Week 27

Outcomes

• ✓Players can identify when a third-man run is on and time their movement to arrive on the ball's arrival
• ✓Players can play a wall pass followed by a lay-off to release the third runner in behind
• ✓Players can disguise the direction of a combination with a body-shape fake before the final pass
• ✓Players can communicate the trigger word to initiate the combination under pressure

Equipment

• 12 cones
• 4 poles
• 4 bibs (2 colours)
• 3 balls
• 2 full-size goals
• 2 goalkeepers
• 1 whiteboard + marker

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Two parallel lines of 6 players, 6 yds apart, in a 30×20 yd strip. Cones mark 5-yd ladder intervals.

   How to run it: Run FIFA 11+ protocol: jogging with hip circles, lateral shuffles, backward running, single-leg balance for 30 s each side, lateral hops, and two sets of bounding. Add a passing warm-up: pairs play a wall pass in the grid, then a third player makes a diagonal run to receive a lay-off. Finish with two 25-yd striding accelerations.

   • ›Plant the standing foot beside the ball on every pass; don't stab at it
   • ›Eye contact with the third runner before releasing the lay-off
   • ›Land softly on every deceleration; knees over toes

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Combination Pattern Drill

   15m

   Set up: Set four poles as attacking combination gates across a 25×20 yd grid. Three groups of 4 rotate through: player A at the entry cone, player B as a wall, player C as the lay-off, player D as the third-man runner through the central gate.

   How to run it: Player A passes to B and runs past B (wall-pass option). B lays off to C, who checks their shoulder and plays first-time into D's run through the gate. D finishes on a mini goal. Rotate roles after every rep. Progress: add a passive shadow defender on B to force disguise.

   • ›C's lay-off must be one touch – weight it so D can run onto it
   • ›D times the run so they don't arrive early and stand offside
   • ›A's angle of run after the wall pass should open space for C's lay-off lane
   • ›Body-shape fake (shoulder drop) before the final pass forces the defender to commit

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – 4v3 Combination Overload

   15m

   Set up: 30×20 yd attacking zone in front of a full-size goal with a goalkeeper. Attacking team of 4 vs defensive team of 3. Coach serves the ball to the attacking team from the side.

   How to run it: Attacking team must complete at least one combination (wall pass, third-man run, or overlap) inside the zone before shooting. Defending team presses immediately on each serve. Award a point for each combination completed and a bonus point for a goal. Reset every 90 seconds. Rotate defending trio.

   • ›Overload: use the extra player to create a 2v1 on one side, then switch to the free attacker
   • ›Shooter must attack the near post if the keeper shifts; far post if they stay central
   • ›Don't force the pattern – read the defender's position first

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – Third-Man Bonus Goal

   20m

   Set up: 60×40 yd pitch with full-size goals at each end. 9v9 with goalkeepers. Two neutral 'link' players who play with whichever team is in possession.

   How to run it: Play 9v9 (plus 2 neutrals for the team in possession). Any goal scored directly from a third-man run off a combination counts double. Coach pauses play twice per half to highlight a combination opportunity that was missed and asks the team how to recreate it. Restart quickly from the stoppage point.

   • ›Neutrals should act as third-man options; attackers must use them intelligently
   • ›Midfielders must arrive late into the box to avoid the offside trap
   • ›Combination play requires the ball carrier to be comfortable under pressure – protect possession first
   • ›Switch of play after a failed combination to reset and attack the other side

5. 5. Scrimmage – Free Play

   15m

   Set up: Full 60×40 yd pitch, 9v9 with goalkeepers, no additional conditions.

   How to run it: Players apply session themes freely. Coach observes without stopping play. Note two moments of successful combination play and one missed opportunity for the debrief.

   • ›Encourage creativity – let players problem-solve without intervention
   • ›Goalkeepers should organise the defensive shape after the ball is lost

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players seated in a circle on the centre circle.

   How to run it: Light static stretching (hip flexors, quads, calves) while coach asks three questions: What is a third-man run? When did we use it well today? What's one thing to improve? Players answer, coach reinforces the key cue: 'check shoulder, time the run, arrive on the ball.'

