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Intercept The Pass

By SoccerFitnessTraining.com 

Top class players have an unnerving ability to receive a ball whilst under immense pressure from the closing opposition. Us lesser players just marvel at the skills required to take control of the ball and keep it away from their opponents in what seems to be very little space.

Younger players, especially, can be fazed by an opponent rushing towards them because of their need for more space to control the ball. Defenders can use this to their advantage by quickly closing down opponents before they have the ball fully under control and pick the attacker's pocket.

Below is a training exercise which will help with this playing scenario:

How to play this session

Mark out two areas the each the size of the penalty area, but separate the two by a 10 yard no man's land or no-go area.

Play 5 a side with a keeper, two defenders and two attackers on either side.

Place two attackers from one team and two defenders from the other in each area.

The players must remain in the half they started in.

As usual,toss a coin for kick off, play begins with the goalkeeper.

Restarts are with the keeper as well if the ball goes over the end lines, no corners. Throw-ins are taken as usual.

Play is continuous – when a team gains possession they look to pass and attack the goal.

Attacking players must create space for the defenders to pass to.

Defenders must try and win the ball from the attackers.

Ways to Improve this Training Exercise

The passing player can follow the ball into the attacking half.

Increase "no man's land" to 20 yards to make passing and timing of runs that much harder.

By making "no man's land" wider, you make the pass longer giving the defenders more time to see the ball and close the attackers down.

It will be harder to the pass accurately because the player will need to add power to the passing equation.