Week 18

Outcomes

• ✓Players can make a forward pass or drive within 2 seconds of winning the ball
• ✓Players can anticipate a transition moment and pre-position themselves as an outlet
• ✓Players can switch from defensive body shape to an attacking running posture in one movement
• ✓Players can read when a transition is not on and hold possession instead of forcing it

Equipment

• 15 cones
• 6 flat markers
• 6 bibs (2 colours)
• 4 balls
• 2 large goals

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: 30×20 yd area. Groups of 3 in a line. Balls at one end.

   How to run it: Player 1 defends, Player 2 attacks with ball, Player 3 waits 10 yds ahead as the outlet. Player 1 wins the ball (or when coach whistles), turns and immediately plays to Player 3 who is making a forward run. Add 11+ exercises at 8 minutes: Copenhagen plank hold (10 sec each side), glute bridge, sideways running drills. Three reactive sprint starts to close.

   • ›The moment possession is won, the defender's first look is forward – not to the sides
   • ›Outlet player must already be moving forward before the ball is won

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Win, Turn, Play Forward

   15m

   Set up: 20×10 yd grid. 2v1 defending. One neutral target player 5 yds beyond the far line.

   How to run it: Two attackers try to keep the ball and dribble across the line. One defender tries to win it. The moment the defender wins the ball, they have 3 seconds to find the neutral target player with an accurate pass. If they play forward inside 3 seconds, they earn a point. Rotate defender every 3 minutes. Make it competitive.

   • ›The winning touch should be a forward touch toward the target, not a sideways touch
   • ›Scan the position of the target player before winning the ball – pre-scan reduces reaction time
   • ›First pass forward must have pace – do not float it
   • ›If target player is tightly marked, dribble forward 3 yds then reassess

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – Transition Sprint Goals

   15m

   Set up: 40×30 yd pitch. 5v5. Two large goals. Each goal can only be scored on via a direct shot within 6 seconds of a possession change.

   How to run it: 5v5 with the transition rule: after any turnover, the team that wins the ball earns a goal only if they shoot within 6 seconds. Possession goals do not count. Coach counts down from 6 with a raised hand. After 6 seconds possession is retained but no goal bonus. Forces players to commit to transition attacks.

   • ›The player winning the ball sets the transition in motion – no waiting for a teammate to call
   • ›Two forwards start their runs toward goal the moment they see a defender winning the ball
   • ›Do not over-dribble in transition – look to shoot or play the decisive pass

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – 8v8 Transition First Pass

   20m

   Set up: 60×40 yd pitch. 8v8 with goalkeepers. Bibs differentiate teams clearly.

   How to run it: 8v8 match. Coach awards a bonus point (displayed on a whiteboard) each time a team makes a forward pass within 2 seconds of winning possession. Record and display after each award. Running totals create competition. Standard goals also count. Pause once per 10 minutes to review two transition moments.

   • ›The 2-second window means the forward pass must be pre-planned – players off the ball must offer themselves before possession is won
   • ›The player who wins the ball is not always the one who plays forward – a quick combo with the support player is fine
   • ›Praise the player who pre-positioned as an outlet even when they did not receive the pass

5. 5. Scrimmage

   15m

   Set up: Same pitch, free 8v8 scrimmage.

   How to run it: Free play. Coach counts transition forward passes made within 2 seconds across both teams and shares the total at the debrief. No interventions during the scrimmage.

   • ›Is the speed of play in transitions faster than in organised possession?
   • ›Watch for hesitation after winning the ball – this is the main habit to break

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Circle, light movement, then static stretches.

   How to run it: 2 minutes walking, then hamstring, quad, and shoulder stretches. Share the transition forward-pass count from the scrimmage. Ask: 'How many of those passes led to a real attacking opportunity?' Connect the number to the concept: transition quality creates goals.

