Annual training plan · U14–U23

Week 37: Combining Through the Centre

3 complete training sessions with 12 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

Because of compact defending in modern football, space in the centre is especially tight. This makes attacking through the middle especially difficult. But anyone who still wants to combine successfully through the opponent's centre needs technically well-trained players – first touches have to be clean, passing has to be accurate and the ball has to be stuck to the foot when dribbling.

Besides the technical demands, coordinated showing for the ball and getting free also helps to bring the ball through the centre into the dangerous zone. Players can also be supported with rehearsed solutions for combining through the centre.

The demands of combining successfully through the middle are high. But if your team does manage to carry out an attack through the middle, the chances of scoring are much higher than with an attack down the wings.

In the total of 3 sessions on combining through the centre, the focus is divided into 3 parts:

  • From the centre-back position, find the midfielders
  • From the centre-back position, find a striker
  • As a midfielder, find a striker

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

When a holding midfielder is to be brought into play by a centre-back, it is ideal if the holding midfielder can continue play facing forward. However, if the holding midfielder receives the ball with an opponent behind, often the only option left is to pass the ball back to the centre-back.

For your team to succeed in getting your holding midfielder into the game in an open body position, the following approaches can help:

  • Overload in the centre: If your own team has an overload in the centre, for example when the opponent defends in a 4-4-2 and your team plays 4-1-2-1-2, the holding midfielder is often free. Ideally, the two number eights tie up the opponent's central midfielders and the holding midfielder can be brought into play very easily. To do this, the holding midfielder can either show for the ball in the gaps between the two strikers or drift away to the far side. It is important that the holding midfielder moves in a half-open body position and keeps scanning. Because by the time the pass reaches the holding midfielder at the latest, the holding midfielder can expect to come under pressure.
  • Equal numbers in the centre: If both your own team and the opposing team play 4-4-2, it becomes much more difficult to get your central midfielders into action facing forward. One possible way is for the ball-side central midfielder to make a forward run and drag their opponent along. At the same time, the far-side central midfielder sets off explosively into the space that has opened up and can be brought into play by the centre-back on the ball. Provided the far-side central midfielder has been able to get away from their opponent and the ball-side central midfielder has been able to drag their opponent away. Another option is bypassing a line in midfield. For this, the midfielders have to be staggered in depth. If the centre-back now brings the midfielder positioned further forward into play, that player can lay the ball off to the 2nd holding midfielder. For this, the holding midfielder must follow the ball immediately once they have been bypassed.
  • Dynamic back three: If the opponent plays with 2 strikers, the holding midfielder drops alongside or between the two centre-backs against the 2 strikers. The resulting overload can now be exploited by switching the ball within the back three. If the strikers cannot keep up when shifting across, the player on the ball can then drive into midfield.
Coaching points for this session
  • Change of position: ball side goes, far side comes
  • Dynamic back three as an option against 2 strikers
  • Drop away on the far side (against the direction of the shift)
  • Show for the ball in the gaps
  • Create staggering in depth: play past 1 line and lay off (follow the ball immediately)
Drill 1

Passing Drill with an Open First Touch

20 min

Variation 1:

  • Player B moves 1.5 metres to the left in a laterally open position.
  • Player A passes with the inside of the foot onto the open foot of Player B.
  • Player B controls the ball and plays a precise inside-of-the-foot pass onto the open foot of Player C, who has previously dropped 1.5 metres to the left.
  • Player C passes to Player D, who drops to the right.
  • Player D plays a one-two with Player E; Player E dribbles to the starting position.
  • Every player moves on to the next marker.

Variation 2:

  • Player C moves 1.5 metres to the left in a laterally open position.
  • Player A plays a precise inside-of-the-foot pass onto the foot of Player C that is furthest from the opponent.
  • Player C closes up and lays the ball off into the space of Player B.
  • Player B plays a precise inside-of-the-foot pass onto the foot of Player D that is furthest from the opponent.
  • Player D lays the ball off to Player C, Player C passes to Player E.
  • Player E lays the ball off to Player D; Player D plays a one-two with Player E, and Player E dribbles to the starting position.
  • Every player moves on to the next marker.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Five cones mark positions A to E.

Equipment: 5 cones and several balls.

Players: Every cone is occupied by one player; at least four players stand at the first cone.

