Possession
Counter Target Player Possession
Keep the ball with a forward purpose
Possession
Passing
Attacking
Counter Target Player Possession is a 20-minute possession drill for 8-18 players, suitable for Under 9 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
Passing
Attacking
Small-Sided Game
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Counter Attack
Duration
20 min
Players
8-18
Pitch size
40 x 32 yards
Ability levels
Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Counter Target Player Possession — Marked area · 40 x 32 yards
Step 1 of 6Teams keep the ball and score by finding their target player.
- 1. Teams keep the ball and score by finding their target player.
- 2. The target sets the ball back and the team must keep it.
- 3. Targets rotate with outfield players every three minutes.
- 4. The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
- 5. Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.
- 6. Rotation: Rotate with outfield players every three minutes.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = zones / thirds
- Ball
- Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Keep the ball with a forward purpose
- -Play into a target player under pressure
- -Support the target quickly after the pass
Setup
- 1A pitch with a target player in an end zone at each end in a 40 x 32 yards area.
- 2Place two mini goals on the halfway line for the counter-attacking side to aim at.
- 3Balls with the target players, two sets of bibs.
Coaching instructions
- 1Teams keep the ball and score by finding their target player.
- 2The target sets the ball back and the team must keep it.
- 3Targets rotate with outfield players every three minutes.
- 4The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
- 5Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.
Coaching points
- -Look forward before playing sideways
- -Support the target on both sides
- -Set the ball into space
- -Counter in a straight line — the first pass forward beats the recovery run
Common mistakes
- -Hitting the target with no support
- -Only passing sideways and backwards
- -Dribbling into traffic when the counter is on
Where this drill fits
- More football possession drills
- More football passing drills
- More football attacking drills
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme