SPANISH PRO FOOTBALL TRAINING EXERCISES I

At SPF Academy we are focused on developing our player’s skills. Sometimes we work on individual skills. Today we want to show how we help our players to improve 2 different collective behaviours. On the offensive side, the team with the ball will work on how to keep the ball in tight spaces, making the most of the space and finding ways to progress. On the defensive side, players will work on how to trap the ball on one side in order to regain it and switch it to the other side.

3 teams of 4 players in different colours plus one neutral. 3 spaces to play (2 spaces on the sides, 24×20 each and 1 space in the middle 24×8). 3 gates marked with 4 sticks will make 3 gates of 8 meters each.

The blue team will be moving the ball trying to connect passes finding the way to pass the ball through the gates in the middle. The yellow team will be waiting for the ball on the other side of the field. While the blue team is connecting passes, the red team tries to regain the ball with 2 players pressuring and 2 players covering and sliding, protecting the gates. Red team alternates who press the ball and who cover the gates depending on which side of the field. The red team has 2 ways to start attacking. Kicking the ball out of the field 2 times in a row, or regaining the ball and pass it to the yellow team on the other side of the field.

One coach will be focused on offensive behaviour. The player needs to work on his body shape when their team is keeping the ball, in order to receive the ball and being able to pass the ball forward (we want to progress to the other side of the field). When having the ball, they need to move it fast, to avoid the defensive team pressure.

A second coach will be focused on defensive behaviour, encouraging the players to decide when to be aggressive on the ball and when to stay together and don´t get split.

A 3rd coach (if possible) will be dynamizing the group, providing balls and ‘being the referee’.