Coaching points
  • In Variation 1, when dropping off the cones only move sideways and not backwards.
  • In Variation 1, play firmly into the front foot.
  • In Variation 1, control the ball so that ideally only one intermediate step is needed before the pass.
  • In Variation 2, delay briefly after the lay-off.
  • As soon as a player has been played past, that player follows up at high speed — but not before the pass, because otherwise a square pass results.
Drill 2

3 vs 1 Combination

20 min
  • The aim of the drill is to pass to the number ten in such a way that a 1 vs 1 with the number five becomes possible.
  • The first pass always goes to the holding midfielder, who either combines with the number two or turns straight away and plays to the number ten.
  • The number eight tries to prevent this. If the number eight wins the ball, the numbers two, four and six immediately put pressure on again.
  • If the number ten is played in successfully, the number ten goes into the 1 vs 1 with the number five and tries to dribble over that player's line.
  • After the 1 vs 1, the number ten passes to the number eight, who plays back to the number four; the number four starts the next action.
  • The next run-through begins on the other side.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones mark out the positions and the target line of the duel.

Equipment: 6 cones, 3 bibs and several balls.

Players: The positions two, four, six, eight, ten and five.

Coaching points
  • With an opponent pressing directly from behind, the holding midfielder plays the ball to the number two with the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Where possible, the number two deals with the ball quickly using the foot that opens up the play and passes to the number ten with the second touch.
  • The number four tells the holding midfielder which follow-up action to take through the foot the pass is played to and through a call: a pass to the foot that opens up the play means turn, a pass to the foot furthest from the opponent means lay the ball off.
Drill 3

Pass in Behind in a 4 vs 4 with a Target Player

20 min32 x 16 metres
  • Inside the area the game is played 4 vs 4.
  • The neutral players always play with the team in possession.
  • The aim is to move the ball between the two end lines.
  • The neutral players should be played in from the far half.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area.

Equipment: 4 cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of four players each; two neutral players stand at each end line.

Coaching points
  • Make the game big.
  • In the deep positions, move out of the cover shadow.
  • The neutral players act with a maximum of two touches and do not stop the ball dead.
  • Show for the ball in an open body position.
  • Allow the ball to be played past and follow up for a lay-off.
Drill 4

6 vs 6 + 2 Extra Players

30 min
  • A free game of 6 vs 6 is played with two extra players.
  • The extra players always play with the team in possession along the touchlines and may only play first time.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the playing area; there are two goals at the ends.

Equipment: Cones, 2 goals and several balls.

Players: Two teams of six, two extra players and two goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Play through the lines boldly.
  • Use the extra players for play through a third player.
  • Follow the ball after being played past.
  • Form a staggered shape in depth in midfield.
The complete session as a ready-made training plan – with animated drills in the web app. Go to the web app

Session 2

4 drills

Playing the ball from the back directly into the strikers requires not only crisp and accurate passing from the centre-backs. Spacing and movement off the ball in midfield also play a decisive role. The central midfielders have to open up the half-spaces cleverly so that the centre-back can play forward directly. In addition, the strikers have to recognise the match situation and show for the ball in the passing lane.

However, it does not always have to be the central striker who is brought into play. A wide midfielder or a wide forward can also be brought into play directly by the centre-back. To do this, that player runs from the wide position into the half-space.

But regardless of which player is brought into play further forward, the passing lane through midfield has to be opened up first. The central midfielders have the following options for this:

  • The central midfielder moves away from the half-space into the centre in an open body position. If the central midfielder drags their opponent along, the ball can be played forward in the half-space. If the opponent holds their position, the central midfielder can receive the ball in the centre on the back foot and play it on into the strikers.
  • The holding midfielder comes towards the centre-back in possession and drags their opponent along. The centre-back still plays the ball to the holding midfielder. The holding midfielder lays the ball off again and opens up the half-space by then moving into the centre. To make a forward pass possible for the centre-back, it is important that the holding midfielder lays the ball off diagonally outwards.
  • If your team plays 3-4-3, your wide centre-backs play slightly wider than when you build up play with 2 centre-backs. This creates a different option for opposite movements off the ball. The ball-side central midfielder receives from the centre-back and lays the ball straight off. The central midfielder then sets off diagonally outwards and forward. At the same time, the ball-side wide forward moves inside towards the centre and is brought into play by the centre-back. Provided the central midfielder manages to drag their opponent along.
Coaching points for this session
  • Centre-backs: play balls firmly forward. Over longer distances, a low pass with the inside of the instep is suitable
  • Central midfielders: cleverly open up the half-space
  • Strikers: wide midfielders and wide forwards: recognise gaps in midfield (especially in the half-space) and run into them. In doing so, do not come towards the pass further than necessary
  • Counter-movements to get free between the midfielders and the players up front
  • Players up front: control the ball with the foot furthest from the opponent or lay it off
  • As soon as the centre-back finds a player up front, the central midfielders must follow for a lay-off
Drill 1

