Possession
End Zone Possession: Five Second Counter-Press
Keep the ball with purpose
Possession
Attacking
Passing
End Zone Possession: Five Second Counter-Press is a 20-minute possession drill for 8-18 players, suitable for Under 10 to Adults at intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryPossession
Attacking
Passing
Small-Sided Game
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Pressing
Counter Press
Transition
Duration
20 min
Players
8-18
Pitch size
40 x 30 yards
Ability levels
Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
End Zone Possession: Five Second Counter-Press — Marked area · 40 x 30 yards
Step 1 of 4Teams score by passing to a teammate running into the end zone.
- 1. Teams score by passing to a teammate running into the end zone.
- 2. The receiver must control it inside the zone.
- 3. Four minute games.
- 4. On losing the ball the team has five seconds to win it back before dropping into shape.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = zones / thirds
- Ball
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Keep the ball with purpose
- -Play forward into an end zone
- -Support the runner into the zone
Setup
- 1A 40 x 30 pitch with a five yard end zone at each end.
- 2Two teams in bibs.
- 3Balls on both sidelines.
Coaching instructions
- 1Teams score by passing to a teammate running into the end zone.
- 2The receiver must control it inside the zone.
- 3Four minute games.
- 4On losing the ball the team has five seconds to win it back before dropping into shape.
Coaching points
- -Keep the ball until the forward pass is on
- -Runner times the movement into the zone
- -Pass into the space, not the feet
- -Nearest player presses the ball instantly
- -Others screen the forward pass and squeeze up
Common mistakes
- -Forcing the forward pass every time
- -Runners arriving too early
- -Slow build-up allowing the defence to set