Team Shape Walkthrough

Objectives

• -Understand individual roles in the team formation
• -Shift as a unit in relation to the ball
• -Keep distances between the lines

How to set it up

1. 1Mark out the working area at Full or three quarter pitch. Put a cone on each corner so the boundary is obvious to the players.
2. 2Mark reference cones for each unit.
3. 3Team set up in the match formation.
4. 4Coach with a ball on the outside.
5. 5Kit for this practice: Balls, Bibs, Cones. Keep a supply of spare balls beside the coach so a lost ball never stops the practice.
6. 6Split 8-20 players into two or three even groups. Run two stations side by side if you have the space, so lines never grow beyond four players.
7. 7Set the area up before the players arrive, then walk them through the shape once at a jog before the first live repetition.

How to run it, step by step

1. 1Get the players into position and walk the first repetition through slowly so everybody knows where they start and where they go.
2. 2Coach moves the ball around the pitch and the team shifts accordingly.
3. 3Freeze play to check distances and body shapes.
4. 4Progress to a passive then live opposition.
5. 5Players move as they would in a match: attackers spread to make the area big, defenders squeeze in and cover behind each other.
6. 6Play restarts from the coach or the goalkeeper the moment the ball leaves the area, so there is no waiting between goals.
7. 7Freeze the practice once or twice per round, make one coaching point to the whole group, then restart immediately.

What each player does

Attacking team

Keeps the ball moving, uses the full width of the area and looks to finish the attack inside the time or touch limit.

Defending team

Presses the ball nearest player first, screens the forward pass and stays compact between the ball and the goal.

Waiting players

Stand behind the start cone with a ball ready, watch the repetition in front of them and step in the moment it finishes.

Coach

Stands where the whole picture is visible, serves or calls the start, and makes one clear point per freeze.

Timings and organisation

• -Run 5 rounds of roughly 4 minutes inside the 20 minute slot.
• -Give 45-60 seconds of rest between rounds so the quality of the work stays high, and use that gap for your coaching point.
• -Rotate roles at the end of every round so each player works, serves and defends across the practice.
• -If the practice is too easy, move to a progression rather than adding more repetitions. If players are struggling, drop to a regression for one round and then build back up.

Common mistakes

• -Units drifting apart
• -Ball watching and losing the marker
• -Wingers staying high when the team must defend
• -Standing still and watching instead of moving into the next position