Grid Dribbling with Various Tasks

15 min20 x 20 metres

The players dribble in their square freely or only with the right or only with the left. On visual and acoustic signals they carry out additional tasks:

  • Clapping hands: crouch over the ball
  • Raising the right arm: swing the ball between the legs
  • Raising the left arm: control the ball with the sole
  • Two whistles: change square clockwise
  • Three whistles: change square anticlockwise
  • One whistle: change square diagonally
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: One large square with four smaller squares at its corners.

Equipment: Cones and tall cones as well as one ball per player.

Players: The players are divided evenly among the four smaller squares.

Coaching points
  • Pay attention to close ball control.
  • Look up from the ball.
  • Constantly build in changes of pace and direction.
Drill 2

Small-Sided Game with 3 Zones

20 min
  • In area 1, yellow plays 4 vs 2 against Team Red.
  • The aim of Team Yellow is to play five passes in a row; the team with the numerical advantage has no touch limit.
  • If this succeeds, the team tries to pass the ball past the red players in the middle zone to Team Blue.
  • If that succeeds as well, the two red players move out of the middle zone into the area with blue and play there with a numerical disadvantage as well; the other two red players move into the middle zone.
  • Team Red may only leave the middle if it wins the ball and passes to one of the two middle players.
  • Then the team that had the numerical advantage a moment before switches into the numerical disadvantage: two players push into the area with red, the other two stay in the middle zone.

Variations:

  • Increase the number of passes required for a change of area.
  • Reduce the touches of the team with the numerical advantage to three, two or one.
  • A change also takes place when the ball goes out of play.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area, which is divided into three zones.

Equipment: 4 cones and several balls.

Players: Three groups of four — yellow, red and blue. Yellow is in area 1, blue in area 2; of the red players, two stand with yellow and two in the middle zone.

Coaching points
  • Prepare the pass into the other area well.
  • Play the pass firmly through the middle zone.
Drill 3

Small-Sided Game: Build-Up Play Centre-Backs

20 min15 x 25 metres
  • The aim of the drill is to get the ball from centre-back to centre-back.
  • Inside the playing area the game is 4 vs 4 or 2 x 2 vs 2; in this variation two players of each team always stay in their own half of the area.
  • The outside players play with the team in possession and may only play the ball back with one or two touches.
  • There is a point when the ball is combined from centre-back to centre-back, and a bonus point when the centre-back passes directly to the other centre-back.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones mark out the playing area, which is divided into two halves.

Equipment: 6 cones, 1 ball and bibs.

Players: One centre-back at each end of the playing area, two neutral support players on each side plus the outfield players.

Coaching points
  • The team in possession always has an overload.
  • The defenders therefore have to defend the space without letting the ball get through to the other side.
Drill 4

Overload Game with Zones

25 min
  • In the outer zones two defenders play against one striker, in the middle zone it is played 2 vs 2.
  • The players try to play into the next zone.
  • If this works, one player of the team in possession pushes up from the previous zone into the next zone.
  • The ball can also be played straight into the final zone; in that case one player from the middle zone moves up immediately.
  • The players of the defending team stay in their zone.

Variations: The team in possession plays with an underload in the zones.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the playing area, which is divided into three equally sized zones; there are two goals at the ends.

Equipment: 2 goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams with equal numbers; plus goalkeepers. In the outer zones there are two defenders and one striker each, in the middle zone two players per team.

Coaching points
  • Use the overload to combine quickly.
  • Use the overload to make the game wide and make the opponents run.

Session 3

4 drills

The last session on combining through midfield will be about passes from central midfield into the striker up front. This will cover both passes in front of the opposing back line and balls in behind the defence.

