Week 5

Outcomes

• ✓Players can deliver a low driven cross to the near post from a wide position
• ✓Players can identify a cutback opportunity and deliver it along the ground to the penalty spot
• ✓Players can time a run into the box to arrive as the ball is crossed
• ✓Players can execute an overlap run with a wide player to create a crossing position

Equipment

• 12 balls
• 20 cones
• 6 pinnies
• 2 full-size goals

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & FIFA 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Wide channels of the pitch. Players work in pairs.

   How to run it: Players perform a lunge-walk down the touchline with a pass to their partner every 5 yds. Progress to inward hip rotation steps, skips for height, and side-step crosses (mimicking a wide player preparing to cross). Add upper body rotation to mimic looking up before crossing. Finish with 3×20-yd runs accelerating into a crossing position — plant the foot, open the hips, don't actually cross — just rehearse the mechanics.

   • ›Hip rotation mimics looking up for the cross — build it into the warm-up muscle memory
   • ›Plant foot points at the target, not at the ball, when crossing
   • ›Accelerate into the position — slowing down before a cross lets defenders recover

2. 2. Technical Practice – Crossing Mechanics

   15m

   Set up: Both wide channels of the pitch. 4 wide players per side, 4 target players in the box, 2 balls per side.

   How to run it: Wide player receives a short pass and drives to the byline. First 5 min: low driven cross to the near post — target player redirects on goal. Next 5 min: pull-back cross to the penalty spot — runner shoots. Final 5 min: combine — near post or cutback based on where the 'keeper' (a passive coach) positions. Rotate wide and box players every 5 min.

   • ›Near post cross: cross it early, before the last defender, and keep it low
   • ›Cutback: wait until you're past the last defender — if crossed early it's an easy clearance
   • ›Box runner: time your run — arrive as the ball is crossed, not before
   • ›Head over the ball when crossing — if it sails over the bar, your body is leaning back

3. 3. Skill Game – Overlap Game (4v3 in Wide Channels)

   15m

   Set up: Pitch narrowed to 40 yds wide, 50 yds long. Two wide channels 10 yds wide. 4 attackers (2 central + 2 wide) vs 3 defenders. Target: cross and score.

   How to run it: Attackers play through the centre to wide players, who must use an overlap with a central player before crossing. Defenders can only defend in the central zone or step into the wide channel to block the cross — not both at once. If the overlap is completed before the cross, the goal counts double. Run for 12 min, rotating defenders.

   • ›Overlap: the runner goes around the outside of the wide player and continues to the byline
   • ›Wide player: set the ball into the overlap with one touch — don't slow down
   • ›Central players time their box run for the cross — at least 2 runners in the box

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – Wide Attack Emphasis

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch. Two teams of 7. Wide players (designated per team) can only score from a cross — they cannot cut inside and shoot.

   How to run it: Normal game rules except the constraint on wide players. This forces attacking teams to use the wide player as a service provider, and defending teams to track the wide player and block the cross. After 12 min, remove the constraint and allow wide players to cut inside, noticing how the defensive adjustments change.

   • ›Defending wide: show the wide player away from goal — force them down the line, not inside
   • ›Attacking wide: movement before the ball — don't receive and then decide where to go
   • ›Far post runner: always attack the far post on a cross — the keeper rarely comes to it

5. 5. Scrimmage – Width in Normal Play

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch, normal rules, both GKs.

   How to run it: Free scrimmage with the suggestion (not rule) to use wide play. Coach counts and announces: 'that team has crossed 3 times this half — I've seen 2 near-post runs and 1 cutback.' Positive reinforcement of the week's theme in context.

   • ›Width in attack stretches the defence — every wide run creates space in the middle
   • ›A good cross is only half the job — the run into the box completes it

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players in pairs, stretching together.

   How to run it: Partner-assisted leg raises for hamstring stretch (30 seconds each leg). Coach asks: 'What is the difference between a near-post cross and a cutback, and when do you use each?' Players answer in their own words. Correct and clarify.

