Week 42

Outcomes

• ✓Players can define the counter-press cue and initiate it within three seconds of losing the ball
• ✓Players can identify the reference player (nearest to the ball) and swarm with two additional players
• ✓Players can protect the space in behind during a counter-press using a defensive line hold
• ✓Players can reset to organised defensive shape if the counter-press is beaten

Equipment

• 14 cones
• 4 bibs (2 colours)
• 3 balls
• 2 goals
• 1 whiteboard + marker

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Players in a 20×20 yd square, one ball per pair.

   How to run it: Partner pass warm-up with progressive intensity: two-touch at 5 yds, one-touch at 8 yds, add feint and pass at 10 yds. Then run 11+ injury prevention: lateral bounds, Copenhagen adductor holds (3×8 seconds), sprint/decelerate at 70%, 80%, 95% intensity. Finish with two reactive sprint-and-recover reps where the coach deliberately kicks a ball away – players must chase it (simulating a possession loss).

   • ›Sprint reaction must begin before the ball stops rolling
   • ›Do not over-stretch during the Copenhagen hold – feel the tension, not pain
   • ›In the reactive sprint, arrive on the same side as the ball to force play wide

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – 3v3+1 Counter-Press Box

   15m

   Set up: Four 10×10 yd boxes in a 2×2 arrangement. 3v3 in each box with one neutral counter-press trigger player on the outside of each box.

   How to run it: 3v3 possession in each box. When possession is lost, the team that lost the ball immediately swarms with all three players to win it back in 5 seconds. Trigger player can join the swarming team for a 3v4 advantage. Teams earn a point for each successful counter-press. Play for 3 minutes per box, then rotate trigger players.

   • ›First swarmer must approach at an angle to cut off the easiest escape pass
   • ›Second and third swarmers block the two nearest passing options
   • ›If counter-press fails after 5 seconds, drop into block immediately
   • ›Body language: urgent but controlled – no wild lunging

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – Transition Gate Game

   15m

   Set up: 40×30 yd grid with four 2-yd 'gates' at each end (two per side). Two teams of 6.

   How to run it: Teams score by dribbling through or passing through a gate. When a team loses possession, they have a 4-second window to win it back (counter-press) before the opponent can score. If they win it back within 4 seconds, they earn a bonus point. After 4 seconds, normal play resumes. Coach counts the 4 seconds aloud for the first five reps, then players must self-count.

   • ›Possession team: protect the ball with body on loss to buy a second for teammates
   • ›Counter-press leader: call 'press!' immediately on loss to coordinate
   • ›Teams that fail counter-press most often are giving cheap possessions away

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – 9v9 Counter-Press Bonus

   20m

   Set up: Full 65×45 yd pitch, goalkeepers in, 9v9. Each team has a designated 'counter-press captain' who initiates every transition press.

   How to run it: Standard 9v9 with a bonus: any goal scored within 10 seconds of a counter-press winning the ball counts double. Counter-press captain calls the press on each loss of possession. Coach pauses play twice to celebrate a well-executed counter-press or correct a missed opportunity.

   • ›Counter-press captain must communicate the press before all teammates are organised
   • ›Avoid pressing when the ball is played beyond two opposition players – reset instead
   • ›Goal scored from a counter-press sequence should be celebrated as a tactical goal

5. 5. Scrimmage – Free 9v9

   15m

   Set up: Same pitch, free play.

   How to run it: Free scrimmage. Coach observes counter-press quality during transitions. Encourage players to self-apply the counter-press without coach cues.

   • ›Tally each team's successful counter-press count to share in debrief
   • ›Note which players initiate the press without waiting for the captain

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Circle cool-down.

   How to run it: 90-second cool-down (adductors, hip flexors – high load today). Debrief: 'What did you feel physically and mentally in the first 3 seconds after losing the ball?' Take three responses and connect to competitive urgency.

