Example of the Value and Beauty of Possession--
I wanted to send you a collection of clips demonstrating great possession soccer because there is nothing like seeing its beauty and benefit in real game situations. Notice how pretty much all of the play is one or two-touch passing. Also notice the early off-ball movement by supporting players as well as the anticipation and quick decision making of the player off the ball (they usually have decided what they are going to do with the ball BEFORE receiving it). You can see how this quick ball movement makes the defense shift constantly, creating gaps for the offense to exploit. If a player were to take too many touches, this would just give the defense time to organize and setup behind the ball. It is a very entertaining video as it makes the play look so simple, although we all know how difficult it really is (the best players and teams in the world make the game look so easy). I hope you enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ortWLYEYnM
Possession With Neutral Targets -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=202&pro=1
This is a great possession game that focuses on quick passing and organized defense. As you can see in the video, when each team has the ball, it is basically a 4v2 possession game. Encourage your players to move the ball quickly (one and two touch) and to know what they want to do with the ball before they receive it. The team on offense is trying to make the defense constantly shift and stretch the field with their passing by finding one of the target players. The defense should be organized with good pressure and support. When a defender wins the ball, he should find one of his target players immediately and quickly shift to an offensive role. Place a big emphasis on quick transitions from defense to offense and vice versa, as this is a significant concept in the game of soccer. Teams that can transition back and forth faster than their opponents are more organized, can anticipate faster, and hold a huge advantage.
Possession With Advantage In Own Half -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=573&pro=1
This clip shows the Valencia (Spain) U15 team playing a simple possession game that I love to run with my Arsenal team for both indoor and outdoor practices, although it can be great for younger ages as well. Personally, I think the game works better if the numbers are 5 or 6 versus 2 in each half, with the grids being slightly bigger (if you have bigger numbers, you can even go 7 or 8 players in each half, with the other team sending 3 defenders). Encourage the offensive players to move early off the ball to support and tell the player in possession to move the ball quickly in order to be productive (advise him or her to try and know where he/she wants to go with the ball before receiving it). With the older age groups, enforce a two or even one touch limit to promote this idea, especially if you are like me and have a 6v2 or a scenario with a big offensive advantage. Also, give the defenders a counter objective and tell them to find their teammates in the other half if they win the ball (rather than simply kicking it out of bounds). If they do this successfully, encourage them to find the teammate that is deepest in their offensive half, as that player not only has the most space, but the best vision of the field as well. Also, ask your players on offense to focus on their body position, keeping themselves "open" to the field. You want the restarts to be fast, as to avoid interrupting the flow, so have balls ready.
Directional Possession -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=229
This is one of my favorite conditioned games as it places an emphasis on possession but also incorporates a directional element. This game can be played in a small area, but it is also effective in a much larger playing area (sometimes I use an entire half of a pitch, with the length being from sideline to sideline and the width between the half field line and the top of the eighteen yard box extended). Players in the end-zone are neutral, and I like to have them act as goal keepers who can use their hands to catch passes and distribute. I also like to have one or two players in the middle who are neutral goal keepers as well. Not only does this give the team in possession an advantage, but it also allows the goal keepers to practice hand-eye coordination and connect with the flow of play (something we want them doing in a game). Note how when a team finds a neutral player in the end-zone, they quickly get the ball back and go the opposite way. If the team on defense wins the ball, they want to quickly find an end-zone player to establish possession and attempt to work the ball in the other direction. However, although there is a directional element to this game, players should be looking to possess the ball first and foremost. You don't want teams giving the ball away needlessly just because they are trying to get forward. Note in the video how players often play back to the neutral end-zone player to keep possession.
Three Team Possession -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=374
This is a great possession game that is prevalent throughout the world of soccer, from youth teams to college and pro teams. I prefer making it 6v3, 8v4, or even 10v5, obviously with a bigger playing area. You always want a 2:1 ration, so three teams of the same number, with two teams together on offense. On offense, make the players move the ball quickly, knowing where they are going with the ball before they receive it. Note how the team on offense that gives it away immediately switches to defense, now defending the other two teams. This game highlights quick thinking and fast transition back and forth between offense and defense. Make the players quickly sort out any confusion through communication. Do not let your players stand around trying to figure out which team is on defense after a change of possession--make them think and adjust quickly and accordingly (even if the players mess up and the wrong team ends up on defense, let the play continue--the emphasis is on players taking a quick initiative to sort it out). Soccer is a game of flow and constant transitioning, and this game forces your players to embrace that concept. With an older team, especially if it is 8v4 or 10v5, limit the amount of touches each player can take on offense (for 8v4, see http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=203&pro=1 although ignore the last part of the clip).
