How to work in groups to pressure and win the ball

Remember when you first started coaching and all the 5-year-olds ran around after the ball like bees around a honey pot? Well I'm not talking about that, I don't want to see players hunting in packs to win the ball.

What you can do, though is get your players working in groups to apply pressure and cause a mistake that wins the ball.

All over the pitch, if you can get 2v1 situations in your favour, you're going to win the ball. Unless you come up against the under 10s version of Ronaldo.

Working together to win the ball is also a good team building exercise. It is great when your actions help win the ball for your team.

I have used this exercise by Tony Carr for a number of my teams because it helps your players exploit 2v1 situations so they know what they have to do in games.

It develops the players' understanding of applying full pressure on the ball and working as a group to win the ball, giving the chance for counter attacks.

How to play it

The first attacker enters the pitch and passes the ball into the top attacker. The two defenders immediately apply pressure to the attacker and try to win the ball.

If they win possession they are free to take on the first attacker in a 2v1 situation. After each attack, two new defenders enter the game. The first attacker becomes the top attacker. The top attacker rests.

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