Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 12: Attacking the Ball Together

2 complete training sessions with 8 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

This training week builds on last week. The focus of these two weeks is defending as a unit.

Over a total of 3 sessions, players have already learned to defend compactly and in relation to the ball, not to focus only on their own opponent, and to cover each other.

The next 2 sessions are about how your players actively attack the ball together.

Actively here means putting the opponent under heavy pressure by creating a ball-side overload and forcing the opponent into duels or double-ups. But this only works as a unit, because it is important to cut off the passing options near the ball or to press them immediately after a pass.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

The training session starts with a technical warm-up with the main focus on the first touch. Demand from your players that they take the ball in their stride straight away with a change of pace. But also pay attention to your players' scanning, so that the ball is taken into free space.

Exercises 2 and 3 then deal with the training focus of the week – collective, active work out of possession. In the 4 vs 4 on dribbling goals and the 6 vs 6 on changing targets, you should put your coaching focus on the defending team. Demand that your players make a collective, intensive effort to win the ball.

The last 15 minutes of training are then spent on a finishing drill. In this drill the players also learn to show for the ball in an open body position and additionally work on their feinting skills.

Coaching points for this session
  • Create an overload near the ball
  • Work actively out of possession
  • Defend actively yourself, do not just react to the opponent
  • Be able to cut off further opponents or put them under pressure immediately
Drill 1

First Touch and Taking the Ball On in Space

15 min
  • To begin with, all players pass the balls to each other along the ground with at least two compulsory touches.
  • After that, passing is only allowed within the teams.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the playing area.

Equipment: Cones and two balls per team.

Players: Three teams in three different colours.

Coaching points
  • Take the ball on at speed with the first touch.
  • Increase the pace on the passes.
  • Demand passes and touches with both feet.
  • Demand that the players coach each other.
Drill 2

4 vs 4 with Dribbling Goals

25 min
  • Free play to dribbling goals.
  • Each team plays to two goals. This allows the play to be made wide, which creates more space for dribbling.
  • The focus is on dribbling and on the 1 vs 1.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area, eight cones of a different colour form the dribbling goals, which are two to three metres wide.

Equipment: 12 cones and at least 1 ball.

Players: Two teams of four players each.

Coaching points
  • If necessary, limit the number of passes in order to force more dribbles and 1 vs 1 situations.
  • Go into the dribble decisively.
  • Run with the ball using the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Mix in feints again and again.
Drill 3

6 vs 6 on Changing Goals

20 min25 x 25 metres
  • It is played 6 vs 6 on four mini goals.
  • The goal the teams attack is specified — for example yellow attacks goals 1 and 4, blue attacks goals 2 and 3.
  • During the game the goals are changed.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four tall cones mark the playing area; on the sides there are four mini goals numbered 1 to 4.

Equipment: 4 mini goals, 4 tall cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of six players each.

Coaching points
  • Make the game wide.
  • Look for lots of 1 vs 1 situations.
  • Stay focused throughout in order to keep track of the changing goals.
Drill 4

Finishing with a First Touch

20 min30 metres
  • The goalkeeper starts the play with a pass to Player A; later on the ball can also be thrown to Player A.
  • Player A moves away backwards from the cone, turns and plays a pass to Player B.
  • Player B dribbles towards a cone, goes past it with a feint and finishes.

Variations: Player B goes into a 1 vs 1 with Player C and tries to finish. Player C takes up a position between the goal and Player B.

Note: The goalkeeper starts the drill alternately down the left and the right side.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones mark the positions: three on the penalty area line, one centrally in front of it and two at the centre circle. Plus one goal with a goalkeeper.

Equipment: 6 cones, 1 goal and several balls.

Players: Players A and B plus a goalkeeper who starts the play. For the variation with 1 vs 1, position C on the left side is also filled.

