Playing Out From The Back
Continuous Build-Up Shape
Build from the keeper through the thirds
Playing Out From The Back
Possession
Goalkeeping
Premium
Continuous Build-Up Shape is a 22-minute playing out from the back drill for 8-18 players, suitable for Under 10 to Adults at intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs, full goals. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryPlaying Out From The Back
Possession
Goalkeeping
Skill Practice
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Repetition
Duration
22 min
Players
8-18
Pitch size
46 x 38 yards
Ability levels
Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Continuous Build-Up Shape — Goalkeeping set-up — serve, save, reset · 46 x 38 yards
Step 1 of 5The keeper starts every rep and the back line splits wide.
- 1. The keeper starts every rep and the back line splits wide.
- 2. The team plays through the press and dribbles through a halfway gate to score.
- 3. If the press wins it, they attack the goal immediately.
- 4. As soon as one sequence ends, the next server plays in without waiting.
- 5. Run 4-minute blocks and count total completed sequences as a squad score.
- Cones mark the area
- Full goal
- GK = goalkeeper
- C = coach serving, S = second server
- Ball
- Cones mark the keeper's starting positions
- Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
- Keeper distributes back to the server
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Build from the keeper through the thirds
- -Create angles that beat the first line of press
- -Recognise when to go long instead
Setup
- 1A defensive third with a goal, a back line and midfield support in a 46 x 38 yards area.
- 2Load a ball at each starting station so the next rep can begin immediately.
- 3Balls in the goal, two sets of bibs, target gates on halfway.
Coaching instructions
- 1The keeper starts every rep and the back line splits wide.
- 2The team plays through the press and dribbles through a halfway gate to score.
- 3If the press wins it, they attack the goal immediately.
- 4As soon as one sequence ends, the next server plays in without waiting.
- 5Run 4-minute blocks and count total completed sequences as a squad score.
Coaching points
- -Split wide and deep to stretch the press
- -Midfielder shows on the half turn
- -Go long when the picture is closed
- -Reset fast — the value is in the volume of good reps
Common mistakes
- -Playing out for the sake of it
- -Full backs too narrow and deep
- -Long queues while balls are collected
Where this drill fits
- More football playing out from the back drills
- More football possession drills
- More football goalkeeping drills
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme