Week 39

Outcomes

• ✓Players can execute five or more distinct Q3 attacking concepts in a single training match
• ✓Players can adjust their attacking approach in response to the opponent's defensive organisation
• ✓Players can organise and execute attacking set pieces quickly and accurately under match pressure
• ✓Players can transition between attacking and defending with confidence and without tactical confusion

Equipment

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

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Full squad in a 4-3-3 positional shape on the full pitch. Cones mark the 11 positions.

   How to run it: FIFA 11+ protocol, then a Q3 theme review warm-up: coach calls a concept name and players must demonstrate the correct movement for that concept within 5 seconds. Concepts: 'third man' (third player makes a run), 'switch' (ball moves to the far side), 'cutback' (wide player drives to the byline and cuts back), 'low block' (midfield and attack assume their block-breaking positions). Finish with two acceleration runs.

   • ›This is a mental warm-up as well as a physical one – sharpen the tactical recall
   • ›Correct positions before the movement – shape must be set first
   • ›Energy and communication from the start

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Q3 Tactics Board Walkthrough

   15m

   Set up: Whiteboard at the side of the pitch. Full squad standing around the board. Then walk the patterns onto the pitch at low intensity.

   How to run it: Coach presents the Q3 game model on the whiteboard: attacking shape (4-3-3), key combination patterns (wide overlap, third-man central run), set pieces (routine A corner, direct free kick over wall), and pressing trigger. Players walk through each pattern on the pitch without defenders, at 25% pace, to confirm understanding. Ask three players to narrate the patterns as the group walks them.

   • ›Clarity before intensity: every player must be able to explain their role before going live
   • ›Player narration: correct any tactical misunderstanding before the full match
   • ›Set-piece walk-through: both corner routines and the direct free-kick routine

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – Attacking Only (No Defending Team)

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch with full-size goals. 11 attackers execute their game model against 0 defenders (shadow play) then against 4 passive defenders in the final third.

   How to run it: Phase 1: 11 attackers play shadow play from goal kick to goal (5 minutes, no defenders). Emphasise shape, movement, and combinations. Phase 2: add 4 passive defenders in the final third. Attackers must break through them using Q3 tools. Play 5 reps. Coach gives real-time feedback on shape and decision-making.

   • ›Shadow play: quality of movement and communication is just as important as with defenders
   • ›Phase 2: identify which Q3 tool breaks the passive block most effectively
   • ›Wide players: stay wide and disciplined even in shadow play – it builds the habit

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – 11v11 Q3 Training Match

   20m

   Set up: Full 60×44 yd pitch (or full pitch if available). 11v11 with goalkeepers. Teams wear different bibs.

   How to run it: Play a full 11v11 training match. No formal conditions: this is a true game application session. Coach observes and makes a note of every time a Q3 theme is successfully executed. At the 10-minute mark, coach calls a brief 60-second tactical timeout to give one attacking note and one defensive note to each team. Resume play immediately.

   • ›This is a performance test of the quarter's work – let it breathe
   • ›If a key Q3 moment arises (set piece, press, switch), check whether it was executed well
   • ›Measure: how many Q3 concepts were visible in the match without prompting?
   • ›Goalkeeper: sweep to support the build-up; distribute to trigger the counter-attack

5. 5. Scrimmage – Free Play

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch, 11v11, goalkeepers.

   How to run it: Continue the training match as free play. Coach steps back and allows the game to run without any intervention for the full 15 minutes.

   • ›Observe leadership on the pitch: who is organising the team?
   • ›Note the overall energy and confidence – this is a measure of the quarter's effectiveness

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Circle, static stretching.

   How to run it: Stretching while coach names each Q3 theme and asks a player to give an example of when it worked today. Close with: 'This quarter you have learned how to attack with intelligence, shape, and variety. Q4 builds on this.' Set the final Q3 homework.

