Develop your players’ ability to play through a crowded midfield with this three-part session.
This session helps to build up players’ awareness and ability to play through an overloaded midfield.
Divide the area into quarters. Players are split equally to the four corners and they then stay within that square. Two groups work together on different passing patterns, before swapping over.
Pattern 1 (first diagram): Corner player starts with a pass to the further forward player within their square, who sets back to the supporting player, who makes a long pass to the opposite corner. The pattern repeats from that end.
Pattern 2 (second diagram): As in pattern 1, but this time the original passer moves to receive a pass back and they play the long pass to the opposite end.
Progression (third diagram): Once players have successfully executed the first two patterns, play can be progressed to incorporate three groups.
Players should concentrate on their movement and body shape to receive the pass, verbal and non- verbal communication, and technical details around which of the receiver’s feet to pass to, to enable them to efficiently make their next move.
1. Players combine with an ‘up-back-through’ passing pattern
2. Players combine similarly to the first pattern, but with the original passer moving to receive and play the final pass
3. Advance the practice by incorporating three groups into a passing pattern
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