Playing Out From The Back
Two-Touch Build-Up Shape
Build from the keeper through the thirds
Playing Out From The Back
Possession
Goalkeeping
Two-Touch Build-Up Shape is a 20-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
Two Touch
Duration
20 min
Players
8-18
Pitch size
44 x 36 yards
Ability levels
Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Two-Touch Build-Up Shape — Goalkeeping set-up — serve, save, reset · 44 x 36 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. Ball enters from the coach and the first receiver is on two touches from that moment.
- 5. Count completed sequences under the touch limit — best of three 3-minute rounds.
- 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 44 x 36 yards area.
- 2Place a marker at every receiving position so players know where to set the ball before it arrives.
- 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.
- 4Ball enters from the coach and the first receiver is on two touches from that moment.
- 5Count completed sequences under the touch limit — best of three 3-minute rounds.
Coaching points
- -Split wide and deep to stretch the press
- -Midfielder shows on the half turn
- -Go long when the picture is closed
- -First touch out of the feet and into the direction of the next pass
Common mistakes
- -Playing out for the sake of it
- -Full backs too narrow and deep
- -Taking a settling touch that kills the tempo
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