Week 34

Outcomes

• ✓Players can transition from a corner defence to a counter-attack within three seconds of a clearance
• ✓Players can identify and hit the designated counter-attack outlet player with a direct, accurate pass
• ✓Players can make a run in behind the over-committed attacking team before the defenders recover
• ✓Players can finish a counter-attack chance with composure after a high-intensity transition sprint

Equipment

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

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Two lines of 6 in a 30×20 yd grid. Partner 1 is 'defender', partner 2 is 'runner'.

   How to run it: FIFA 11+ warm-up, then a transition warm-up: defender clears a served ball (from coach), immediately turns to track partner 2 who has sprinted 20 yds forward. Defender plays a pass to partner 2 who finishes on a mini goal. Rotate roles after 4 reps. Increase intensity each round. Finish with two 30-yd explosive sprints.

   • ›Turn fast after the clearance – every second of delay reduces the counter-attack's effectiveness
   • ›First pass in the counter must be played before the opponent's defenders reorganise
   • ›Runner: get to the ball at full speed – don't decelerate and wait

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Corner Clear & Counter

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch. 9 defenders in corner-defence formation vs 9 attackers. One designated counter-attack outlet player for the defending team (positioned at the halfway line, marked with a cone).

   How to run it: Coach serves an attacking corner. Defending team defends the corner with their hybrid system. On winning the ball, they immediately play a long, driven pass to the outlet player at the halfway line. Outlet player controls or lays off for a runner arriving at full pace. Attacking team must recover (3 players recover; the rest stay). Finish on the goal. Run 8 corner-to-counter sequences.

   • ›Clearance must be to a specific target (the outlet player), not a general hoof
   • ›Outlet player's first touch must be forward or to a wide open space – never back toward the defending team
   • ›Three runners must sprint in support of the outlet player immediately on clearance
   • ›Finish with composure: don't rush the shot – take one touch to control if needed

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – Clear, Run, Score

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch. 9v9. Attacking team gets a corner; defending team has an outlet player free at the halfway line. After each corner (defended or scored), play transitions immediately to open play.

   How to run it: Attacking team takes a corner from the routines in Week 31. Defending team executes the hybrid defence from Week 33. On a clearance, the defending team transitions to counter-attack via the outlet player. Score double for a counter-attack goal scored within 5 seconds of the clearance. Play 10 corners, then swap roles.

   • ›Instant transition: the team mindset flips from defence to attack the moment the ball is cleared
   • ›Remaining set-piece defenders hold positions initially to prevent a second corner
   • ›Attacking team: when the counter starts, 2 players must immediately track back

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – Counter-Attack Bonus

   20m

   Set up: Full 60×44 yd pitch. 9v9 with goalkeepers.

   How to run it: Normal 9v9. Any goal scored within 6 seconds of winning the ball from a set-piece situation (corner, free kick, or throw-in) counts double. Coach keeps time and calls 'counter!' when a team wins the ball from a set piece to signal the bonus window. Freeze once to show an over-committed attacking team and the space it left.

   • ›Recognise the set-piece counter-attack trigger: opponent has 7+ players in your half
   • ›First passer must look forward immediately, not sideways
   • ›Runner must stretch the counter as wide and as deep as possible before the ball arrives
   • ›Don't slow down the counter to reorganise – trust the first instinct

5. 5. Scrimmage – Free Play

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch, 9v9, goalkeepers.

   How to run it: Open scrimmage. Coach observes transition quality from defensive set pieces and notes counter-attack recognition.

   • ›Is the outlet player staying disciplined at the halfway line?
   • ›Are defenders turning quickly after a clearance?

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Circle, static stretching.

   How to run it: Light stretching. Ask: 'Why does the opponent's over-commitment to a set piece create a counter-attack opportunity?' Close with: 'The best counter-attack goal starts the moment the ball is cleared, not a second later.'