   • ›Reinforce all Q3 themes with positive examples from today's match
   • ›End the quarter session with energy and confidence

Outcomes

• ✓Players can select and execute the correct attacking tool for each defensive situation encountered
• ✓Players can perform all three set-piece routines (corner, free kick, throw-in) accurately and quickly
• ✓Players can sustain high attacking intensity for a full 80-minute match equivalent
• ✓Players can reflect on their individual Q3 development and set targets for Q4

Equipment

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

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Full squad in two lines of 6 in a 35×25 yd strip.

   How to run it: FIFA 11+ warm-up at full intensity. Follow with a competitive mini-game: 6v6 rondo in a 20×15 yd grid, no limit on touches, 6 consecutive passes = 1 point, turnover = 1 point for the defenders. Play for 8 minutes. This brings every player up to full activation before the showcase match.

   • ›Full intensity from the first exercise – this is a showcase session
   • ›Communication in the rondo: call for the ball, call the turn, call the pressure
   • ›Close down quickly in the rondo: give possession defenders no time on the ball

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Set Piece Rapid Rehearsal

   15m

   Set up: Full-size goal with goalkeeper. Three set-piece stations active simultaneously: corner (from both sides), free kick (25 yds, central), throw-in (attacking third).

   How to run it: Rapid rotation through all three set-piece stations: 4 minutes per station. Corner station: 2 reps of Routine A and 2 reps of Routine B from each side. Free kick station: 2 reps of direct shot and 2 reps of dummy-run cutback. Throw-in station: 2 reps of the long-throw routine into the box. All stations run simultaneously in parallel.

   • ›Speed and accuracy: this is a rehearsal, not a walk-through – execute at full pace
   • ›Set pieces must be automatic at this stage of the quarter
   • ›Correct any technical error immediately with a do-over, not verbal correction only

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – Attacking vs Structured Defence

   15m

   Set up: Half pitch. 8 attackers vs 8 defenders in a structured 4-4-0 mid-block. Full-size goal with goalkeeper.

   How to run it: Attackers must break the mid-block using any Q3 attacking tool. Defenders hold their shape and can only advance to the edge of their own half. Coach calls 'switch', 'press', 'set piece' every 90 seconds to force the attacking team to change their approach. Score double for any goal from a Q3 combination.

   • ›When the coach calls 'set piece', the attacking team immediately earns a free kick or corner and must execute
   • ›Defenders: communicate shape – nobody leaves their position without telling their cover
   • ›Attackers: read the block's weakness and target it persistently, not randomly

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – Q3 Final Showcase Match

   20m

   Set up: Full 60×44 yd pitch. 11v11 (or 9v9) with goalkeepers. No conditions – full intensity match.

   How to run it: Full showcase match at maximum intensity. Coach does not intervene. This is the final assessment of Q3. Coach tracks: number of Q3 tools used (target: 5+), set pieces executed correctly (target: 3+), and transition quality (press win or counter-attack after a loss of possession). Share the targets with the players before the match starts.

   • ›Challenge the team to name 5 Q3 tools they will use before the match begins
   • ›Hold them accountable to the targets – not by stopping play, but by noting it for the debrief
   • ›Goalkeeper's organisation from set pieces is assessed: wall, corners, distribution
   • ›This is a celebration of the quarter's work – bring energy and confidence

5. 5. Scrimmage – Free Play

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch, full squad, goalkeepers.

   How to run it: Final 15 minutes of the quarter. Free play. Coach steps back completely. Enjoy the game.

   • ›Let players express everything they have learned
   • ›No coaching; only observation and notes for Q4 planning

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Full squad circle, static stretching.

   How to run it: Light stretching while coach reads out the final Q3 assessment targets and how the team performed against them. Each player shares one word describing their Q3 experience. Coach closes: 'We have built a complete attacking game. Q4 adds the defensive shape and the mental resilience to protect what we create.'

   • ›Q3 summary: combination play, finishing, switching, breaking a block, set pieces, throw-ins, counter-attacks, transitions, and finishing from all areas
   • ›Bridge to Q4: defensive organisation, pressing systems, and mental resilience under pressure
   • ›End with a team hand-in and the club motto