Here is a small sided game to help train your player to counter-attack while also providing an opportunity to work on defensive fundamentals.
In the video below Charlie Cooke, Director of Coerver Coaching USA, instructs players in a small sided game that is part of his Fast Break Attack demonstration. Coach Cooke is a former professional soccer player from Scotland that played in both the Scottish Premier Division and English Premier Division. He was also a successful high school soccer coach and helped start Coerver Coaching.
This drill is set up with four players in the middle of a 30 x 30 grid (two from each team). There are two players on each end (one from each), which is considered the safe zone where players from the other team cannot steal or take the ball away. The drill begins with one team playing possession and trying to get in the safe zones on either end by dribbling the ball across the lines. Once a player crosses the line, their teammate in the safe zone dribbles into the grid to restart the game. This constant rotation keeps the game going and players have to think while both on offense and defense.
There are a few points to work on with your team during this drill:
- Quick Counter-Attack
Players from each team need to be ready and constantly looking to counter attack when they get the ball back. This game challenges teams by letting the players in the safe zones being able to attack quickly into the grid and catch the defensive players off guard.
- Defensive Strategy
The defensive players in the grid need to have a strategy when in the middle of the grid. If they can’t stop a player from getting into a safe zone, they need to quickly shift their focus to the new player coming into the grid. If they are not able to do this, the offensive team can easily dribble to the other end without any pressure.
This clip was taken from Coach Cooke’s presentation at a recent Glazier Soccer Clinic. For more information about Glazier Soccer Clinics and how to gain access to hundreds of clinic presentation videos, click the link Glazier Soccer Clinic
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