Finishing an attack

Organisation:

• Organise a circle of players, with two defenders in the middle
• Challenge the players to complete ten passes without the ball being intercepted by the defenders. If a defender wins the ball, he/she swaps with the player on the outside who lost it
• Give an extra point for a pass that splits the two defenders
• Reduce the size of the circle

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Begin with just one player in the middle
• Allow the players to throw and catch the ball in a smaller circle

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Vary the conditions for the passes/control: e.g. two-touch/one-touch/weaker foot
• Bar the players from passing to those immediately to either side of them

Great questions to ask the players

• Can you make early decisions and know where you will pass to before the ball comes to you?
• How can you disguise your pass to trick the defender(s)?
• How can you help your team-mates?

Safety tips 

• Make sure you rotate the players in the middle, as they will get tired very quickly

Organisation:

• Create three teams of four, plus two goalkeepers
• Each team takes a turn at being the attackers – two in each half
• Every time the attackers take a ball from the middle, two defenders can enter the area to try to block/defend the shot
• You can mix the colours, so two attackers from different teams go at a time against a combination of defenders
• Each player should remember how many goals he/she scores each time, so you can work out the winning team at the end
• Limit the number of balls in each half to six

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Start by allowing just one defender per half

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Make the pitch bigger, so the attackers have further to travel with the ball
• This will also give the defenders more time to intervene

Great questions to ask the players

• Can the attackers try to shoot early?
• Can the second attacker try to follow up every shot?
• Can the defenders be brave and run into the line of the shot to make a block?

Safety tips

• Only one ball should be used at a time each half
• The defenders should only enter after the attackers have touched the new ball

 Organisation:

• Create two teams of up to 6v6 on a small pitch with two channels down the sides of the pitch
• One player from the team in possession can enter the channels and then play a cross or take a shot from wide positions
• Encourage the teams to play into the channels as early as possible; the wide player can then decide whether to shoot or cross
• The other attackers should try to score from the cross, or to deflect the shot/convert any rebounds

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Give one team an extra player
• Start with no goalkeepers

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Play with less players
• One defender can be allowed into the safe zone

Great questions to ask the players

• Can you try and play the ball early into the wide zone?
• Can you think about how to score from a cross?
• If you shoot from a wide angle, where should you typically aim for and why?

Safety tips

• Create safe zones between pitches