Possession & Penetration | A 3-Team Drill for Building Midfield-Led Attacks

Overview

• Who this drill fits

U13 and up who already get their role in possession and why smart decisions matter

• Every position

This one puts your midfielders front and center as the team’s connectors

• Numbers and setup

18 players (three teams of 6), field size 30m × 40m

Objectives

• Build rock-solid possession

Not just keeping the ball moving — train the read to play passes with a purpose

• Develop the tools to break the opponent’s line

Grow the mindset to go forward out of possession, and the eye to spot the passing lane that gets you there

• Speed up the switch between attack and defense

Turning a win-back into an instant attack sharpens decisions in the flow of the game

• Create flow across the whole team

Get players to see that off-the-ball movement (the players without the ball) drives the whole team’s flow

Setup

A game-realistic drill: two attacking teams work together to keep the ball and build up, then look to switch quickly to attack against the defending team.

１）Field setup

Use a 30m × 40m field. Six players per team — two attacking teams against one defending team

２）Starting positions

Attackers start in possession, with two midfielders in particular working as the connectors

３）Possession phase

String passes together and push toward the opponent’s goal step by step. Working off the two midfielders, look for the gaps in the opponent’s line

４）Transition after a win-back

The moment the defending team wins the ball, they flip straight into attack, coming at goal fluidly from the far side

５）Holding your shape

Even as attack and defense flip, keep the basic 12m × 6m shape as you go — sharpening decisions while players move on the move

６）Restart

After the ball goes out or a goal, the attacking side restarts fresh from possession