Possession
Tempo 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.
Back to drill libraryPossession
Passing
Attacking
Small-Sided Game
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Tempo
Age
Under 9 to Adults
Duration
18 min
Players
8-18
Area / pitch size
36 x 28 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
- 1A pitch with a target player in an end zone at each end in a 36 x 28 yards area.
- 2Set a visible timer or have an assistant count aloud from the side of the area.
- 3Balls with the target players, two sets of bibs.
How to play
- 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 clock starts the moment the first pass is played in.
- 5The sequence must reach the end action inside eight seconds or the rep is void.
Coaching points
- -Look forward before playing sideways
- -Support the target on both sides
- -Set the ball into space
- -Pass with pace and intent — under-hit passes cost the clock
Progressions
- +Cut the clock to six seconds
- +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful
Regressions
- -Stretch the clock to twelve seconds
- -Simplify the area or the service until success returns
Variations
- -Reps finished inside five seconds score double
- -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch
Common mistakes
- -Hitting the target with no support
- -Only passing sideways and backwards
- -Slow, sideways passing that burns the clock
Related Football Drills & Sessions
- More football possession drills
- More football passing drills
- More football attacking drills
- Football drills for U9s
- Football drills for U10s
- Football drills for U11s
- Football drills for U12s
- Football drills for U13s
- Football drills for U14s
- Football drills for U15s
- Football drills for U16s
- Football drills for 8 players
- Football drills by age, topic and squad size
- Football session plans built around this theme
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- Age band
- Under 9 to Adults
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- Time
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- Area
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- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
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Keep the ball with a forward purpose
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PossessionPassingAttacking
- Age band
- Under 9 to Adults
- Players
- 8-18
- Time
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- Area
- 36 x 28 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
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