Ideal possession exercise to work on passing speed and game awareness on a defined area. Remind your players of the importance of communication during this possession drill.
Mark out a field with 3 zones of about 20x15 meters each, then divide the players into 3 teams. Place 1 team in each zone. The team in the center sends 2 defenders (or 3 depending on the number of players per team) into one of the other two zones. This is where the ball will start. The objective of the remaining players in the central zone (the river) is to prevent the pass to the opposite zone.
After a predetermined number of passes, the offensive team plays the ball into the opposite zone for 1 point. The team on defense (central) remains on defense.
If the team on defense intercepts the ball and completes a pass to the players in the center, the ball is then played into the opposite zone. The team on defense moves to a side zone and attacks. The team that lost the ball then moves into a defensive position and 2 players position themselves within the river.
Variation of the possession game
Place 2 small goals on each width of the field. As soon as the ball is recovered by the team in a defensive position (here the reds), a 8vs4 on the opposite goal follows. The offensive players must quickly execute a counter-pressing as soon as possession is lost.
Variation with an 8vs4 upon loss of the ball
Instructions during the exercise
To help you effectively manage this possession exercise with your players, you can use the following instructions:
Focus your comments on the importance of speed of passing.
Remember to remind your players to communicate well with each other: “alone”, “it's coming”, etc.
