Youth Soccer Coaching Video – Switching The Play

When coaching youth soccer team attacking tactics, one key tactic of team play is switching the play. This means your soccer players have the technique and ability to quickly transfer the ball from one side of the soccer pitch to other. This unbalances your opponents organisation and create opportunities for your soccer players to exploit.

In this post there is a soccer coaching video that explains and demonstrates a functional soccer drill that you can quickly and easily set up on your training ground to achieve success.

Watch this attacking soccer tactic video now…

When your team has control of the ball they have control of the game and its important that your team are comfortable in possession, patient in their build up and know when to switch the ball from one side of the soccer pitch to the other in order to move and shift the defense.

This drill focuses on all of these key elements.

ORGANISATION

Set up 3 zones, two 15 yard square zones with a lane 15 yards by 10 yards in width in between. See the soccer video below for a full illustration.

Decide on three teams of four players, place each team in one of the zones. In zone 1 & 2 the aim of the drill is for the players to keep possession of the ball in their zone and after 5 consecutive passes transfer the ball into the opposite zone.

The players in the neutral zone are the defenders. Only two players from the neutral zone can leave it to go and close down the team in possession.

The objective is for the team in possession to show composure, good control, passing and team work to keep the ball and then transfer it.

The defenders should force errors in the play from the team in possession and once that is achieved they then swap roles.

For full instruction, coaching points and to see how the drill works watch the video.

EQUIPMENT

Plenty of soccer balls, cones, flags, half pitch, 12 players

COACHING POINTS

For The In Possession

• Quick feet and good close control
• Communication
• Accurate passing to feet
• Movement to create space and make passing angles
• Space and support

For The Defenders

• Teamwork in closing down and preventing passing channels
• Mental and physical strength to continue to close
• Good recovery lines to get back and deny space & time
• Hold up the attacker
• Jockey, shield, force the play by body positioning

PROGRESSION

In order to progress this drill you could…

• Decrease the space in the zones
• Increase the number of defenders
• Increase or shorten the distances to be covered.
• Use one and touch touch conditions

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