   • ›Keep debrief player-led – ask, don't tell
   • ›End on a positive: name one player who executed the combination well

Outcomes

• ✓Players can trigger a combination from a central midfield build-up and arrive in the box
• ✓Players can switch play when the first combination is blocked to create a second combination on the far side
• ✓Players can recognise and exploit a 2v1 overload created by a third-man run
• ✓Players can maintain width to stretch the defence and create space for central combinations

Equipment

• 10 cones
• 6 bibs (3 colours)
• 4 balls
• 2 full-size goals
• 2 goalkeepers

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Players in a 30×25 yd rondo grid, groups of 5+2 (5 keepers vs 2 defenders).

   How to run it: Three minutes of dynamic stretching (leg swings, arm circles, lateral lunges). Then play 5v2 rondo for 8 minutes: possession team earns a point for 6 consecutive passes; defenders earn a point for a turnover. Finish with two 30-yd progressive accelerations.

   • ›Open body shape on every receive – see as much of the pitch as possible
   • ›Quick tempo in the rondo; no pauses between passes
   • ›Defenders work together: one press, one cover

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Phase Build-Up with Combination End Product

   15m

   Set up: Half-pitch (50×40 yds). Attacking team of 7 (including keeper) builds from goal. Three defenders set up as a low block in the final third (cone markers for block positions). Two neutral wide players on each touchline.

   How to run it: Attacking team builds out from the keeper, using the two neutral wide players to stretch the block. They must play through the middle third before entering the final third, and must complete one combination (overlap, third-man, or wall pass) to score. Defending trio closes down once the ball enters the final third. Reset every 90 seconds.

   • ›Wide neutrals must stay wide – don't drift centrally or you collapse the space
   • ›Central midfielder must be available for a lay-off at the edge of the box
   • ›Combination triggers when a defender commits to one side – exploit the space left

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – Switch & Combine

   15m

   Set up: 45×35 yd zone. 6v6 with a goalkeeper at one end. Two wide end zones (5 yds each side) are off-limits to defenders.

   How to run it: Attacking team builds toward goal. If the first combination attempt is blocked, they must switch play to the opposite wide zone before re-attempting. Defenders cannot enter the wide zones. A goal scored after a switch counts double. Play for 8 minutes, then reverse roles.

   • ›Switch must be crisp and accurate – driven pass across the pitch, not a lofted ball
   • ›Wide player receiving the switch must set up a combination immediately; don't dribble into traffic
   • ›Midfield support must follow the switch to provide the lay-off option

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – 9v9 Phase of Play

   20m

   Set up: Full 60×40 yd pitch, 9v9 with goalkeepers. Attacking team has a +1 advantage (10v9) for the first 10 minutes, then equalise for the final 10.

   How to run it: Play 9v9 (then 10v9 phase). Attacking team must attempt to create a combination in the final third before shooting. Defending team organises into a mid-block of 4-3-2. Coach awards bonus points for goals from combinations and calls a 30-second timeout once to show a tactical moment on the whiteboard.

   • ›Overload phase: create the 2v1 wide then cut back to the arriving third man
   • ›Equal phase: patience in possession – wait for the pressing trigger before going vertical
   • ›Defenders: hold the block shape; don't be pulled out by a combination fake
   • ›Goalkeeper: sweeper-keeper positioning when team is in possession – be ready to play as an outlet

5. 5. Scrimmage – Free Play

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch, 9v9, goalkeepers, no conditions.

   How to run it: Open scrimmage. Encourage players to identify combination opportunities themselves. Coach only observes and notes examples for the debrief.

   • ›Trust players to self-organise the patterns they have practised
   • ›Note examples of players using session language ('third man', 'switch') to communicate

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Circle on the centre spot, light dynamic cooldown (slow jog, hip swings, arm circles).

   How to run it: Two minutes of stretching while coach gives one highlight and one improvement from each game phase. Ask: 'When did we switch play successfully and what did it create?' Set homework for the week.

   • ›Reinforce the link between width, switching, and central combinations
   • ›Positive close: celebrate a moment of creativity from a player