Possession

Overload Target Player Possession

Keep the ball with a forward purpose

Possession
Passing
Attacking

Keep the ball with a forward purpose. Set up the area, follow the steps and use the coaching points below.

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Possession
Passing
Attacking
Small-Sided Game
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Overload

Age

Under 9 to Adults

Duration

20 min

Players

8-18

Area / pitch size

38 x 30 yards

Difficulty

Intermediate / Advanced

Equipment

Balls, Cones, Bibs

Coaching focus

Keep the ball with a forward purpose

Objective

  • -Keep the ball with a forward purpose
  • -Play into a target player under pressure
  • -Support the target quickly after the pass

Setup

  1. 1A pitch with a target player in an end zone at each end in a 38 x 30 yards area.
  2. 2Split the group so the attacking side always has one spare player, and park the spare bibs on the halfway cone.
  3. 3Balls with the target players, two sets of bibs.

How to play

  1. 1Teams keep the ball and score by finding their target player.
  2. 2The target sets the ball back and the team must keep it.
  3. 3Targets rotate with outfield players every three minutes.
  4. 4The spare player joins whichever side has the ball, so the attack always works with a plus-one.
  5. 5A goal or completed end action counts double if the spare player touched the ball in the build-up.

Coaching points

  • -Look forward before playing sideways
  • -Support the target on both sides
  • -Set the ball into space
  • -Find the free player quickly before the defence shuffles across

Progressions

  • +Remove the overload for the last two rounds
  • +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful

Regressions

  • -Give the attack two spare players
  • -Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

  • -Rotate the spare player every 90 seconds
  • -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch

Common mistakes

  • -Hitting the target with no support
  • -Only passing sideways and backwards
  • -Spare player standing still instead of offering an angle

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