For the central midfielder to be able to launch a promising attack, coordinated movement by the strikers to get free is needed. In particular, the ball-side striker can show again and again for a short pass in order to drag the opponent along. This creates a gap in the opposing back line. A far-side striker or a wide forward can run into this gap.

If playing in behind is not possible, the ball can be played to the ball-side striker. As a rule, that striker will have an opponent behind them, which makes turning difficult. That is why a ball-side central midfielder should follow up for a lay-off. Alternatively, the ball-side striker can also try to play the ball on in behind to a winger.

If the opposing centre-back follows the ball-side striker very closely, the striker can make a curved run. To do this, the striker first runs a few metres towards the midfielder on the ball. Then the striker suddenly peels off in an arc in behind. In doing so, the striker runs into the gap between the opposing centre-back and full-back.

Coaching points for this session

Strikers:

  • Counter-movements to get free: ball side comes, far side goes
  • Centre-back follows very tightly: use a curved run
  • Get out of the cover shadow of the opposition midfield line
  • Look for runs in behind (drop away on the far side, move parallel to the line and set off explosively in behind as the pass is played)

Midfielders:

  • On a short pass, follow for a lay-off
  • Play passes in behind the defence
Drill 1

Building Up Play Through the Centre - Passing Sequence

20 min
  • After the centre-back has switched play, both holding midfielders drop at the same time and make sure they are staggered diagonally.
  • Once the far-side holding midfielder has received the ball, that player turns and plays the ball forward to the number ten.
  • The number ten lays the ball off to the near-side holding midfielder, who plays back to the first centre-back.
  • With that the passing sequence starts again from the beginning.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the starting positions.

Equipment: Cones and several balls.

Players: Two centre-backs, two holding midfielders and one number ten.

Coaching points
  • Pay attention to precise and firm passing into the open body position.
  • Place value on audible coaching — turn, lay-off.
Drill 2

Coordination, Technique and Acceleration

15 min
  • The players run over the hurdles as instructed.
  • Shortly before they reach the second-to-last hurdle, the coach plays a ball in front of the last hurdle.
  • The player passes back first time and sprints out of the turn to the pole.

Variations:

  • The coach throws the ball half-high or for a header.
  • Set up a second target pole in a different colour on the opposite side. As the ball is played, the coach calls out the colour of one of the two poles; after the pass, the player sprints to that pole.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six hurdles are set up one behind the other. Five metres behind the last hurdle stands the coach, ten metres diagonally in front of the coach a target pole.

Equipment: 6 hurdles, 1 target pole and several balls.

Players: The players start one after the other.

Coaching points
  • Carry out the drill to a high quality.
  • Play the passes back firmly and accurately.
  • Increase the pace step by step.
Drill 3

Switch of Play in a Small-Sided Game

25 min24 x 12 metres
  • The game is played 3 vs 3 for possession.
  • The team in possession receives a point for every switch of play from one neutral player to the other that is completed without a mistake.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area.

Equipment: 4 cones and several balls.

Players: Two groups of three and two neutral players.

Coaching points
  • Pay attention to scanning.
  • Take the ball with the first touch into the new direction of play.
  • Play out of tight situations.
  • Step out of the opponent's cover shadow.
Drill 4

Small-Sided Game Wing

25 minHalf a pitch
  • It is played as a free game, 8 vs 7.
  • One team plays with a back four and a midfield three and tries to counter-attack over the halfway line.
  • The other team starts the game after a pass from the coach and plays with a midfield four and three attackers.
  • Their aim is to finish on goal.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Tall cones mark the pitch; there is a goal at one end.

Equipment: Tall cones, 1 goal and several balls.

Players: One team with eight players against one team with seven players; plus a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • The striker takes the ball with the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • The striker does so in a sideways-on position to the opponent in order to keep the distance between ball and opponent as large as possible.
  • In this position the front of the body faces the centre, so that the ball can be taken infield.
  • Attacks are finished off promptly.
  • The number eight pushes up immediately after a ball in behind in order to be available for a pass.
  • The number eight holds the centre and ties up opponents in order to open up the passing lane into the half-space.
Your training. Your web app.

Get the complete training plans in the web app

  • All 52 weeks, up to three sessions per week
  • More than 3,000 drills – many of them animated
  • Build your own training plans & share them with your team
Start for free

No subscription, no credit card. Sign up in 1 minute.