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Tokyo Counter & Recovery
ADDED TO FAVOURITES
Practice Breakdown:
Number of Players: 9 | Pitch size: 1/3 Pitch
This counter-attacking practice begins with a defender playing a pass into two attackers positioned ahead of them. As soon as the ball is served, the two attackers break forward and attempt to exploit the temporary overload in a 2v1 situation. Their objective is to attack at pace, combine quickly and finish before defensive support arrives.
A recovering defender starts five metres behind the attackers and must sprint back to prevent the counter-attack from becoming an easy overload. Their aim is to recover into a good defensive line, create a 2v2 as quickly as possible and delay or stop the attack. The practice creates repeated scenarios of fast transition play, decision-making under pressure and defensive recovery habits.
• Attack With Speed: Encourage the attackers to drive forward aggressively, using sharp passes and decisive movement to take advantage of the momentary 2v1.
• Commit the Lone Defender: Reinforce the importance of drawing the defender before releasing the pass to maximise the overload.
• Recovery Sprint Quality: Coach the recovering defender to sprint at full intensity, then enter with control to re-balance the phase.
• Timing and End Product: Highlight quick decision-making—attackers should recognise when to release early, when to dribble and when to finish.
Add a Time Limit to Score:
Give the attackers a 4–5 second window to create and take a shot before the recovering defender arrives. This increases the urgency and raises the tempo of the counter-attack.
Focus: Encourages rapid decision-making and clinical execution before pressure arrives.
Recovery Defender Starts Closer:
Reduce the starting distance of the recovering defender to 2–3 metres behind the attackers. This increases the challenge and forces attackers to combine much faster.
Focus: Develops speed of play, adaptability and tighter execution under early pressure.