Week 7

Outcomes

• ✓Players can complete a give-and-go combination in the final third leading to a shot
• ✓Players can time a run into the penalty area from midfield without being caught offside
• ✓Players can shoot accurately with inside of the foot from 12–16 yds under light pressure
• ✓Players can identify when to shoot versus when to play a final pass

Equipment

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

Run of show

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

   15m

   Set up: Final third of the pitch. Players work in pairs moving toward goal.

   How to run it: Pairs work through a movement sequence toward goal: side-step approach, plant and shoot position (no ball — just the movement), turn and sprint back. Add ball: pairs pass-and-move toward goal at walking pace. Progress: pairs drive forward at 70%, finishing with a toe-poke at a cone gate. FIFA 11+ additions: single-leg balance (10 sec), slow Nordic holds (partner-assisted, 3 reps), and calf raises (15 reps).

   • ›Plant and shoot rehearsal: non-kicking foot beside the ball, body over it, follow through
   • ›Nordic holds: the eccentric phase prevents hamstring injuries — take it seriously
   • ›The approach to goal should have urgency — practise the mindset, not just the movement

2. 2. Technical Practice – Final Third 1-2s and Shots

   15m

   Set up: Final third. Two servers at the top of the area. Three pairs of attackers queuing. Two full-size goals (or one goal defended by a passive GK).

   How to run it: Pair receives from server, plays a 1-2, and the second player shoots on the first touch after the return. Next sequence: 1-2, then a second 1-2 before the shot. Focus on the shooting technique: side-foot for placement, instep for power. After 8 min, add a passive defender who can step toward the shooter to force a quicker shot.

   • ›Shooter: your mind is made up before you receive the return pass — commit to one corner
   • ›1-2 wall player: return it on one touch into the shooter's stride — behind them is useless
   • ›Body shape: knee over the ball, ankle locked, non-kicking foot pointing at the target
   • ›Near post shots are hardest for GKs to save from tight angles — use them

3. 3. Skill Game – 4v2 Final Third Finishing

   15m

   Set up: Final third, full width. 4 attackers vs 2 defenders plus a GK. Restart from the top of the area each time.

   How to run it: 4 attackers have 10 seconds to shoot from the moment they receive the first pass. Defenders can block and tackle — GK can move freely. If 4 don't shoot within 10 seconds, possession resets. Points: goal = 2; shot on target = 1. Rotate 2 defenders every 4 min. Record total shots on target.

   • ›10-second clock: don't overcomplicate — shoot when you're clean, pass only to improve the angle
   • ›4 attackers: spread wide to create space; don't all crowd the central lane
   • ›GK: be vocal — 'keeper!' on a cross, 'man on!' if a defender is closing

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – Attacks Through the Third

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch. Two teams of 7. Attackers must enter the final third via a pass (no carrying across the zone line). Defenders cannot enter the defensive third during build-up — they must press from the zone line.

   How to run it: Teams build and attack as normal, but the constraints force structured play into the final third and a structured defensive block. First goal from a 1-2 combination counts triple. Play 18 min, switching ends at 9 min.

   • ›Final third entry pass: weight it so the receiver can immediately attack the goal
   • ›Defensive third restriction forces the team to hold a high defensive line — brave decision
   • ›High line reward: it creates more pressure and more transition goals

5. 5. Scrimmage – Finishing Focus

   15m

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

   How to run it: Free play. Coach counts shots on target per team and announces the total at half-time and full-time. Challenge: 'Can we have 6 shots on target this half?' Creates a positive shooting culture.

   • ›A shot that misses teaches the shooter something — a decision not to shoot teaches nothing
   • ›We want a culture of courageous shooting — get the ball, create the opportunity, shoot

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players in a line.

   How to run it: Light jog for 1 min. Static stretching: quad, hamstring, hip flexor. Coach asks: 'What does our game model look like from start to finish?' Players should be able to describe: build from back → through midfield → final third combinations → shot. Reinforce how far they've come in 7 weeks.

