Possession
Underload Four Zone Keep Ball
Keep possession while moving the ball between zones
Possession
Team Shape
Passing
Underload Four Zone Keep Ball is a 18-minute possession drill for 8-18 players, suitable for Under 10 to Adults at intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryPossession
Team Shape
Passing
Skill Practice
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Underload
Duration
18 min
Players
8-18
Pitch size
30 x 26 yards
Ability levels
Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Underload Four Zone Keep Ball — Four-corner square · 30 x 26 yards
Step 1 of 5The team in possession must complete three passes before changing zone.
- 1. The team in possession must complete three passes before changing zone.
- 2. A zone change scores one point.
- 3. Defenders press with limited numbers per zone.
- 4. The attacking group starts a player short, so every entry pass has to be sharp.
- 5. Defenders score a point for every clean turnover; attackers need three clean end actions to win the round.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = zones / thirds
- Ball
- Cones mark each station in the shape
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Keep possession while moving the ball between zones
- -Create numerical advantages in each zone
- -Coach when to keep and when to progress
Setup
- 1A square split into four equal zones in a 30 x 26 yards area.
- 2Add one extra defender to the working area and mark their start position with a flat cone.
- 3Balls with the coach, two sets of bibs.
Coaching instructions
- 1The team in possession must complete three passes before changing zone.
- 2A zone change scores one point.
- 3Defenders press with limited numbers per zone.
- 4The attacking group starts a player short, so every entry pass has to be sharp.
- 5Defenders score a point for every clean turnover; attackers need three clean end actions to win the round.
Coaching points
- -Move the ball to move the defence
- -Occupy all four zones
- -Change zone when the press arrives
- -Protect the ball and wait for the second runner rather than forcing it
Common mistakes
- -Everybody in the ball zone
- -Forcing the zone change too early
- -Trying to beat two players instead of releasing early
Where this drill fits
- More football possession drills
- More football team shape drills
- More football passing drills
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme