CONTROLLING
POSSESSION
AG E P H AS E : U 1 7 +
SESSION PLAN
SESSION OVERVIEW CONTROLLING POSSSESION
LEVEL PART 2: 100-PASS POSSESSION RACE KEY
• U17-First team • This practice highlights the importance of having Ball movement
good ball speed in order to limit the opposition’s
opportunities to press. Player movement
SESSION OBJECTIVES • The 5v5 +1 set-up allows coaches to emphasise without the ball
the importance of using a spare player to maintain
• Develop the technical actions that players should look possession. Player movement
to employ in maintaining possession • The coach can also start to coach ways in which players with the ball
• Increase players’ understanding of how to use good can commit opponents to allow possession to be
ball speed to limit an opposition press maintained.
• The first team to reach 100 passes in the practice is
the winner.
PART 1: 8v3 RONDO Players
• This is a practice that introduces some of the concepts PART 3: 9v9 1-0 GAME
that underpin players’ ability to control possession. Cones
• It challenges the technical actions players should • This is a 9v9 game in which teams can only win by
use when maintaining possession, and highlights the one goal.
Flat marker
importance of scanning. • This tests the players’ ability to maintain possession
under high pressure when they are a goal up.
• If the opposition scores, the game resets to 0-0 and
both teams should look to score again before then Cones with
maintaining possession. flat marker
Goal
Mini-goal
Mannequin Pole
Football
AGE PHASE: U17+
8v3 RONDO CONTROLLING POSSSESION
FUNCTION 1
A A
• This is a principle-based 8v3 rondo that takes place on
a pitch measuring 10m x 20m and split in half. B
• The in-possession team – here, Team A – has four
players in each half. Three of these should be positioned A
10 metres
A
on the outside of the playing area, as shown, with the A
B
A
fourth in each playing more centrally.
B
• The out-of-possession team (Team B) is split, with two
players in one half and one in the other. All three players
are not allowed to be in one half at the same time.
• The in-possession team attempts to maintain
possession for as long as possible. This is to develop the A A
players’ mentality that they can keep the ball for long
periods, if they have consistency in the quality of their 20 metres
actions and high levels of concentration.
• If the pressing team wins possession, they attempt to
2
dribble the ball out of the playing area in any direction. A A
The in-possession team should counter-press quickly to
try to prevent this.
• If the pressing team is successful in dribbling out of B
the area, the player who lost possession, plus the
two possession players closest to them, become the A
A
defending team. A A
B
B
A A
AGE PHASE: U17+
8v3 RONDO CONTROLLING POSSSESION
COACHING DETAIL:
TECHNICAL
BODY POSITION RECEIVING SKILLS
• Players should attempt to position themselves in a way • Players should be able to receive the ball and move it
that enables them to move the ball away from pressure away from pressure with their first touch.
as they receive it. • This first touch should have the correct weight. If it’s too
• Being able to see three corners of the pitch when heavy, the ball will go too far away and allow a defender
receiving is a challenge to help with this coaching point. to win possession.
• If the touch is too soft, the receiving player will need to
PASS DETAIL take an additional touch to get the ball out of their feet
• Fast-paced passes to the back foot of the receiving to play away from pressure. This extra touch may allow
player will allow the in-possession side to play around a defender to make a challenge.
or through the pressing players.
• Passes played to a receiving player’s front foot might SCANNING
suggest the player who passed the ball wants to have • In-possession players’ should maintain a high level of
the ball bounced back to them. awareness as to the type of pressure they’re facing at
• The coach should also consider encouraging players’ any moment, and the movement of their teammates.
use of disguised passes. • Constantly perceiving the picture through glances and
shoulder-checks is crucial in this sense.
AGE PHASE: U17+
100-PASS POSSESSION RACE CONTROLLING POSSESSION
FUNCTION
• This is a possession-based practice set up on a pitch
A
measuring 25m x 25m.
B
• The pitch is split into four equal quarters, as shown.
These act as a visual aid for the in-possession team
to find ways to create overloads in order to maintain
possession, and also to ensure there is good spacing B A
between players.
