Soccer Possession Drills
Ball possession in soccer is meant the action executed by two or more players that get to transmit the ball avoiding the interventions of opponents. In other words, during the game, each time a team dominated the ball we can say that team "possesses the ball".
At this point we have to make a simple but yet substantial difference between to be "possessing the ball" and "playing to possess the ball"; the first one refers to the fact that any player from the team completely dominates the ball and can execute any move, while the other is an strategic election of the team that wants to dominate the ball for a tactical issue.
The advantages of playing with ball possession in soccer could be:
- Make the opponent move towards the ball to move him away from the defense of their goal
- Force the opponent to a constant change of position to then surprise him in the empty spaces that they has left
- Create the basis for an attacking action
- Change the front of attack
- Control the rhythm of the match
Each coach can add to this cast other motivations and advantages that come from the strategic election without forgetting that to be able to act in an efficient manner they needs from each player some essential tactical and technical concepts:
- Capacity of transmitting the ball and particularly the pass
- Capacity of receiving the ball and particularly of the oriented control
- Capacity of defending the ball
- Capacity of mobility of the players and particularly of unmarking
- Capacity of staggering on the available space creating lines and different passing depths
In the proposed exercises players can become familiar with multiple situations and get used to keep possession of the ball, improving technical and tactical aspects. In this context the coach can influence with individual or group corrections transmitting their philosophy in an efficient manner.
-
Soccer Tactics
7 v 5 Ball possession: offensive superiority - Mikel Arteta
Possession - Mikel Arteta's ball possession drill to train superiority in attack and quick completion -
Soccer Tactics
Rondo 2 v 2 + 2 neutral players: switch play and 1 v 1
Possession - Rondo 2 v 2 with 2 jokers for wide ball possession and final 1 v 1 situation with finishing -
Soccer Tactics
Small-sided Game: support play
Support - Small-sided game to improve ball possession and support play -
Soccer Tactics
Ball possession and immediate recovery - Barcelona FC
Possession - Conditioned game to improve ball possession, space occupation skills and transitions -
Soccer Tactics
Positional play to train ball possession and transitions
Transition - Positional play straight from Barcelona, the Catalan school creator and exporter to the world of its own idea of ball possession exercises per role -
Soccer Tactics
6 v 3 Ball possession - Ajax FC
Possession - Ball possession exercise performed by Ajax U13 -
Soccer Tactics
Ball possession 8 v 4 - Ajax FC
Possession - Ball possession drill performed by Ajax U13 -
Soccer Tactics
6 v 6 ball possession with width play development
Possession - Ball possession with development of the game in width to search for depth and verticalization with insertions without the ball -
Soccer Tactics
Three-team 4 v 2 rondo at high pace - Julian Nagelsmann
Possession - Drill by Julian Nagelsmann to train retention of possession in tight spaces and at high pace