Entire Team in the Attacking Third

Field size: Full field scrimmage

Number of players: full team – 11 versus 11

Age range: 14-16

Description: In this game the whole team must be over the half way line of the field for a goal to count. This keeps everyone on their toes and is a good fitness drill for the whole team.

However, perhaps you want to put in the rule that if you connect ten or twenty pass you can go to goal without having your whole team across the half way line. Or, if you connect ten passes in the other teams side of the field you can go to goal. Vary the drill as the team gets more comfortable with getting the whole team across the half way line.

This drill will also open up the game a bit more, as defenders might get caught going foward, trying to get into the half so their team can score, when their team loses the ball and they get counter attacked.

Overall though, getting your whole team into the half of the other team keeps every player invovled. Defenders aren’t just sitting back and watching the midfielders or fowards do all the work. The keeper can stay in their goal of course – they’re exlcuded from having to be over the half way line. That would make it even more interesting though, wouldn’t it?

Equipment needed: Cones and practice vests.

Also, here’s another good soccer drill. Use this drill from the Nike Academy to rip through the opposition’s back four.