2V3 Zones

Players: 9+ | Difficulty: 2 |

Description:  2v3 possession drill with midfield players checking.

Application: Helps players time when to check into space for a pass, and to be able to move out of the space quickly if they don't receive one.

FOR EXERCISE 1

Players: 9+ | Difficulty: 2

Instructions

EXPLAINING BY DRAWING:

1. The 3 Red Players play possession against the 2 Yellow Players to reach X amount of passes.

2. Once they reached that amount, they start to look for a Blue Player to check into the middle grid to pass to (looking for Blue because Yellow is defending.)

3. The Blue team can send ONE PLAYER into the middle zone at a time. If that player does not receive a pass within three seconds, they must sprint to the outside red cone and back into their zone.

4. Red Team finds a pass to the checking Blue Player.

5. The Blue player then turns, and plays a pass into their team in their zone to play a 3v2 against Yellow. (Yellow will send one player over to have 2 defenders in the zone).

If Red team was to instead loose possession, Blue would either send the ball to the other team, or kick the ball out of play, then Red would have to send 2 defenders over to the other zone (and Yellow would bring their one other player back to this zone).

Setup

• 3 Grids: The middle thinner than the rest.

• 2 External cones for sprint points.

Rules

• There must ALWAYS AND ONLY be 2 defenders in a zone. The team that looses the ball will become the defending team and will have to send 2 out of their 3 players to defend.

• Only ONE PLAYER can be in the middle zone at a time, and must leave withing 3 seconds.

• The team of three on the other side does not need to wait for the team in possession to get X amount of passes before sending a player into the middle. The middle player can be used to help get X passes, but has to sprint out of the zone within 3 seconds.

Rotation

• Team that looses possession becomes defenders.

Coaching Points

• Keep pass goals small so the real point of the game (midfielders checking into space, then moving out of space, can be worked on).

• The players checking into the midfield should time their runs so they can receive passes before having to sprint out.

• The internal possession game should focus on players moving off the ball and quick passes.

• Checking shoulder after passing and as they are about to receive a pass.

• Focusing on their pass quality.

• Having the central player open their body to receive the pass.

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FOR EXERCISE 2

Players: 9+ | Difficulty: 2

Instructions

EXPLAINING BY DRAWING:

• ALL IS THE SAME AS DRILL 1, EXCEPT THE SOLO DEFENDER IN THE OPPOSITE GRID CAN FOLLOW THE CHECKING PLAYER INTO THE MIDFIELD.

  • They will have to sprint to the wide cone within 3 seconds of not receiving / stealing the ball as well.

Coaching Points

• The Defender that stays in the opposite grid and follows the checking player into the midfield should choose which runs in they follow

  • For Ex. If they follow a check in, and the player doesn't get a pass, than they have to sprint to the outside, and another member could check in and get the ball.

  • This helps practice when to step to a passing lane, and when to not get pulled out of position.

• Keep pass goals small so the real point of the game (midfielders checking into space, then moving out of space, can be worked on).

• The players checking into the midfield should time their runs so they can receive passes before having to sprint out.

• The internal possession game should focus on players moving off the ball and quick passes.

• Checking shoulder after passing and as they are about to receive a pass.

• Focusing on their pass quality.

• Having the central player open their body to receive the pass.