FineSoccer Drill 52

Today's progression works on possession and changing the point of attack.

Start with an area of 50 x 50 area.  Break this area into 10 x 10 zones (see diagram below)

Two teams (8 v 8 would be ideal) and it's a simple keep away game.  The difference between this game and any other keep away game is that the players are encouraged to both keep possession of the ball as well as look far first.  The way this is done is to reward every pass that goes into a different zones.  For example, if a ball is passed from one zone into the zone right next to it, that pass is worth one point.  If it travels to a player two zones away, then it's worth two points.  However many zones a ball goes through on a pass (this is assuming the pass is successfully completed) the team gets that number of points.  The one other rule that must be used is that a player must sprint OUT of her zone after she makes the pass.  (see http://finesoccer.com/soccer12.htm for the reason why this is so important).  In order to make this more successful, you can have one or two neutral players that are always on the team that is on offense in order to give them a numbers superiority.  First team to 50 points wins.   It is much, much easier if you have someone other then yourself keep score.  To be perfectly honest with you, I have never been able to keeper score during this game and have always had to rely upon injured players or parents to do this for me).  

Next start with a full field (or smaller if you have limited numbers) and break it into the thirds as shown in the diagram below)

This is a simple game of soccer where the only rule that is added is that the ball must go through all three zones before the team can attack the goal.  This will force a team to maintain proper balance and shape and works on changing the point of attack.  Any time a team loses possession of the ball and then regains it, they must go through all three zones again before attacking the goal.  If you want, you can put in a rule that if a team wins the ball in their offensive third of the field, they don't have to switch the ball through the vertical thirds.  A ball that is played from the right side over to the left side is considered to have gone through all three thirds even though it didn't touch down in the middle third.

The next step is to take up the middle lines and simply play soccer.  It has been my experience that the ball will be switched much more often then before simply by playing this game first.

Give it a try and let me know what you think

Lawrence