Attacking Pattern: Holding Midfielder Dropping in Centrally

Pitch: The playing area is divided into ten zones; two mini goals stand in the half-spaces.

Equipment: 2 mini goals, cones and several balls.

Players: A back four with the centre-backs A and B and the full-backs C and D, plus the holding midfielders E and F. The coach or the goalkeeper starts the play.

• The coach or the goalkeeper starts the play with a pass to centre-back A.
• The ball is played on to full-back C; centre-back A collects the ball again out wide.
• While the full-back plays the ball back, the far-side holding midfielder E drops in between the centre-backs; at the same time the far-side centre-back B can shift wider to the outside.
• Centre-back A turns into the middle and plays the pass to the dropping holding midfielder.
• The holding midfielder plays to centre-back B, who is positioned wide.
• The second holding midfielder F switches sides and targets the half-space on the other side.
• Centre-back B plays forward to full-back D, who plays first time to the oncoming holding midfielder F.
• Holding midfielder F completes the build-up with a pass into the goal in the half-space — with one to two touches and as quickly as possible. The coach then starts the play again.

Variations:

• After every second build-up, start the next ball on the other side.
• Instead of completing the build-up with the pass into the goal, the holding midfielder switches play once more from half-space to half-space; the holding midfielder who dropped in earlier pushes into this space and finishes the attack on the other goal.