3 Zone Awareness Game Dropping Off…

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! SOCCER AWARENESS

Coaches
Corner

3 Zone
Awareness
Game: Dropping
Off to Receive
and Turn in
Possession
September 26, 2016

Continuums of Development

A) LOOK / OBSERVE / THINK (BEFORE

receiving the ball; assessing all options
in “Anticipation” not as a Reaction). If
time allows take 2 or 3 looks because
the situation may have changed after
the first look
B) SKILL: THE DECISION (Why; when
and where of Technique; plus its
success or not; and why?)
C) FOOT PREPARATION: Not flat footed
but on your toes and ready for action
D) BODY POSITION: Balanced and
open
E) COMMUNICATION: Verbal and
visual
F) CONTROL: If not a one touch pass
on, the 1st touch control
G) TECHNIQUE: The How; the pass,
the run, the dribble, the turn, the shot;
etc
H) TACTICAL MOBILITY: Movement off
the ball, finding space; 90% of the
game
I) MENTAL AND PHYSICAL
TRANSITION: Possession changes,
Player tunes in immediately to win it
back?

Watch Barcelona players making

these movements to find space

THIS GAME AND ITS MANY

PROGRESSIONS IS DESIGNED TO GET
THE MOST OUT OF THE THINKING
PROCESSES OF THE PLAYERS. MANY
MENTAL CHALLENGES TO
OVERCOME AND LEARN FROM.

Coaching Points:
Continuums Model to work off and
relate to.
a) An Awareness of the passing player
of when and where the receiver drops
into the free zone AND where the
space is (Look and Think Before
receiving)
b) An awareness of the receiving
player as to when the passer is ready
to pass (Look and Think Before
receiving)
c) Good communication via visual cues
through eye contact or aural cues
through speaking makes this work
(Communication)
d) Establishing an open stance in the
middle for greater peripheral vision
and an angle of support (body position
and feet preparation)
e) Movement OFF the ball by the
receiver to get free and into open
space (Tactical Mobility)
f) Timing and angle of the run (Tactical
Mobility)
g) Timing; accuracy and pace of the
pass (Technique)
h) Good receiving and turning
technique with an awareness of what is
behind before receiving it (Technique,
Control and Look and Think)
i) Move and join in the next phase of
play (Tactical Mobility)
If we lose possession try to win it back
immediately (Mental and Physical
Transition)
And of course the SKILL FACTOR,
decision making is based on all.

3 Zone Awareness Game: Dropping

off to receive and turn in possession

Contents and Progressions to Follow in

the full presentation:

1. 3 zone game: Dropping off to

receive and turn in possession
with 4 balls
2. 3 zone game: Developing
Peripheral Vision
3. 3 zone game: Straight line
support and passing
4. 3 Zone Game: Developing more
dimensional thinking and playing
5. Players support at wider angles
to improve peripheral vision and
body position
6. One ball in each side and 2
players receiving
7. Movement from the back to the
front and changing zones
8. Two Competitive Games playing
at once
9. Defender can close the attacker
down on the 1st touch only
10. Defender can close the attacker
down immediately
11. Receiver moves off the shoulder
of the defender
12. Receiver moves off the shoulder
and checks back
13. End product of the check back
14. Defender closes the attacker
down; attacker cant turn
 15. Attacker cant turn so plays it back

16. Now one ball only

17. Now one ball only: players
switching sides
18. One ball only: By pass the middle
and go from back to front
19. Playing Direct: 4 v 4, 1 v 1 and 3 v
3
20. Neutral Player Added: 3 v 3, 1 v 1
v 1 and 3 v 3
21. 3 v 3, 2 v 2, and 3 v 3

A three zone movement off the ball

clinic focusing on zone 14 emphasizing
movement back towards the ball to
receive and play forward and the
consequent interchange of players
between the three units.

I really like this game you can bring in

so many different ideas to the session
and it all involves mental challenges to
the players with regard to playing,
moving and thinking quickly (and
ahead of the ball).

This would be one of my regular

training sessions. Thru trial and error
we have found it best to have equal
numbers in each third so do the
session with all the progressions with 3
v 3 or 4 v 4 or whatever number of
players you have. Also start with 4 balls
going back and forth, one each team of
3 or 4 players.
A 3 v 3 in each end zone (can be any
number based on the number of
players at training).
A Ball each team passing and moving
but teams are not playing against each
other yet.
The central zone is the shadow striker
zone known as zone 14 and usually
where the number 10 plays but 9, 7, 11,
8, 2 or 3 or even 6 can also enter this
zone..

Coaching Points:
1. An Awareness of the passing
player of when and where the
shadow striker drops into the free
zone
2. An awareness of the receiving
player as to when the passer is
ready to pass
3. Good communication via visual
cues through eye contact or aural
cues through speaking makes
this work
4. Movement OFF the ball by the
shadow striker to get free and
into open space
5. Timing and angle of the run
6. Timing; accuracy and pace of the
pass
7. Good receiving and turning skills
with an awareness of what is
behind before receiving it
8. Receive or be a decoy for
someone else; depending on
 where the defender is.

Passing and moving, (4) drops in to

receive as does (C) going the other
way. Movement OFF THE BALL to
receive in the middle zone (zone 14). (4)
Takes the ball back into his own end
zone, as does (C) in the other end zone
and play continues. All players are
moving finding space to receive the
ball. The two teams pass between
each other but cannot tackle each
other.
 1. Timing of the pass
2. Timing of the run
3. Angle of the run
4. Timing of each has to be exact
for it to work.
5. Have the receiving and dropping
off player CALL THE NAME of the
person they will pass to next
BEFORE they receive the pass.

Development:

Now 2 players come to meet the ball in

opposite halves of zone 14 and at
different angles and depth to each
other. Still no opposition so it is free
flowing movements linking the two
front players now. Do this going both
ways with both teams so there is
congestion in the middle.

DEVELOPMENT:

During the warm up: two balls in each

side so all 4 teams playing with a ball
each and transferring it with good
timing. Players pass to the other player
dropping in from the other side then
follow their pass and switch sides with
a give and go in the warm up and then
in the competitive part. The same but
now they make a third man run to
switch sides. Two balls going at once in
the competitive 3 v 3 4 v 4 or even 5 v
5 stage.

 Wayne Harrison /  Comment

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