A B N
• There are two teams of five, plus one neutral player
25 metres
(N) who plays for whichever team has the ball. This
guarantees an overload for the possession team B
throughout.
B
• The ball starts with one of the teams, who should
A A
attempt to maintain possession. Every pass they make
is counted.
• If the out-of-possession team manages to win
possession, they become the possession team and their
passes are then counted as well.
• The first team to 100 passes in total wins the game.
DEVELOPING THE PRACTICE 25 metres
• Progress by removing the visual aids to see if the
players are still able to position themselves effectively.
• Award double passes for a one-touch pass. This will
encourage players to play off one touch when the
time is right.
AGE PHASE: U17+
100-PASS POSSESSION RACE CONTROLLING POSSESSION
COACHING DETAIL:
IN POSSESSION
FINDING THE SPARE PLAYER BALL SPEED
• Players should always be encouraged to find the spare • The speed of the ball when the opposition are pressing
player, whether that’s the neutral player or another should be high. This will make it difficult for the
teammate. defending players to get pressure on the ball.
• Players should be scanning at all times, and working • The faster the ball is moved, the harder it will be for the
out who the spare player is by knowing where their opposition to get into a set position to press.
teammates and the opposition are positioned.
QUICK COUNTER-PRESSING
COMMIT OPPONENTS • Once the ball is lost, players should counter-press
• The player on the ball should be encouraged to commit quickly and aggressively.
players. This can be done by staying on the ball and • The opposition are likely to have a narrow and compact
enticing players to press them. shape when they are defending, so pressing straight
• Alternatively, they can drive at an opponent. This away will make it difficult for the team that has won
will force them to engage, leaving at least one player possession to regain their width and depth.
unmarked and ready to receive from the ball-carrier.
AGE PHASE: U17+
9v9 1-0 GAME CONTROLLING POSSESSION
FUNCTION
• This is a 9v9 (including goalkeepers) game played on 11
three-quarters of a full-sized pitch. 6 2
• The teams are set up as shown in the diagram. The team
attacking left to right plays in a 3-2-3 formation, and the 8 5
opponents are set up in a 4-1-2-1 shape. 8
• Normal rules apply apart from the scoring. 4 9 4 9
• Teams can only win the game with a 1-0 scoreline.
10 6
If a team goes 1-0 up, they can’t score again. Instead,
10
they are forced to try and retain possession for as long
3
as they can.
• If the team losing 1-0 scores, the score resets to 0-0 5
and the game continues with both teams trying to score
7
again.
• To progress, restrict the team that is 1-0 up to only
keeping possession in their own half. This makes the
playing area smaller and puts more pressure on the
in-possession team to maintain possession.
AGE PHASE: U17+
9v9 1-0 GAME CONTROLLING POSSESSION
COACHING DETAIL:
IN POSSESSION
OWN THE PITCH SHORT, FAST PASSES
• When either team is 1-0 up, they should be encouraged • When maintaining possession, supporting players
to make use of the full pitch when keeping the ball. need to recognise when the player on the ball is
Doing this will make it harder for the out-of-possession under pressure.
team to win the ball back, and make the opponents • When this happens, supporting players should move to
work hard to win the ball. This will have an impact on allow passes to be played over shorter distances. This
the quality they show when in possession again. increases the speed of the ball and makes it harder for
the opposition to apply pressure and win possession.
TAKE TERRITORY
• When in possession, the team with the ball should COUNTER-PRESS
always be looking to take territory. Moving the ball • When the in-possession team loses the ball, they
forward will make the opposition drop off and make should be encouraged to try and win possession back
it harder for them to enter a shape that allows them as quickly as possible, ideally in the location they lost
to press. When the opposition clears the ball, moving possession.
the ball back into higher areas of the pitch forces the • This will require intense counter-pressing from players
defensive team to enter a deep block. around the ball, and put the opposition under pressure
quickly before they can regroup and gain their shape.
This increases the likelihood of the winning the ball
back quickly.
AGE PHASE: U17+