   • ›Validate emotional responses – transition urgency is trainable
   • ›Preview session 2: positive transition – attack after winning the ball

Outcomes

• ✓Players can identify when to counter-attack at pace vs. when to control possession
• ✓Players can execute a 3v2 or 4v3 fast break with correct spacing and timing
• ✓Players can deliver an accurate forward pass within two touches of winning possession
• ✓Players can communicate the counter-attack trigger verbally to accelerate the transition

Equipment

• 12 cones
• 4 bibs (2 colours)
• 4 balls
• 2 goals

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Two groups of 6 at opposite ends of a 30×20 yd strip.

   How to run it: Run 11+ with a positive-transition emphasis: jog to halfway, receive a pass, sprint with ball to the end, pull up, return. Increase intensity over three sets. Add a 2v1 fast-break warm-up: two attackers start 10 yds behind a single defender; coach plays a ball forward; attackers sprint to convert the 2v1 advantage. Rotate roles every 3 reps.

   • ›First touch on recovery must be forward or sideways – never back on a fast break
   • ›Ball carrier in the 2v1: run at the defender's hip to force the commitment
   • ›Support runner stays level or one step ahead, not behind

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Fast-Break Combination Patterns

   15m

   Set up: Half-pitch with goalkeeper. Three cones mark a mid-transition zone at halfway. Three attackers start in the zone, three defenders are 10 yds back.

   How to run it: Coach serves the ball to the three attackers who must attack the goal against the three recovering defenders. First touch must be forward. Run six reps, then add a fourth attacker to create a 4v3. Final two reps: attackers must not communicate verbally (forces visual reading of the transition).

   • ›Lead attacker must make a run in behind immediately to stretch the defence
   • ›Ball carrier: if the run is on, play it first time – do not hesitate
   • ›Widest attacker must occupy the widest defender to create the central lane
   • ›In a 4v3, the spare attacker arrives late for the second ball – do not join early

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – Transition Game (Two Goals Each End)

   15m

   Set up: 60×40 yd pitch, two small goals at each end (one central, one wide). Teams of 7.

   How to run it: Standard possession play. When a team wins the ball, they earn a 15-second 'fast-break window' where goals in the wide goal count triple. After 15 seconds, normal scoring resumes. This incentivises rapid wide transitions. Track how many fast-break goals each team scores over two 7-minute rounds.

   • ›Central midfielder must recognise the turnover and immediately look for the wide run
   • ›Wide goal bonus should not tempt players into reckless possession loss
   • ›After failed fast break, re-establish possession shape before next attempt

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – 9v9 Transition Speed

   20m

   Set up: Full 65×45 yd pitch, goalkeepers in, 9v9. Cones mark a 'transition zone' at halfway.

   How to run it: Normal 9v9 with one rule: a goal scored within 8 seconds of winning possession in the defensive half counts triple. Both teams apply this condition. Coach tracks fast-break goals and announces the count after each one. Pause twice to highlight a fast-break opportunity that was missed by going slow.

   • ›The decision to counter-attack must be made within the first second of winning the ball
   • ›If counter-attack is not available, slow down and retain possession – do not force it
   • ›Goalkeeper distribution is a positive transition moment – play quickly when available

5. 5. Scrimmage – Free Play

   15m

   Set up: Same pitch, free play.

   How to run it: Open match. Coach observes transition decision-making quality – are players reading 'go now' vs. 'slow down' moments correctly? Note examples for the debrief.

   • ›The best counter-attacks are often the ones that are not forced – patience before pace
   • ›Identify which players are the transition leaders in both directions

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Circle cool-down.

   How to run it: 90-second stretch (hip flexors, quads, calves). Debrief: 'Name a moment today where the team chose correctly between counter-attacking and recycling possession. What made the decision clear?' Take two responses.

   • ›Reinforce the decision-making framework, not just the execution
   • ›Preview week 43: set-piece integration within the game model