Line-Breaking & Switch Play | Sharper Build-Up

Overview

• Who it’s for: midfielders and defenders who build out of the back
• Great for: players who want to switch the play and stretch the attack
• Use it when: your team can’t find the pass to break the opponent’s lines in games

Objectives

• Reading the game and hitting accurate line-breaking passes
• Receiving on angles that let the next player switch the play right away
• Stretching the attack without dropping tempo
• Switching your read quickly, in a split second

Setup

This drill sharpens the feel for breaking the opponent’s back line out of the build-up, then switching the play to change the direction of attack.

1) Set up a 40m x 40m field with 7 players

2) Split them into 1 defender who wins the ball and 6 players building out

3) The build-up side keeps the ball moving, works it through a central player, and looks to play the line-breaking pass

4) The central player receives it, then switches the play out wide to stretch the attack

5) Rotate on a successful attack or when the ball is won back