Team Shape
Team Shape Walkthrough
Understand individual roles in the team formation
Team Shape
Defending
Possession
Team Shape Walkthrough is a 20-minute team shape drill for 8-20 players, suitable for Under 11 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 libraryTeam Shape
Defending
Possession
Match
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Duration
20 min
Players
8-20
Pitch size
Full or three quarter pitch
Ability levels
Intermediate / Advanced
Objectives
- -Understand individual roles in the team formation
- -Shift as a unit in relation to the ball
- -Keep distances between the lines
Setup
- 1Mark reference cones for each unit.
- 2Team set up in the match formation.
- 3Coach with a ball on the outside.
Coaching instructions
- 1Coach moves the ball around the pitch and the team shifts accordingly.
- 2Freeze play to check distances and body shapes.
- 3Progress to a passive then live opposition.
Coaching points
- -Ball-side players squeeze, far side tucks in
- -Keep 10-15 yards between the lines
- -Full backs adjust with the ball, not with the winger
- -Every player can see ball, opponent and space
Common mistakes
- -Units drifting apart
- -Ball watching and losing the marker
- -Wingers staying high when the team must defend