   • ›You now have a game model — you know how we play, why we play it, and what we're building toward
   • ›Every session from here adds a layer of detail to what you already know

Outcomes

• ✓Players can execute the full build-up to final-third sequence as a team with at least 3 consecutive passes
• ✓Players can recognise and execute a 2v1 in the final third within 3 seconds
• ✓Players can retain possession under pressure in the final third and recycle rather than losing it cheaply
• ✓Players can describe the team's attacking principles in order: width, lines, circulation, final third

Equipment

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

Run of show

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

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch. Three groups of players at three zones: defensive, midfield, final third.

   How to run it: Each group works with a ball in their zone doing light passing and movement warm-up. At the coach's whistle, each group progresses to the next zone (rotating every 2 min through all three). FIFA 11+ core: lateral hops, single-leg balance, and slow lunge walks. Finish with a full-pitch relay: one player from each group sprints through all three zones and back at 75%.

   • ›Zone movement replicates the game model physically — feel what it means to play in each zone
   • ›Relay sprint: pace yourself through the midfield zone, accelerate into the final third
   • ›Warm-up your mind as well as your body — each zone has a different job

2. 2. Technical Practice – Full Game Model Walkthrough

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch. Two teams of 7. One team attacks with a script: GK plays short → CB → midfield → wide → final third combination → shot.

   How to run it: Coach talks through each step of the attacking sequence slowly with no defenders. Then add passive defenders who walk at pace but don't press. Run the full sequence 6 times, each time slightly increasing defender activity. Coach pauses after each sequence to identify where the quality was highest and lowest.

   • ›The script isn't a rigid instruction — it's a framework; adjust based on the defender's position
   • ›Every player knows their role in the sequence: this is our game model, not a drill
   • ›Quality over speed in this practice — every touch and decision should be intentional

3. 3. Phase Game – 9v7 Full Model Rehearsal

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch. 9 attackers (GK + 8) vs 7 defenders. No time limit on possession — attackers must execute the full model sequence before shooting.

   How to run it: Attackers build from GK through to a final third shot, using the full game model structure from the walkthrough. They have as long as they need, but defenders press actively. If defenders win the ball, they counter-attack and score in a mini goal at the other end. Coach tracks: how many sequences reach the final third, and how many result in shots.

   • ›9v7 advantage: use it to build patiently — you have more players, take the quality pass
   • ›Defenders: press intelligently, not frantically — you're outnumbered so cover space, not players
   • ›Transition: if defenders win it, go immediately — exploit the attacking team's high shape

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – Game Model vs. Normal Rules

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch. Two equal teams of 8. Normal rules, but 'model goal' (scored after following the full build-up sequence) = 3 points. Normal goal = 1 point.

   How to run it: Teams play freely but are incentivised to execute the game model. Coach narrates positively when a team follows the model: 'Built from back, played through midfield, used the wide player, finished — that's the model!' Play 18 min.

   • ›A model goal is the best we can produce as a team — it represents everything we've practiced
   • ›Don't force the model if the opposition gives you a quick transition goal — always take the gift
   • ›This is what Heart of Midlothian's tradition is built on: beautiful, purposeful football

5. 5. Scrimmage – End of Week 7 Game

   15m

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

   How to run it: The week 7 game: free play, but coach asks players to play with everything they've learned in 7 weeks. No freezes, no interruptions. Observe and collect notes for the individual feedback session. Celebrate good moments loudly from the touchline.

   • ›Seven weeks in — you're not the same players you were on day one
   • ›Trust your teammates, trust the model, and enjoy the game

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Both teams together in a large circle.

   How to run it: Full body static stretch led by captain (5 stretches × 30 sec). Coach summarises the first 7 weeks: build from back, positional shape, pressing, receiving in lines, wide play, midfield engine, final third. Ask: 'What has been the hardest thing to learn so far?' Players respond honestly.

   • ›Halfway through Q1 — you've built the foundations of a real game model
   • ›The next 6 weeks add the layers of detail that make a good team into a great team