
3. 3Rotate the neutrals so nobody rests inside the block.
4. 4The defender is released the moment the ball leaves the server's foot.
5. 5The working player scores by completing the action before pressure arrives; the defender scores by blocking it.

Common mistakes

• -Walking in possession
• -Individual pressing that wastes energy
• -Facing your own goal and getting trapped by the press