Finishing: 3-player combination play

The intention: What is practised?
This finishing drill aims to offer the attacking unit exposure to various three-player passing solutions that help them to progress the ball and to create attacks in congested wide areas. The exercise focuses on unit aspects, such as quick combination play, anticipating movement and accurate passing. The members of the unit are asked to recognise and to anticipate the movement and positioning of one another with a view to playing accurate passes either to their team-mate’s correct foot or into their path. Players should focus on the timing of their runs, which they can delay by waiting until their team-mate has connected with the ball, while trying not to stray offside or to receive the ball in a stationary position. The members of the unit should ensure that the ball keeps moving at all times. This can be achieved by limiting the number of touches per player and by the receiving player indicating where they would like to receive the pass.

The scale: For whom is this relevant? 
This exercise revolves around the unit scale and focuses on moving the ball quickly and efficiently between three players down one side of the pitch. The drill is particularly relevant to players who start and finish attacking moves in wide areas, such as the full-back, central midfielder and winger. The passing sequences do not feature a centre-forward, with the exercise instead focusing on creating goalscoring chances for a midfielder running from a deep position or a winger who makes a diagonal run inside or bends their run in behind the defence. The exercise is position-specific, with each player performing on-the-ball actions that are specific to their position.

The practice type: How is the practice designed? 
This drill involves a finishing exercise that features passing sequences performed around mannequins down one side of the exercise area. The passing circuits are designed to help players to sharpen their actions and movements with a view to transferring these skills into a match scenario. The mannequins give the attacking players a reference in terms of defenders’ positioning and the angle of pass required to play around or through them to create openings. The size of the exercise area is designed to simulate a match scenario and to help players to understand the space and distances involved when trying to progress play or to penetrate the opposition.

Organisation

• Use half of a full-size pitch, place a full-size goal at one end of the exercise area, and position a goalkeeper in the goal.

• Place a mannequin in each of the 5 positions displayed in the graphic above.

• Place a cone in each of the 3 positions displayed in the graphic above.

• Arrange 3 players at the cone positioned parallel to the point where the penalty arc intersects with the penalty area and give them a number of balls each. This is the midfielders’ station.

• Place 3 players at the cone closest to the penalty area. This is the wingers’ station.

• Position 1 player at the cone situated parallel to the cone closest to the penalty area. This is the full-backs’ station.

Explanation

• Each of the following 3 passing sequences starts with the first player in the queue at the midfielders’ station in possession.

• Once each passing sequence has been completed a number of times, the coach instructs the players to move onto the next sequence.

• Each of the passing circuits described below culminates in the final player in the sequence finishing on goal.

• Once each sequence has been performed a number of times, the coach asks the final player in the sequence (the player who finishes on goal) to avoid straying offside, with the offside line marked by the last line of mannequins.

Sequence 1

• The midfielder dribbles the ball a few metres before playing a pass into the winger, who makes a short run from their cone to a position in front of the mannequin closest to their cone in readiness to receive the pass. The winger plays a first-time lay-off to the full-back, who plays a first-time through-ball to the midfielder running in behind the mannequins.

• Once the sequence has been completed, the players rotate positions by moving to the station to which they passed the ball.

Sequence 2

• The midfielder passes to the full-back, who takes a touch before passing to the winger. The winger takes a touch and then plays a through-ball to the midfielder running in behind the mannequins.

• Once the sequence has been completed, the players rotate positions as follows:

  • The player at the midfielders’ station moves to the wingers’ station.

  • The player at the full-backs’ station moves to the midfielders’ station.

  • The player at the wingers’ station moves to the full-backs’ station.

Sequence 3

• The midfielder passes to the winger, who makes a short run from their cone to a position in front of the mannequin closest to their cone in readiness to receive the pass. The winger plays a first-time lay-off to the full-back, who passes to the midfielder. The midfielder plays a through-ball to the winger, who makes a run behind the mannequin closest to their station and in front of/behind the mannequin positioned closest to the corner of the penalty area.

• Once the sequence has been completed, the players rotate positions as follows:

  • The player at the midfielders’ station moves to the full-backs’ station.

  • The player at the full-backs’ station moves to the wingers’ station.

  • The player at the wingers’ station moves to the midfielders’ station.

Key coaching points

Roles of coaches

• First coach: leads the session and explains the three passing sequences to be performed before ensuring that they are correctly executed.

• Second coach: offers the players involved in the passing sequence on their side of the exercise area encouragement to make the right runs and to play good passes.

• Third coach: takes up a position inside the penalty arc. Receives balls from the goalkeeper and returns them to the midfield station while encouraging players with their finishing.