Possession & Switching Play -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=360 When possessing in soccer, teams are looking to anticipate, make early supporting runs off the ball, and to know what they want to do before receiving the ball in order to move the ball quickly (and let the ball do the work). Part of possession involves finding the areas on the field to relieve pressure and create space. "Switching play" is an important concept in soccer, and encouraging your players to be aware and keep their heads up to achieve this objective not only helps your team maintain possession, but also makes the defense shift, creating gaps that can be exploited. In this exercise, don't be afraid to add more neutral players to give the team on offense a bigger advantage (sometimes players need this at first to make the concept work). Notice the quick restarts--the coach never disrupts the flow of the game. You can also use this game to focus on defensive ideas by forcing the team without possession to communicate and stay organized as they shift back and forth (their objective is to defend the goals while not letting themselves get to stretched apart).
Possession With Neutral Players-- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=328
This possession game may be more geared toward older teams (U13+), but can be done with younger ages using smaller numbers and certain restrictions (you know your team and what works best for them, so don't be afraid to tweak the exercise so that it works for your players). Let the players on the outside be unopposed by other outside players, but limit their touches to one or two touch (I also allow outside players to be able to pass to each other and through the cone goals--this makes them keep their head up and be aware of opportunities beyond those that are right in front of them). With older, more experienced teams, you can eventually challenge them by limiting their touches inside the grid as well. Even though there are goal objectives, each teams' number one priority should be to POSSESS the ball, and use their numbers advantage with the players on the outside of the grid. Obviously rotate the players from the outside to the inside after a set amount of time. Demand that the team in possession move off the ball early to support, know where they are going with the ball before they receive it (ANTICIPATION!!), and move the ball quickly. You can also advance this game by allowing players on the outside to take-over and dribble inside once they have received a pass from a teammate inside the grid (the player passing them the ball would replace them on the outside).
Possession With Objective-- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=435&pro=1
"Passing & Interception Game." -- If you were to get the chance to attend a training session of any professional club in Europe, chances are you will see this game being played. It is also great for youth teams of all ages. I think it works best with three teams of four, but it is also very doable with teams of five or even three. There is no need for corner flags, as cones work just fine. Encourage the teams on offense to move the ball quickly to create gaps in the defense and instruct the defense to try and stay organized (if, after a while, the players struggle to develop any fluidity to the game, take away one defender to give the teams on offense a slight advantage). "Goals" can be scored with a successful pass from one side to the other (see which defensive team can give up the fewest goals over a set period of time). Obviously, rotate the team on defense, and to advance the game, if the team on defense wins the ball, they can replace the team on offense that gave the ball away. To advance it even further, especially with older teams, you can allow the team on defense to send one defender out of the middle grid to challenge the team on offense in possession (if you do this, you might want to make the grids a little bigger). I would ignore the last 1:30 of the video where they go to goal. Instead I would focus on quick restarts and maintaining a good flow to the exercise.
Possession & Early Off-Ball Movement -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=625 This is a great game to highlight the importance of early off-ball movement to support the ball. Explain the need to play quickly (one or two-touch passes) in such a small area. This can easily be played with four on each team--for the team on offense not in possession, have two players stand in the middle grid opposite the grid where the possession is being played. The emphasis in this game is on the players who are on offense but not in possession of the ball. Their challenge is to anticipate and move quickly so they can arrive in the appropriate grid early to support the ball once their teams receives it. Explain how in soccer it is essential for players off the ball to be very much involved in the play (in a game there are 22 players on the field and only one soccer ball--the best players are the ones that work effectively and efficiently off the ball to make their teammates better). I think this game works best if you keep one team on defense for a set amount of time and then rotate. If the defense wins the ball, or if possession is lost for any other reason, simply get the ball back in play quickly and restart. You can play that the team which loses the ball has to immediately go to defense, however this can make things complicated and may cause disruptions in the flow of play.
Possession, Scoring & Defending -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=570&pro=1
This is a great conditioned game that incorporates a lot of soccer concepts and creates an environment that allows for many scoring opportunities in order to practice shooting and attacking. In the video, Valencia's reserve team uses the entire half of the field for this game, however it can be performed in a much smaller playing area. I like to play on a field that is approximately 30 yards long and about the width of the 18-yard box. I love playing with two large goals, however if you do not have such access, they can be substituted with smaller goals (without goalies if need be). The emphasis for the team in possession should be to move the ball quickly in order to exploit the find gaps in the defense, thus creating scoring opportunities that MUST be taken quickly (this game punishes the player who takes too many touches in front of goal which is why I love it so much). The team on defense wants to stay as organized as possible and transition quickly after winning possession. Note the touch restrictions explained in the video (two-touch for the players on the field and one-touch for the neutral players off the field). This is the standard we should strive for with all of our older teams, and although the restrictions might be tough with some of the younger teams, we should still be emphasizing quick ball movement. In the video, the Valencia coach lets the teams play for four minutes before rotating them out with the neutral team on the outside. I often like to modify the game so that when a team scores a goal, they immediately get the ball from the goal or goalie that they just scored on and they attack in the other direction. The neutral team hustles on to take the place of the team that just got scored on, who becomes the neutral team on the outside. This way, the players on the outside are always involved as neutral players, however they must be ready to quickly defend the appropriate goal after a goal is scored.
