Transition
Overload Wave Attack Transition
Defend repeated waves of attack
Transition
Attacking
Defending
Defend repeated waves of attack. Set up the area, follow the steps and use the coaching points below.
Back to drill libraryTransition
Attacking
Defending
Skill Practice
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Overload
Age
Under 10 to Adults
Duration
22 min
Players
8-20
Area / pitch size
49 x 38 yards
Difficulty
Intermediate / Advanced
Equipment
Balls, Cones, Bibs, Full Goals
Coaching focus
Defend repeated waves of attack
Objective
- -Defend repeated waves of attack
- -Attack quickly against a settling defence
- -Build game-realistic repetition
Setup
- 1A half pitch with attacking waves waiting on halfway in a 49 x 38 yards area.
- 2Split the group so the attacking side always has one spare player, and park the spare bibs on the halfway cone.
- 3Balls with each wave, keeper in goal, two sets of bibs.
How to play
- 1The first wave attacks the defenders and the goal.
- 2The moment the ball is dead the next wave attacks immediately.
- 3Defenders stay on for three waves before rotating.
- 4The spare player joins whichever side has the ball, so the attack always works with a plus-one.
- 5A goal or completed end action counts double if the spare player touched the ball in the build-up.
Coaching points
- -Defenders reset the line between waves
- -Attackers strike before the defence is set
- -Communicate the new picture every wave
- -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
- -Waves waiting too long
- -Defenders not resetting shape
- -Spare player standing still instead of offering an angle
Related Football Drills & Sessions
- More football transition drills
- More football attacking drills
- More football defending drills
- 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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