Keeping the ball under pressure.
16 drills
16 drills
Positional game recorded at a Luis Enrique FC Barcelona training session in 2015: 30x10 m divided into three zones, two players per team in each zone and a neutral player in the central zone. It is all about finding the free man and playing between the lines.
The foundational rondo of the Ajax-Cruyff school: four possession players on the sides of a 10x10 m square against one defender inside. Slide along your own side, pass with the far foot, and whoever loses the ball goes in the middle.
Possession in 25x25 m with two teams of four and three neutrals (two on opposite sidelines and one inside). The team in possession plays 7v4; the team that wins the ball takes over. Structure, support and counter-pressing.
The Hoff interval protocol moved into the game: 4v4 without keepers on 35x25 m, four 4-minute bouts at 90-95% of maximum heart rate with 3 minutes of active recovery.
7v7 possession on a 30x25 m grid split in two halves: the out-of-possession team may only press in its own half and must hold a compact block until a trigger appears (back-pass, loose first touch or a pass to a player within 2 m of the boundary) to hunt across the whole grid.
Six reds combine around the outside to feed the team-mate in the central zone within five passes; three blues defend the in-between space and, if they win it, counter-attack into four mini goals while the reds counter-press and cover.
6v6 possession game with four neutrals in an 18x18 m central zone split by a halfway line: the team that wins the ball must break quickly to score in the goal opposite the half where it regained, while the team that lost it counter-presses.
Positional game for U17: 40x40 m square divided into four 20x20 m zones. Two teams of eight and five neutrals. In the active zone a 3v3+3 is played and, after 8-10 passes, the team in possession must switch play to another zone.
Possession game from the FIFA Talent Coach Programme: 20x20 m square, 4v4 inside and four neutrals, two inside and two at the ends as targets. The ball must progress from one target to the opposite one and is obliged to go through the centre.
Activation for three teams of four in a 20x20 yard square: one keeps the ball on the outside, one attacks inside and one defends inside. The outside team circulates quickly to pull the defenders out of shape, plays inside and, after a turnover, swaps roles with the defending team.
Possession game from the FIFA Talent Coach Programme: 30x20 m split into three lanes, two teams of nine in a 3-3-3 (one player from each line per lane) and two neutral goalkeepers at the ends. Always pass and move, no offside.
Directional rondo with two end zones and a middle third. Seven possession players (two targets in each end zone and three inside) against three defenders. Score with a ground pass to the far targets: 1 direct, 2 through the middle third, 5 for an up-back-through combination.
Rondo observed at the Etihad Campus on 12 July 2017: six possession players around a 10x5 m rectangle (two on each short side, one on each long side) against two defenders. Short distances, both feet, and the pass that splits the defenders.
Playing-out game from goal kicks: the red team (five players plus the keeper) must reach an end zone with the ball under control while four blues, starting behind a yellow line, press as soon as the keeper puts the ball in play.
Two adjacent 10x10 m squares. Five possession players against two pressers; after eight passes the ball is switched to the other square and the two pressers must sprint across. Works possession under pressure and the transition after losing the ball.
Possession game with two inside jokers who always play with the team in possession. A 7v5 overload to work keeping the ball under pressure and finding the free player.