Combination Play - Full Session Plan and Key Coaching Points

Combination Play – Full Session Plan and Key Coaching
Points
march 25, 2020 by rhys desmond, posted in coaching, most recent
Combination Play is an essential attacking and possession topic to run with your
players. Combination Play involves the creation of shapes like triangles and
diamonds or synchronized movements and positional interchanges in order to attack
with greater fluidity and organization. All of the best professional clubs in the world
have some clearly defined method of combination play in the final-third of the pitch.
For Borussia Dortmund, they are heavily reliant on one-two-touch play in and around
the 18-yard box, looking for through-ball passes into the area at the right moment or
creating overloads to spread the ball wide and deliver crosses into the box. For
Liverpool, their front-three of Salah, Firmino and Mane orchestrate attacks in the
final-third as though it’s a choreographed routine, relying heavily on positional
interchange and movement off-the-ball to cause chaos for their opposition. Although
our youth teams might never be able to achieve the attacking flair of Borussia
Dortmund or Liverpool, working hard on the training ground on Combination Play can
still be tremendously helpful in the quest for greater attacking prowess.
Here is a session plan all about Combination Play for youth players.
WARM-UP
Set-Up: Triangle passing as pictured. With more numbers, add players in behind at

each cone, or set up another grid.
Execution: Passing circuit as illustrated, with players following their pass from one
cone to the next. Passing should be two-three touch to keep players moving. In
between the two blue cones players can perform a dynamic movement, shuffle
through cones or work on coordination with a ladder.
Variations: Add in a third ball to keep players moving.
Coaching Points:
 First touch in the direction you want to go

 Quick passes and quick movements. Not a jog in between cones but also
not a sprint as it’s a warm-up
 Body shape to receive and receiving on the back-foot (foot furthest away
from the ball, closest to the next cone)
ACTIVITY 1: 6V3 RONDO
Setup: 3 zones, 1 for each team. The total size of each zone should be
relatively small to force quick decision making under pressure.
Execution: Green team starts in the middle. White and Black have a 6v3
majority and must work together to keep the ball away from Green. Black
combines in their zone to play forward to White at the right moment.
Green can only have one player in either attacking zone, but can have two
in the middle zone. If Green wins the ball, they play it over to White and
take the place of Black. Black transitions to defense immediately.
Variations:
 Add neutrals on the outside if 2 extra players, add neutral on

inside if 1 extra player.
 2 defenders can go into the zone with the ball rather than just one.
Coaching Points:
 Maintain triangle shape

 Play forwards at the right moment, don’t force it
 Body shape on the half-turn to play either direction
 Quick 1-2 touch play to lessen time for defenders to react
ACTIVITY 2: THREE PASSES TO SCORE
I am normally not the biggest fan of games that restrict players to a certain
number of passes, but this activity emphasizes keeping possession and not
rushing it forward, and I find the three-pass restriction to be beneficial to
achieving the key learning outcomes of the session.
Setup: 3v3/4v4 in one central grid. 2 neutral players on the outside lines.
With extra numbers, you can add another netural player in the middle or on
the end line.
Execution: Triangle / diamond passing to combine with 3 passes before
the team can advance into the blue zone and shoot. If a team can advance
into the zone after three passes, no member from the other team can
follow. Goalkeepers and neutrals are available as passing options for the 3
passes.
Progression: If a team advances into the blue zone, the defending team
can send one player in to defend.
Coaching Points:
 Triangle and diamond shape to combine

 Quick 1-2 touch passing
 Don’t force it forwards. Play backwards, the goalkeeper, or
neutrals for extra support
GAME 1: POSITIONAL PLAY

Setup: 5v5 in your team shape ensuring triangles and diamonds to
combine. In our example, White is the attacking team and plays 1-2-3 (CB,
CM x 2, RW, ST, LW). Black is the defending team and plays 3-1-0 + a
goalkeeper. The White team’s shape would be applicable to a 3-2-3 (9v9)
or 3-4-3 (11v11). For Black it would be 3-1-3-1 (9v9) or 4-1-4-1 (11v11).
Execution: Ball always begins with the White CB passing to a teammate
on any restart. White team combines and scores on the large goal. Black
team defends and scores in the two small goals on the outer edges of the
field or by dribbling into the orange square.
Variations: Adjust team shape to suit your team’s formation or
personnel/numbers available.
Coaching Points:
 Triangle and diamond shape to combine

 Body shape on the half-turn to play forwards
 Quick one-two touch play to give defenders minimal time to react
 Interchange of movement and passing between the front three
 Striker playing with their back to goal to combine with the two
CM’s. CM’s looking to play wide or shoot from distance as they
have a 2v1
 Playing backwards to CM’s and CB’s to switch play
GAME 2: REGULAR GAME

Setup: 6v6 Game. No restrictions, no conditions. Normal rules of the game apply.
Field size should be based on how well the players have been achieving the key
factors to the session, age of the players and how much time on the ball you want to
give your players. (Smaller size = quicker decisions needed, bigger field size
sometimes = more complex decisions needed).
Execution: Minimal coaching, minimal stoppages of play. Let the players play.
Variations:
5v5: 1-2-1 or 2-1-1
6v6: 1-3-1 or 2-1-2
7v7: 2-3-1 or 1-3-2
CONCLUSION
There it is! A complete session plan on Combination Play. Although trying to be like
Liverpool or Borussia Dortmund might not be something our players will ever
achieve, having players work on their fluidity and interchange in attack can be
extremely beneficial to the team in establishing greater attacking flair and prowess.

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Combination Play – Full Session Plan and Key Coaching

Set-Up: Triangle passing as pictured. With more numbers, add players in behind at

 First touch in the direction you want to go

ACTIVITY 1: 6V3 RONDO

 Add neutrals on the outside if 2 extra players, add neutral on

 Maintain triangle shape

 Triangle and diamond shape to combine

GAME 1: POSITIONAL PLAY

 Triangle and diamond shape to combine

GAME 2: REGULAR GAME

Execution: Minimal coaching, minimal stoppages of play. Let the players play.

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