Football
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Team Shape

Formation Switch Practice: Target Zone Bonus

Change shape in and out of possession

Team Shape
Transition

Formation Switch Practice: Target Zone Bonus is a 20-minute team shape drill for 10-20 players, suitable for Under 13 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.

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Team Shape
Transition
Skill Practice
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Adult Suitable
Playing Through The Thirds
Positioning
Combination Play

Duration

20 min

Players

10-20

Pitch size

Full pitch

Ability levels

Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: Formation Switch Practice: Target Zone Bonus123CFull pitch

Formation Switch Practice: Target Zone Bonus — Marked area · Full pitch

Step 1 of 4On the coach's call the team switches between the in-possession and out-of-possession shape.

  1. 1. On the coach's call the team switches between the in-possession and out-of-possession shape.
  2. 2. Coach plays a ball in to test the new shape.
  3. 3. Repeat ten times with feedback.
  4. 4. Extra points for playing into marked pockets between the lines before finishing.
  • Cones mark the area
  • Dashed lines = zones / thirds
  • Ball
  • C = coach / server
  • Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

  • -Change shape in and out of possession
  • -Understand the triggers to switch
  • -Keep the team connected during the change

Setup

  1. 1Two shapes marked out in different coloured cones.
  2. 2Full team in position with a coach cue.
  3. 3Balls with the coach on the sideline.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1On the coach's call the team switches between the in-possession and out-of-possession shape.
  2. 2Coach plays a ball in to test the new shape.
  3. 3Repeat ten times with feedback.
  4. 4Extra points for playing into marked pockets between the lines before finishing.

Coaching points

  • -Know your position in both shapes
  • -Switch as the ball travels
  • -Communicate the change loudly
  • -Find the pocket on the back foot of the defender
  • -Support the receiver quickly on both sides

Common mistakes

  • -Slow reactions to the cue
  • -Players unsure of the second shape
  • -Losing compactness in the change

Where this drill fits

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