   • ›Near post when you're early and have pace on the cross; cutback when you're at the byline
   • ›A bad cross that no one attacks is wasted possession — quality over quantity

Outcomes

• ✓Players can execute a three-player wide combination (wide player + overlapper + central target) leading to a cross
• ✓Players can attack near, far, and penalty-spot positions simultaneously in a crossing scenario
• ✓Players can identify the right moment to hold their run (if the cross is cut out) and reset
• ✓Players can defend crosses by winning the first ball and clearing with purpose

Equipment

• 10 balls
• 25 cones
• 8 pinnies
• 2 full-size goals

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & FIFA 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Full width of the pitch. Players in groups of 3.

   How to run it: Groups pass in triangles while walking across the pitch. Progress: increase passing pace, add directional change after each pass, then add a defensive body-feint before passing. FIFA 11+ elements: lateral jumps over a line, vertical jumps with controlled landing, and a 5-second balance hold on each leg. Finish with bounding runs (high amplitude stride) at 60% effort.

   • ›Bounding: drive the knee high and extend the rear leg fully — develop explosive stride
   • ›Lateral jumps: land on the whole foot, absorb the force — don't land stiff
   • ›Body-feint in the passing drill: sell the direction before playing the actual pass

2. 2. Technical Practice – 3-Man Wide Combination

   15m

   Set up: Wide channel 10 yds wide, 30 yds long, with a full-size goal at the end. 3 attackers, 1 passive defender.

   How to run it: Player A (wide) receives and drives to the byline. Player B (overlap) runs the outside channel. Player C (central) makes a box run. A decides: overlap to B for a pullback, or cross to C at the near post. Passive defender can step in to force A to make the decision. Alternate which player plays each role. Run 10 sequences per group.

   • ›A: look up once before crossing — one clear look tells you everything
   • ›B: overlap run should arrive at the byline extended — not stopping at A
   • ›C: read A's body — if A looks inside, go far post; if A looks down the line, go near post

3. 3. Phase Game – 6v4 Wide Attack

   15m

   Set up: Two-thirds of the pitch. 6 attackers (GK + 5 outfield) vs 4 defenders. Full-size goal. 2 wide players designated for the attacking team.

   How to run it: Attacking team must involve a wide player before scoring. A goal without a cross = 1 point. A goal from a cross = 2 points. A goal from a cross after an overlap = 3 points. Defenders cannot double-mark the wide player — only one defender may engage the wide player at a time. Play 12 min, switch which team attacks.

   • ›Wide player: you're the most valuable player in this game — stay wide and be available
   • ›Defenders: block the cross, not the wide player — position to intercept, not tackle
   • ›Attacking central players: 2 in the box before the cross — one near post, one far

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – Full Width

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch. Two teams of 8. Bonus point for any goal scored from a cross. Normal scoring otherwise.

   How to run it: Normal game. Coach tracks crosses attempted and crosses converted. Every 5 min, coach announces 'wide opportunity' — the team with the ball must attempt to play wide within the next 20 seconds or they forfeit possession. This keeps the wide threat alive throughout the game.

   • ›The wide threat opens central spaces — even if the cross doesn't come, the defence opens up
   • ›Defensive full-back: your job is to prevent the cross — get tight but don't dive in
   • ›Midfield: support the wide player — move toward them to create the triangle

5. 5. Scrimmage – Free Game

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch, normal rules, both GKs.

   How to run it: Free play. Coach counts cross-based goals and announces them at full-time. Celebrate the best cross of the session — ask teammates to name whose cross was best and why.

   • ›Wide play is a team weapon — it takes coordination, not just one good wide player
   • ›Every goal you've scored from wide today came from a run someone else made first

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players seated, both teams together.

   How to run it: Guided static stretching: hip flexor lunge hold, seated hamstring reach, glute stretch lying down, shoulder cross-body stretch. Coach closes the week: 'We have width in attack, we have our build-up from the back, we have our pressing triggers. We're building a real game model.'

   • ›Width is about respect — the opposition must respect your wide players or you'll score
   • ›Congratulations on completing your first five weeks — you've earned a technical foundation