Football: Keeping Possession

Straight forward passing and moving drill with only two touches on the ball. The blue players off the ball can only receive the ball at one of the four cones in each corner of the area and the red player is trying to intercept the ball.

Each teams has 3 players and one goal to defend and one to attack. The ball is not allowed to stop or go over head height. By passing and dribbling the ball players must try to score three goals - first to three wins!

Set out a triangle with 3 cones all 1 meter apart. Player 1 passes the ball to player 2 through the area of the triangle. Player 2 has to control the ball and touch it to the side before playing a return pass. Players must make sure that when they make a return pass that it is never played through the same side of the triangle that they have just received the ball through.

A 4 v 2 drill depending on which team has possession. A square box is set up using cones. 2 blue and 2 white players are outside this box. The two players defending must prevent the opposing team retaining the ball. Once possession is relinquished the players outside the box are unused awaiting their team gaining possession again.

Play 4 v 2 keep-away. Attackers are stationed in the corners of the grid. One ball per group. Repeat in another area for a total of 12 players. Attacker 1 starts with the ball. The object is to pass the ball around the outside and middle of the square, playing keep-away from the two defenders. Players score 1 point for a pass around the defenders and 2 points for a penetrating pass that splits the defenders. How many passes can be made before defenders force the ball out 3 times or score 1 goal? Repeat and rotate.

Four players are placed in a grid with two defender. The four attacking players aim is to keep possesion as long as possible. The player who makes the mistake must swap over and become the defender.

Four players are placed in a grid with one defender. The four players aim is to keep possession as long as possible. The player who makes the mistake must become the defender.

The 5 attackers must get the ball from one end zone to the other without losing possession to the defenders. Encourages use of width,depth and possession. Progressions:- Only use 2 touch No balls allowed over head height

Setup: 50 x 40 with wide zone for full backs / wingers Explanation:   Ball starts with either the coach or either GK. Once the ball is in play, the defending team are tasked with getting immediate pressure on the ball from front to back. 1st and 2nd defenders show press aggressively and force the opposition to play backwards or side wards or long. Look for clear communication from players in positions behind to help support the closest players to the ball. Aim is to win the ball back and counter attack quickly or regain controlled possession.

Objective: The team on the outside to retain possession (on outside only) & switch play by combining with middle attacking team. It will get players thinking, moving & working together. Use a 20 x 20 grid and split your players into 3 groups, bibbed up. For example if you have 12 players (3 teams of 4). This activation practice will get players thinking, moving and working together. You will have 1 team spread on the outside of the box and 2 in the middle (one playing as Attackers, the other Defenders). The objective is for the team on the outside to retain possession on outside only & when an opportunity arrives, play to the attacking team (whom combine/pass) and play it back out on a different side of the box. The defending team can only shadow/intercept but can tackle once the ball is inside. If the ball is turned over, then a transition happens & the outside team will swap with the defending team.

Divide players into 2 teams of 6. Take 2 players from each team and have them hold a shirt between them to form a floating goal. The remaining 8 players play 4 v 4. 2 balls in play at once. The object of the game is to score in your teams goal as the floaters move around the area trying to get close to the ball. A goal is scored by a pass, header or shot in the goal. Players can score on both sides of the goal. Develop to using only one ball. Develop to 2 touch only.

The aim of the drill is to work on helping your team keep possession all over the field. The game starts with normal rules, no limitations on touches, with both teams simply trying to score. The game changes when the coach shouts the following: 1. Possession - Players must keep possession in their own half, which of course means they are not allowed to score. If a team wins the ball, they must take the ball to their own half and try and keep it. 2. Normal - Teams return to a normal game and are allowed to score. 3. Barca - Similar to possession, but this time players must attempt to keep the ball in the other teams half, but they are not allowed to score. If the other team wins the ball they must get the ball into their opponent's half and keep it there.

3 teams of 2, with 2 teams combining to play against the 3rd team. If the 3rd team get the ball, the team that lost the ball becomes the defending team and the other two teams combine to try and keep possession.

Station small goals (2 yards wide) in each corner of the area facing in towards the field of play with no goalkeepers. Play a 4 v 4 or a 6 v 6. The teams must try to keep possession and dribble the ball through the cones in order to score.

4 Players with one ball can only be outside the square of cones. 1 player is only allowed inside the area. The players on the outside have to pass the ball through the square. To score a goal. The ball must remain on the floor. The player in the middle tries to intercept the ball.

Four players are placed in a grid next to another four players. As soon as the ball is given to one group of four a player from the opposite four must enter the grid too win the ball back. Once the ball is won the defender plays the ball back into their own grid and the roles are reversed.

3 teams of 6: red blue and yellow. Set up an area starting at the edge of the penalty box, 44 yards wide and about 20 yards long. 2 teams start in the area with the other team spaced evenly around the edge. Games of 6 vs 6 using the outside players as extras for whichever team has the ball: 3 minute rotation (including the players on the outside) The aim of this is for teams to keep possession of the ball for as long as possible. The players on the outside are 2 touch only. Have a goal at each end with Goalkeepers. The 2 outside players (yellow) nearest the top goal are numbered "1" and those nearest the bottom goal are numbered "2". One team attacks towards the end with the "1" players, the other towards the "2" players. Once a team in the area has had 6 consecutive passes then they can play the ball to the players "1" or "2" and then can enter the penalty area to shoot at goal. Players "1" or "2" only have 2 touches to pass to the player running in. If players aren't getting enough opportunities to take shots, due to not breaking through Defence then each team can shoot in both goals. This will create more space for both of them. 6 games, so each team plays the others twice.

3 teams of 6: red blue and yellow. Set up an area starting at the edge of the penalty box, 44 yards wide and about 20 yards long. 2 teams start in the area with the other team spaced evenly around the edge. Games of 6 vs 6 using the outside players as extras for whichever team has the ball: 3 minute rotation (including the players on the outside) The aim of this is for teams to keep possession of the ball for as long as possible. The players on the outside are 2 touch only. 6 games, so each team plays the others twice.

In both the wide channels put one defender and two attackers. Both attackers in the same rectangle must touch the ball before trying to pass to the other attackers. However the ball is not allowed to touch the floor in the minefield area (middle box). If the pass doesn't find its intended recipient because it falls short or is intercepted the player who passed the ball swaps over with the defender in their area.  

Split your players into three equal sized teams, with two teams starting inside the area and the third spread around the outside of the grid. The team on the outside of the grid are neutral players. When they receive the ball they must pass back to a player on the same team that originally passed to them. The two teams inside the area play a possession game. The challenge for each team is to score 10 (or more) consecutive passes to score a goal.