Breaking Lines

 A Coaching Playbook Featured Session

Practice Type: Technical Practice

Learning Objective: Breaking Lines

Session Outcome: Players recognise opportunities to play through defensive lines.

Layout

• Age: U8s - Adults

• Number of players: 10 - 22

• Duration: 10 - 20 mins 

• Equipment: Balls, Mini-Goal, Cones, Bibs

• Organisation: Quarter-pitch or Half-pitch

• Description: 6 Vs 6 (2-1-2-1 Vs 2-1-2-1)

Session Plan

• Coaching Points: Look forward first, Play through gaps and Receive on the half-turn

• Coaching challenge: Maximum two touches or Double points for goals from through balls

• Common Error: Runs don't support forward passes and Players receive facing backwards

• Progressions: Reward line-breaking passes

• Regression: Remove the requirement to play forward

• Coach Intervention Questions: Can you play through instead of around?

Tactics Board Breakdown 

Real World Examples