Possession
Possession Through The Thirds
Move the ball through defensive, middle and final thirds
Possession
Passing
Playing Out From The Back
Premium
Possession Through The Thirds is a 20-minute possession drill for 8-20 players, suitable for Under 10 to Adults at intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, bibs, cones. 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
Passing
Playing Out From The Back
Small-Sided Game
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Team Tactics
Build Up
Duration
20 min
Players
8-20
Pitch size
50 x 35 yards
Ability levels
Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Possession Through The Thirds — Marked area · 50 x 35 yards
Step 1 of 3Three passes in a zone before progressing to the next.
- 1. Three passes in a zone before progressing to the next.
- 2. Score by dribbling into the far target zone under control.
- 3. Remove the zone restrictions after eight minutes.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = zones / thirds
- Ball
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Move the ball through defensive, middle and final thirds
- -Create an overload in each zone
- -Recognise when to switch or go forward
Setup
- 1Pitch split into three equal zones with cones.
- 2Teams of six with zone restrictions at the start.
- 3Target zones at each end to score by dribbling in.
Coaching instructions
- 1Three passes in a zone before progressing to the next.
- 2Score by dribbling into the far target zone under control.
- 3Remove the zone restrictions after eight minutes.
Coaching points
- -Support angles in front of and behind the ball
- -Break the line with a pass when it opens
- -Switch play when the ball side is crowded
- -Head up to spot the free player in the next zone
Common mistakes
- -Forcing the forward pass into traffic
- -Everyone in the ball zone
- -Passing without scanning first