Challenge players to maintain possession in tight spaces while making purposeful decisions about when and where to enter the scoring boxes.
Objective
This game develops possession, ball protection and team defending. Players must recognize available scoring spaces, move the ball under pressure and successfully possess into and out of designated boxes.
Skill Emphasis
- Possession in tight spaces
- Ball protection
- Passing and receiving
- Spatial awareness
- Team defending
- Decision-making
Drill
- Create a playing area approximately 25 by 30 yards.
- Mark four boxes in the corners and one box in the middle.
- Divide players into two teams and play 5v5, 6v6 or 7v7, depending on the size of the group.
- Teams score by successfully possessing the ball into and out of a box.
- Award one point for successfully using one of the corner boxes.
- Award two points for successfully using the middle box.
- When entering the middle box, the team in possession must exit through a different side.
- Defenders may enter the boxes and challenge for possession.
- Continue play after each point rather than stopping to reset.
Recommended
- Adjust the scoring requirement to fit the training objective:
- Dribble or pass into a box.
- Require a pass into the box.
- Require a pass into and out of the box.
- With beginners, prevent defenders from entering or tackling inside the corner boxes.
- Encourage players to protect the ball with strength and body position.
- Reinforce supporting angles before the ball enters a box.
- Ask defenders to remain connected and defend as a group rather than chasing individually.
- Reduce the dimensions to increase pressure or enlarge the area to provide more time and space.
