Week 71 Possession to Countering

Instructions/Setup:

Play begins with a 6v3 possession game in the top half of the grid. The attacking team aims to complete 10 consecutive passes under pressure. Once achieved, they can attempt to score in one of two mini goals positioned just above the possession area, reinforcing patience, movement, and ball control under overload conditions.

If the defending team of 3 wins possession, they must quickly transition by playing a pass into the bottom half of the grid, triggering a 2v2 counter-attacking scenario. The two attackers then drive toward the main goal to finish against a goalkeeper, emphasizing quick transition play, support movement, and clinical finishing.

Coaching Notes:

• Possession Patience – Encourage players to stay composed during the 6v3, using support angles and quick movement to maintain control and work toward the 10-pass goal.

• Body Position in Possession – Receiving players should open their body and scan before each touch to play quickly and effectively under pressure.

• Transition Speed – On turnover, defenders must switch mentality instantly and find the forward pass to trigger the 2v2, simulating real counter-attacking moments.

• Clinical 2v2 Execution – In the final third, attackers must decide quickly between combination play or individual actions to beat defenders and finish under pressure.

Progression 1: Limit Touches in the 6v3 Possession

Introduce a 2-touch or 3-touch maximum rule for the 6v3 possession to increase ball speed and player awareness during buildup.

Focus:

Improves tempo, scanning, and decision-making under tighter technical constraints while maintaining structure in possession.

Progression 2: Add a Recovery Defender Into the 2v2

After the pass is made into the 2v2 area, allow one of the original 3 defenders to recover and support, making it a 2v3 and increasing pressure on the attackers.

Focus:

Challenges attackers to combine quickly and finish before the overload is lost, enhancing their urgency, movement timing, and decision-making under numbers-down pressure.