How to Coach Your Team to Switch Play

Get your team to keep the game flowing and split defences by swinging the ball from one side to the other to create space and outnumber the defence. You can also release pressure by switching the ball, says David Clarke.

Changing the point of attack

The best teams can switch the point of attack to open defences and create space. The attackers are given a chance if they are quick to exploit it and create match winning goalscoring opportunities.

Teach your players how to switch

You need to give your players insight into how the switch works and how to convey to their team mates this is what they are trying to do. Teams tend not to have a player called a sweeper anymore, someone with a role intended to be the playmaker. The playmaker responsibility rests with all your players who can look for an opportunity to catch the opposition unawares with a clever switched pass.

Set up the training session

You need to use half the soccer pitch or if you’re on an all-weather surface or in a gym use a similar sized area.

Arrange your players into seven groups of 2-5 players. This means all your players can be involved. Set it up like in the diagram and follow the session. It involves your players concentrating and using control and timing of movements.

How to change it

Once your players can do it, make it a bit harder by adding another group of players to simulate a defensive or midfield line. You can also add another ball so the play is coming from both sides. Vary the sequence of passing and introduce one-touch play.

Key coaching tip: Concentrate on the quality of the passing and control

How to make it work

1. Tell your players in white to pass the ball across the defence.

2. Get them to play it forward to the team in grey.

3. Grey then plays it back to the white central-defender who passes it forward to the grey player who then passes sideways.

4. Grey then plays it forward and the passing sequence is continued with players filling in where required.