
On the half-turn – small-sided game
Three-part session teaching players to receive on the half-turn and break defensive lines. By DAVID PONCIA MORE
A complex soccer coaching drill to help your players develop the skills they need to deliver three kinds of cross.
The session aims to coach players to score more goals from crosses and to show that changing the pace of play and the angle of attack are key instruments in unlocking the opposition. Using wide areas is an important part of attacking play.
Create a playing area that is wider than long by using the width of the pitch you normally play on (mini, 9v9 or full size) and half that size for the length (so mini would be 30 wide x 15 deep and full size would be 60×30). Split it into six equal squares. You need a goal, balls, bibs and cones. We’re using 17 players in a 9v8 overload.
Players are locked into areas, except for the fullbacks who look to join the attack and create situations to cross the ball.
We’re looking for three different types of crosses in this practice: the deep cross, just entering the final third; the whipped in cross, cutting inside and swinging it across; and the full back cross, running to the byline and whipping it in.