5v5 plus 3 small-sided game: Breaking the press and playing in behind

The intention: What is practised?
This 5v5 plus 3 game works on exploiting the space behind a high-pressing team and beating the offside trap. The drill focuses on unit-level aspects such as providing multiple off-the-ball runs in between and behind the defence for the ball carrier to identify. The unit should focus on quick combination play that eliminates pressing players until a situation is created in which a through-ball or a ball in behind the opposition has a good chance of finding a player running in behind. Scanning before receiving the ball helps players to time their in-behind runs, to avoid the offside trap and to latch onto the ball at pace to facilitate their next action.

The scale: For whom is this relevant? 
This small-sided game revolves around the unit scale and focuses on breaking a high press and progressing the ball into the space behind the defensive line. The exercise is particularly relevant to players involved in the build-up phase and helps them to beat the high press more effectively, creating opportunities to play passes in behind the defence. It also encourages attacking players to recognise the movements that they should make, such as off-the-shoulder runs and runs in between centre-backs and full-backs and into the channels. The exercise can be position-specific, with the backline performing actions such as holding an offside line in the out-of-possession phase and building play up from the goalkeeper during the in-possession phase.

The practice type: How is the practice designed? 
The exercise involves a small-sided game that is contested on half of a full-size pitch. The reduced size of the exercise area helps the defending team to get up the pitch more quickly, enabling them to apply a high press, which is key to the exercise and creates the required space for the attacking team to attempt to play into. The high press encourages the attacking team to build up play and play through the press more quickly, whilst trying to identify runs that break the last line of defence. The fact that the offside rule applies forces players to pay attention to the timing of their runs and passes.

Organisation

• Use 1 half of a full-size pitch.

• Position a full-size goal at each end of the exercise area and place a goalkeeper in each goal.

• Reduce the width of the exercise area to 25m.

• Mark out a halfway line.

• Split the group into 2 teams of 5 (oranges v. blues) and assign 3 neutral players (greys).

Explanation

• The exercise starts with the goalkeeper defending the oranges’ goal in possession.

• The objective for the oranges is to build up play and attack the blues’ goal.

• The objective for the blues is to apply a high press to win the ball back.

• All of the blue-team players must press in the oranges’ half.

• If the blues win the ball, they attack the oranges’ goal.

• The 3 neutral players support the in-possession team.

• If the ball goes out of play or a goal is scored, play restarts from a goalkeeper.

• The offside rule applies to both teams.

Key coaching points

Roles of the coaches

• First coach: explains the objectives of the exercise and occupies a position inside the exercise area, from where they coach both sets of players and encourage the defending team to apply a high press at all times.

• Second coach: observes the exercise from their position on one side of the exercise area.

• Third coach: observes the exercise from their position on the opposite side of the exercise area to the second coach.