Building Out from Midfield | Positional Play and Countering

Overview

• This session is all about building out through your defenders
• You’ll sharpen your build-up while also working on countering fast the moment you win the ball back
• Built for age groups ready to think about support angles in midfield and defenders working together as a unit

Objectives

• Sharpen positioning and decisions as you move the ball from back to front
• Build a wide support network against the opponent’s press
• Grow the habit of driving the ball forward quickly the second you win it

Setup

Run this with 15 players on a 50 x 65m field. You’ll rep it from winning the ball all the way through to countering against the back line.

１）The back four (4 players) start on the ball and kick off the build-up

２）The midfield (4 players) drop in to support and open up more passing options for their teammates

３）The two forwards act as targets and receive through midfield

４）The defending team (5 players) press high and work on winning the ball

５）Once they win it, they use the two wide players to break fast on the counter

６）The goal is to move the ball quickly into any of the three mini-goals