Wide Channel Aerial Control Zone

Objective

• -Control balls arriving out of the air
• -Choose the right surface for the height of the ball
• -Play out cleanly after the control

Setup

1. 1A control zone with a serving line ten yards away in a 24 x 20 yards area.
2. 2Mark five-yard channels down both touchlines with flat cones.
3. 3A supply of balls at the serving line.

How to play

1. 1Server throws or lofts the ball into the control zone.
2. 2The receiver controls with thigh, chest or laces and sets the ball down.
3. 3The receiver then plays a firm pass back to the next server.
4. 4The practice is started by a pass into one of the wide channels.
5. 5End actions only count when the ball has travelled through a wide channel first.

Progressions

• +Defender allowed into the channel to make it live
• +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful

Regressions

• -Channel is a free zone with no defender at all
• -Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

• -Switch the ball to the far channel before the end action
• -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch

Common mistakes

• -Reaching for the ball instead of moving feet
• -Stiff surface bouncing the ball away
• -Everything funnelling into a crowded middle