Play Like Russia – Running off the Ball
1. Squared area
- Players are split into 3’s in a squared area
- Each player covers a side of the square
- 1 player starts with the football and passes to a team mate
- The player who then played the pass moves towards the space side
- The process repeats itself
- Every player must take 2 touches
- Progress to one touch
CONDITION:
- As the player moves they must face the ball at all times
- The player points and leans where they are running
Key Tips
- Move quickly and effectively
- Maintain good eye contact with team mates and the ball
- Point where you want the ball (non-verbal communication)
Coach’s Tip
- Practice can be done with 4 players – Just add a cone into the middle of the area (if all sides are taken player can move to the space cone)
2. Using Poles as defenders
- Players are split into 2’s with 1 football
- The poles act as defenders
3 types of movement the player performs off the ball:
1. Runs behind the back of the pole (blind side of the defender)
2. Runs in front of the defender
- Ball carrier reacts and takes the ball themselves around the back of the run
- *BY RUNNING ACROSS A DEFENDER, THE DEFENDER WILL TRACK THE RUN AND FOLLOW AND LEAVE SPACE BEHIND*
3. Ball carrier freezes the defender, the support player performs an overlap and receives the ball, creating a 2 v 1 opportunity
Key Tips
- Movement – late and quick
- Point and lean
- Maintain eye contact with the ball and player
3. End Zones
- 1 pitch with 2 end zones
- To score a valid point the team in possession must attempt to play a pass into the end zone for a team mate
- A goal DOES NOT COUNT if the receiving player is standing still to receive the ball in the end zone
- Play turns over when a pass has been made into the end zone
Progression
- If you find the other team blocking the end zone too much: 5 passes = a point also
Key Tips
- Make direct runs behind the defence
- Play passes with disguise
- Point and lean the run
- Run on different angles to the ball
- Straight run to Diagonal pass
- Diagonal run to Straight pass