   • ›Reinforce the mental shift: defence to attack is instant, not gradual
   • ›Close with the homework

Outcomes

• ✓Players can release a counter-attack with a single driven pass within two seconds of winning the ball
• ✓Players can use width to spread the counter and isolate a 1v1 or 2v1 for the finish
• ✓Players can make the correct decision at the end of the counter: shoot, cut back, or play square
• ✓Players can defend as a unit to prevent the opponent's counter-attack from our own set piece

Equipment

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

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Three groups of 4. Each group has a ball. 35×25 yd grid.

   How to run it: FIFA 11+ warm-up, then a 3v1 counter-attack warm-up: 3 attackers vs 1 defender over 25 yds. Attackers must score within 5 seconds of the starting whistle. Rotate the defender each rep. Add a finishing challenge: first-time finish from a wide cut-back inside the area. 8 reps per group.

   • ›3v1: play the ball to the wide player and overlap for a 2v1 on the defender's blind side
   • ›First-time finish: plant foot beside the ball, head over it
   • ›If the defender retreats, shoot early – don't wait for the perfect moment

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Counter-Attack Sequence (4v3+GK)

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch starting from the defensive penalty area. 4 attackers start at their own 18-yard box; 3 defenders plus goalkeeper start at the far end. Coach serves a corner to simulate a cleared set piece.

   How to run it: Coach serves a corner. Defender wins the clearance, plays to an outlet player. The four attackers sprint the length of the field in a 4v3. Attackers must use width: one runner wide left, one wide right, one central support, one lead striker. Finish within 8 seconds of the clearance. Run 6 reps. Rotate roles.

   • ›Width first: ball goes wide to stretch the 3 defenders, then central for the finish
   • ›Central player must make a diagonal run between the two defending centre-backs
   • ›After the finish, second-ball support must arrive at the rebound position
   • ›Defending trio: stay compact, don't commit to the wide ball if the central runner is free

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – Counter-Attack Tournament

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch. Three teams of 6. Two teams play while the third waits. Corner awarded to 'defending' team; cleared ball triggers a counter-attack by defending team vs remaining 3 players (from the original attacking team who dropped back).

   How to run it: Play 6v6. When a corner occurs (or a set piece is defended), the defending team counter-attacks 6v3 (the attacking team's three deepest players recover). Third team rotates in after each sequence. Team scoring the most counter-attack goals wins the tournament.

   • ›6v3: don't over-complicate it – wide runner, central support, finish; it's two passes and a shot
   • ›Recovering defenders: track the widest runners first to prevent an easy wide cutback
   • ›Counter team: if the recovering defenders block the wide options, go directly to the central runner

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – Full Counter Focus

   20m

   Set up: Full 60×44 yd pitch. 9v9 with goalkeepers. Outlet cones placed at the halfway line on both touchlines.

   How to run it: Normal 9v9. When a team defends a set piece and wins the ball, their first pass must go to one of the outlet cones (a player standing there) before they can attack. This forces the ball wide and encourages width on the counter. Any goal scored within 8 seconds of a set-piece clearance counts double. Play 20 minutes.

   • ›Outlet player at the cone: receive with an open touch forward; never stand still
   • ›When the ball goes to the outlet, the central striker must already be running in behind
   • ›Defending team on a counter: two centre-backs hold the line, one midfielder tracks back immediately
   • ›Goalkeeper: if they can, distribute quickly to the outlet player before the opponent sets

5. 5. Scrimmage – Free Play

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch, 9v9, goalkeepers, no outlet cones.

   How to run it: Open scrimmage. No conditions. Coach observes whether counter-attack habits from the session carry over.

   • ›Are players releasing the ball wide on the counter without being told?
   • ›Is there urgency in the transition from defence to attack?

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Circle, static stretching.

   How to run it: Light stretching. Coach asks: 'What are the three things we do in a counter-attack?' (release quickly, go wide to stretch, finish with pace). Name the best counter-attack sequence from the day.

   • ›Reinforce: counter-attacks are the reward for good defensive work
   • ›Set homework and preview Week 35's theme: attacking overloads in 11v11