Practice 2: Creating space to play forward

 

WHY USE IT

 

This possession-based practice gives players experience of retaining the ball until the right opportunity arises for them to play a penetrative pass to a team-mate. Players looking to receive the pass learn to recognise the right time to make themselves available to the player on the ball, before playing forward quickly themselves.

 

SET-UP

 

Set up as in the first practice (see page 10), with another area set out in the middle. Four small goals (or gates) have been added in each corner, distance relative to your players’ ability.

 

HOW TO DO IT

 

Teams aim to retain possession of the ball by combining with team-mates and support players. When the opportunity arises, the team in possession looks to pass through the central area to a team-mate, or a team-mate can drop into the central area to receive the pass (they must exit through a different side to which the ball enters). On doing so, they score a point. They can then win a further point if the receiving player scores in one of the two small goals which face the side of the area the player exited, meaning the player is playing forward.

 

TECHNIQUE

 

Teams need to be able to retain possession and shift opponents by moving the ball, until space is created to make the ‘point scoring’ pass. The player on the ball needs to have the intention of looking to pass through the central area. This requires awareness of when to play the pass, through identifying the space before receiving the ball or by creating the space themselves by being creative on the ball. The receiving player should stay out of the space until they are able to receive the ball, considering if the player on the ball can make the pass and if the pathway between the ball and where they want to receive it is clear. The receiving players should then look to play quickly and decisively to score the extra point.

 

ADAPTATIONS

 

The set number of passes can be removed. In addition, the size of the central area can be made bigger or smaller and it can also be moved to another position within the main area. The goals can be moved further away or closer to the main area.