Coaching points
  • Move away in an open body position.
  • Take the ball straight into the movement with the first touch.
  • Make sure that the player passes to the front foot.
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

In total, 40 minutes of today's training session are played in 5 vs 5, 3 vs 3 and 1 vs 1. In the small-sided games in which 3 or 5 players per team take part, the learning progress of this week and last week can be checked once again or extended further:

  • Do the players cover each other? (the player nearest the ball pushes out, the player furthest from the ball provides cover)
  • Do the defending players act compactly?
  • Is an overload created on the ball side?
  • Is there an active attempt to win the ball, or is there only a reaction to the opponent?
  • Do the players coach each other? (“Attack”, “Wait”, “Tuck in”)
  • Are the opposing passing options cut off?
  • Are all players working intensively and in a coordinated way to win the ball?

In addition, today a rondo is used to work on possession and passing. It is important that the players adopt a ready position and keep adjusting their position slightly in order to be available for a pass as well as possible.

Between the rondo and the longer small-sided game, dribbling technique and coordination are also worked on, and a drill on finishing and 2 vs 2 is carried out.

Drill 1

Rondo 6 vs 2

15 min10 x 10 metres
  • Inside the playing area a 6 vs 2 is played for keeping possession.
  • The two inside players try to win the ball.
  • If a player of the team with the overload loses the ball, that player becomes a defender.
  • One of the two previous defenders plays on in the team with the overload instead.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the playing area.

Equipment: Cones and several balls.

Players: Six players on the outside, two players on the inside.

Coaching points
  • Demand first-time play depending on ability level.
  • One defender presses, the other waits for the pass.
Drill 2

Technique Square

20 min
  1. The players run diagonally from their cone to the opposite cone. They run back in a straight line and carry out various exercises while doing so — only with the left or the right foot, with the sole, with the sole backwards, sideways or with step-overs.
  2. Diagonal runs with coordination exercises: One side has the ball in the hands and carries out circles around the torso, bouncing or catching. The other side has the ball at the feet and dribbles it only with the left or the right foot, with the sole or backwards. In the centre at the blue cone there is a handover of the ball and a change of task.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones form a square; in the centre stands a blue cone as a handover point.

Equipment: 5 cones and several balls.

Players: Two groups facing each other diagonally.

Drill 3

Small-Sided Game 2 vs 2 After a Shot

25 min
  • One player from each team sets off with a ball towards the middle cone.
  • Both dribble around the cone and then finish; each player finishes at the goal next to which their own team-mates are standing.
  • After the finish, the quicker of the two finishers is thrown a ball, and one player from behind each goal comes onto the pitch.
  • The game is now played 2 vs 2 until the next finish.
  • The positions are then swapped.

Variations:

  • Follow up with a longer small-sided game or continue 3 vs 3 after the finish.
  • Also have the finishes taken at the goal next to which the opponents are standing; this way the players finish with the left foot.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones mark out the pitch, a seventh stands on its own in the centre. At one end there is the full-size goal, at the other a smaller goal; both are occupied by a goalkeeper.

Equipment: 2 goals, 7 cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams, each in their own bib colour. Level with the halfway line, each team has one player with a ball; the remaining players line up behind the goals. Plus two goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Also have the finishes taken at the goals next to which the opponents are standing. This way the players finish with the left foot.
Drill 4

3 Teams 1 Result

35 minLarge area 40 x 55 metres, medium area 16 x 30 metres, small area 10 x 13 metres
  • A1 plays against B1, A2 against B2 and A3 against B3.
  • The results of the three games are added together for the overall result.
  • After each round the teams can reorganise their players within the teams.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Three playing areas with two goals each are marked out. The size of the areas and the number of players depend on the total number of players.

Equipment: 4 mini goals, 12 cones, 10 bibs and several balls.

Players: Two teams A and B, which divide themselves independently into three smaller teams — for example 5 vs 5, 3 vs 3 and 1 vs 1. The playing time is three to five minutes.

Coaching points
  • Encourage communication between the players.
  • Work towards a sensible team split.
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