9v9 plus 2 possession game: Raising awareness for positioning

The intention: What is practised?
The objective of this possession game is to improve an unit’spositional awareness and movement with a view to securing possession between the three lines of its structure. The exercise focuses on unit-level aspects such as players changing channels and lines to hinder the opposition’s press and retain possession. The members of the team are asked to make subtle diagonal and horizontal movements to create the space in which to receive, connect the lines and progress the ball around their opponents. Players can disrupt the opposition’s defensive structure and confuse them in terms of their marking responsibilities by making sharp movements into the spaces between the lines. When possible, players should look to move into other channels to make it harder to be marked.

The scale: For whom is this relevant?
This opposed possession game is based on a unit scale, emphasising positional adjustments and movement, especially between lines and channels. The exercise is relevant to the majority of the phases of play in which a team try to keep possession and connect between three lines. Players operating inside the opposition’s shape act as midfielders looking to gain separation from opponents and find ways to link play. Players operating on the defensive and attacking lines act as either centre-backs offering support by creating depth or attackers coming off the frontline and changing channels to break lines. The neutral players operate outside the opposition’s shape and replicate goalkeepers restarting the build-up.

The practice type: How is the practice designed?
The exercise involves an opposed 9v9 possession game that is contested in a small exercise area that aims to reproduce play in congested areas. The reduced exercise area is designed to limit the time that players have on the ball while forcing them to take fewer touches and make quicker decisions in possession, with the focus on finding space in tight areas. The absence of the offside rule encourages the team to play with depth. The three channels help players to understand the importance of constantly making disguised movements and changing between zones to evade the press. The 3-3-3 formation helps to familiarise players with their base position and the movements that they need to make.

Organisation

• Mark out a 20m x 20m exercise area and split it into 3 equally sized zones lengthways.

• Divide the group into 2 teams of 9 (oranges and blues).

• Assign 2 goalkeepers as neutral players (greens) and place 1 at either end of the exercise area.

• Organise both teams into a 3-3-3 formation, with 1 player from each line in each channel.

Explanation

• A coach plays the ball to one of the teams.

• The in-possession team try to keep possession and transfer the ball between the neutral players.

• The out-of-possession team try to win the ball.

• If the out-of-possession team gain possession, the teams swap roles immediately.

• Players are free to move between the channels.

•  If the ball goes out of play, one of the coaches feeds in a new ball.

Key coaching points

Roles of coaches

• First coach: offers the players some tips on their positioning before the exercise starts and leads the drill.

• Second coach: coaches one of the teams during a brief team talk held to identify areas for improvement and feeds balls into the exercise area.

• Third coach: coaches the other team during a brief team talk held to identify areas for improvement and feeds balls into the exercise area.