   • ›Affirm that pre-positioning (the movement before the ball is won) is the highest-level skill
   • ›Preview: next session focuses on the attack-to-defend transition – the flip side

Outcomes

• ✓Players can combine a won counter-press with an immediate vertical attack across all three lines
• ✓Players can exploit numerical advantages in the 3–5 seconds following a transition win
• ✓Players can organise a quick break with correct spacing and forward runners
• ✓Players can identify when to play forward and when to retain possession after winning the ball

Equipment

• 20 cones
• 8 bibs (2 colours)
• 4 balls
• 2 full-size goals
• 1 whiteboard

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Full team in a 25×25 yd area. Trios, one ball per trio.

   How to run it: Trio passing with runs: player A passes to B, then makes an overlapping run ahead of B. B plays to C, C plays to A on the run. After 4 minutes, add a reactive component: on coach's whistle, all trios immediately switch direction and play toward a far cone. 11+ Nordic curl progressions, hip abduction walks, sprint-brake at 9 minutes. Close with two 20-yd power runs.

   • ›The overlapping run must start as the pass is made – not after it arrives
   • ›Nordic curl: slow eccentric (4 seconds down) then help yourself back up

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Transition Phase Pattern

   15m

   Set up: Half-pitch. Team of 11 in 4-3-3. Coach indicates a 'turnover zone' (e.g. left midfield area). Three mannequins or poles represent opposition players.

   How to run it: Coach plays a ball into the turnover zone. A designated player wins it and immediately plays to the designated outlet (striker or wide player). The other 10 players have pre-assigned transition runs: striker makes a near-post run, left winger goes wide, right winger cuts inside. Walk through the pattern 3 times, then run at 60% speed for 4 reps, then 90% for 3 reps. Switch the turnover zone and repeat.

   • ›Every player has a pre-programmed run – no improvising until the pattern is internalised
   • ›The player winning the ball must shield it for one second if the outlet is not immediately available
   • ›Width in transition stretches the defence – wingers must not drift central
   • ›The run behind the last defender is always on – check for it first

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – Break-on-Goal 7v5

   15m

   Set up: 60×40 yd pitch. Attacking team of 7 vs. defending team of 5 + GK. When defenders win the ball, 2 extra defenders join instantly from the sideline to make it 7v7.

   How to run it: Attacking team tries to score. Defending team of 5 must win the ball and immediately launch a counter-attack toward the far small goal before the 2 reinforcements enter. Reinforcements join after 5 seconds. Encourages urgent and decisive transitions. Rotate players between teams every 5 minutes.

   • ›Defenders winning the ball: look forward first, not back to safety
   • ›The two waiting reinforcements must be physically ready to sprint in at any moment
   • ›Attacking team: pre-position for a potential loss of possession – be ready to counter-press or counter

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – 11v11 D→A Transition Match

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch 11v11 with goalkeepers. Flat markers indicate three transition zones across the pitch.

   How to run it: Full 11v11. Transition zones reward quick attack: any shot on goal within 6 seconds of winning possession in any transition zone earns double. Coach tracks and displays a running total on the whiteboard. One tactical pause per half to address the quality of transition runs and spacing.

   • ›After winning the ball, the team must create immediate width before going vertical
   • ›The GK is the first transition player – a quick throw or kick to a free teammate ignites the transition
   • ›Forwards must not stand and wait – constant movement creates passing options

5. 5. Scrimmage

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch 11v11, no added rules.

   How to run it: Free scrimmage. Coach watches the quality and speed of defend-to-attack transitions without interruption. Note the three best examples and two areas where transition opportunities were wasted.

   • ›Is the team using the full width of the pitch in transition?
   • ›Are wingers and strikers making forward runs before the ball is won?

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players walk a slow lap together as a team.

   How to run it: Slow team lap to cool down, then 3 minutes of partner stretching (hamstrings, hip flexors). Debrief with 'best transition of the session' – one player names their pick and why. Coach names one collective improvement. Close: 'The first touch after winning the ball decides whether the transition counts.'

   • ›Acknowledge intelligent pre-positioning by players who did not receive the ball
   • ›Preview week 19: attack-to-defend transition – keeping shape when we lose the ball