Week 23

Outcomes

• ✓Players can use a third-man combination through the GK to bypass the first press line
• ✓Players can recognise and exploit a 2v1 created when the opposition press overloads one side
• ✓Players can play a disguised switch-of-play pass with correct technique and timing
• ✓Players can maintain composure under physical pressing pressure and choose the correct option

Equipment

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

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Groups of 4, each with a ball. 20×20 yd area.

   How to run it: Possession under pressure: 3v1 rondo in a 7×7 yd square. The player in the middle must touch every pass within 2 seconds. Rotate the defender every 90 seconds. After 6 minutes, add 11+ exercises: hip circles, lateral lunges, Copenhagen plank (15 sec each side). Close with two 20-yd sprint-and-brake sequences.

   • ›Possession player must offer themselves on every pass – do not stay static
   • ›The defender in the middle learns pressing angles by being inside the rondo

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Build-Out Solutions Patterns

   15m

   Set up: Defensive third. GK + 4 back-four players vs. 3 pressing mannequins. Three solution patterns on the whiteboard.

   How to run it: Practice three build-out patterns: Pattern A – GK plays to CB, CB uses the full-back on a third-man run. Pattern B – GK plays to CB who is pressed, GK receives the back-pass, plays a long switch to the far full-back. Pattern C – Two CBs combine in a central play, draw the press, then play wide to the overlapping full-back. Walk through each 3 times, then run at 80% pace.

   • ›Third-man combination: the player making the third-man run must begin the run before the ball is played to the CB
   • ›Switch of play: use the outside of the far foot for disguise – do not telegraph with shoulder rotation
   • ›The GK's body position should always open to the wide outlet – they see the picture the CB cannot
   • ›When in doubt: play back to the GK. Never force a pass through pressure.

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – 5v3 Build-Out

   15m

   Set up: 30×30 yd grid including a mini goal on one end. GK + 4 defenders try to play out against 3 active pressers. Target is a neutral on the far line.

   How to run it: Defending team earns 3 points for playing the ball cleanly to the neutral target on the far line. They earn 1 point for successfully playing 5 passes without losing it. Pressing team earns 2 points for winning possession and scoring in the mini goal. Switch pressing team every 4 minutes.

   • ›If all three solutions are pressed, play back to the GK and reset – do not panic
   • ›The neutral target player must move laterally to create an angle – they should never stand still
   • ›Passing rhythm: quick one or two touch in the press, longer on the ball only when free

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – 8v8 Build-Out Under High Press

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch. 8v8 with GKs. One team presses high in a 3-forward system. Other team builds from the back.

   How to run it: Building team earns 2 points for scoring and 1 point for each time they pass out of the high-press zone with control. Pressing team earns 2 points for winning possession and scoring within 6 seconds. Coach counts each build-out attempt and the solution used. After 10 minutes, teams swap roles.

   • ›Composure: the player on the ball must slow their heartrate before making the decision
   • ›Hands: the player receiving under pressure should use their arm to create space and feel the defender
   • ›Width is the greatest weapon against a high press – maximise the distance between the two full-backs

5. 5. Scrimmage

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch 8v8, free play.

   How to run it: Free scrimmage. Coach watches which build-out patterns emerge naturally and whether players choose the correct solution based on the pressing structure they face.

   • ›Note whether the GK is being used as a build-out player or avoided under pressure
   • ›Watch for players panicking under pressure and playing long unnecessarily

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Seated, GK and back four in their positional line.

   How to run it: 2 minutes walking, then static stretches with partner. Debrief: the four back-line players each explain their role in each of the three build-out patterns without notes. Coach corrects or affirms. Close: 'We press to win the ball. We build out to beat the press. Two sides of the same coin.'

   • ›Reinforce that composure under pressure is a trainable skill, not a personality trait
   • ›Preview: next session – building out against a 4-4-2 vs. a 4-3-3 press

Outcomes

• ✓Players can build from GK through a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 attacking structure against a high press
• ✓Players can use the midfield as a pivot point to switch play when the back line is pressured
• ✓Players can maintain possession through three lines under sustained pressing intensity
• ✓Players can convert clean build-up possession into a goal-scoring opportunity within 8 seconds of reaching the attacking third

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 4v4+GK rondo in a 20×20 yd area.

   How to run it: Rondo with a live GK who joins the possession team: 5v4 in the rondo. On coach's whistle, rondo becomes a directional game – score in one of two small goals. After 6 minutes add 11+ exercises: hamstring curls (partner holds ankles), reverse lunges, and two accelerating sprint relays at match pace.

   • ›GK in the rondo practises technical composure and scanning – the same skills needed in build-up
   • ›Directional rondo: the transition from possession to directional play mirrors the game

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Three-Line Build-Up Pattern

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch. 11 players in 4-3-3 build-up. Coach feeds balls to GK. Three additional players act as pressers in the high zone.

   How to run it: GK starts the build-up. The team executes a pre-agreed three-line build-out: back four distribute to pivots (CMs), pivots switch to the far side, wide midfielders provide the outlet into the attacking third, strikers make runs beyond the last defender. Walk through twice, run at 70% four times, then full pace three times. Add three live pressers after the fourth rep.

   • ›Every line must be available before the ball arrives at their line – positional discipline creates the route
   • ›The pivot CM receives on the half-turn – always open to play forward from the first touch
   • ›Wide outlet pass to the midfielder must have enough pace to beat the pressing line
   • ›Striker makes the run before the pass is played to the wide midfielder – not after

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – Build-Out to Goal 7v7

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch. 7 building players + GK vs. 7 pressing players + GK. Build-out team scores with normal goals; pressing team scores by winning possession and playing to a target cone 30 yds into the opposition half.

   How to run it: Build-out team must use at least two lines in their build-up before shooting (e.g. GK to defender to midfielder then forward). If they skip a line and score, the goal does not count. Coach monitors and confirms whether the build-up used two lines. Switch roles every 5 minutes.

   • ›Two-line build-up rule encourages patience and proper build-out development
   • ›Pressing team: if you win it, look immediately to the target cone – that is the transition goal
   • ›Build-out team: in the final third, the build-up rules do not apply – play freely

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – 11v11 Build vs. Press

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch 11v11 with GKs. Two teams alternate between building and pressing every 5 minutes on coach's signal.

   How to run it: When building: earn 2 points per goal, 1 bonus point if the build-up used all three lines. When pressing: earn 2 points per goal, 1 bonus point for winning possession in the high zone. Coach displays running totals on a whiteboard. One tactical pause per period.

   • ›The bonus point for three-line build-up motivates patient, structured play
   • ›Check: are players in the final third waiting for the ball, or are they making runs to create space?
   • ›Pressing team: remember – the press is a coordinated unit action, not individual chasing

5. 5. Scrimmage

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch 11v11, no conditions.

   How to run it: Free scrimmage. Coach watches the quality of build-out attempts and whether the team uses the full pitch in possession. Note two examples of excellent three-line build-up leading to a chance.

   • ›Is the GK a confident first pass in build-up or are they always playing long?
   • ›Watch for CMs dropping deep rather than offering a pivot pass on the half-turn

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players walk a lap in their positional groups (back four together, midfield three together, front three together).

   How to run it: Walk a lap in lines, then static stretches in positional groups. Each group debriefs within themselves: 'What was our group's biggest build-out contribution today?' Each group shares one key point with the whole team. Coach closes: 'Build-up from the back is controlled aggression – we are not playing safe, we are engineering space.'

   • ›Validate GK involvement in build-up – it is the highest trust moment in the system
   • ›Preview week 24: 1v1 defending under pressure – individual defending quality within the system