intervals soccer drills

What are intervals in soccer?

How to work on playing in the intervals in soccer?

• Video analysis: watching games and analyzing player movements can help understand how intervals are created and exploited. Players can study professional matches to see how they use spaces;
• Small-sided games: games in reduced spaces force players to find and use intervals because they have less time and space to make decisions. This improves their ability to react quickly and exploit the smallest available spaces;
• Communication and coordination: good communication between players is essential to find and exploit intervals. Players must learn to talk to each other and coordinate to create fluid movements and precise passes.

What interval exercises to set up in training?

1. The square exercise: four players are placed at the corners of a square and two defenders in the center. The players at the corners must circulate the ball quickly without being intercepted, using the intervals to create passing angles;
2. Positional games: these exercises focus on ball possession and space creation. For example, a 6 vs. 6 where the objective is to keep the ball moving and constantly look for intervals to progress on the field;
3. Half-field exercise: exercise on half a field with teams in numerical advantage (like a 7 vs. 4) allows working on the creation and exploitation of intervals. The team with the numerical advantage must use the intervals to progress and score;
4. Rondo with varying field size: by varying the field size during rondo exercises, players learn to adapt and find intervals in different contexts. The smaller the field, the quicker and more precise they must be in their decisions;
5. Passing exercises in motion: they involve players constantly moving and looking to get open to receive passes. The focus is on off-the-ball movement and searching for intervals to create passing opportunities.