4v4 Zone Game - U10 to U17 Advance Soccers Drills

Helps players keep possession for a purpose with short/long passing combinations. Also allows one to focus on defensive transition by quickly close down space and eliminate passing lanes.
Soccer Drill contributed by: Chris Johnson

Soccer Drill Info:
This is for ages U10, U12, U14, U16, U17 and up. Run this soccer drill with at least 16 players but no more than 16. This soccer drill should last approximately 25 minutes on a small field. Make sure you have the following equipment: cones, alternate jersey.

Soccer Drill Diagram

Setup:
Create a grid that is approximately 24 x 15 yards, and split it into three 8 x 15 zones (increase size of area if more players are involved or low skill level). Divide the players into three teams of 4. Coaches may want to keep the defenders in one team the midfielders in another and attackers in the other as this helps the group work together as a unit. Place each group of four players in each zone.

Instructions:
The 4 players in the middle zone are split into 2 teams of 2, one pair will be tasked to close down in the right hand zone and the other pair in the left hand zone. The play starts in the right hand zone with the four\r\nplayers focusing on keeping possession but looking for the first good opportunity to pass the ball into the feet of a player in the left hand zone, while being closed down by the pair from the middle zone.(The pair that are left in the middle zone are tasked with trying to intercept the pass when it goes from the right hand zone through the middle zone into the left hand zone). Once this has been achieved the 2 players from the middle who were closing down in the right hand zone return to the middle to intercept, while the two players from the middle who were intercepting go into the left hand zone to close down, the play carries on with the 4 players in the left hand zone doing exactly the same thing.

Offer points to the players for there achievements: 1 point for a completed pass from end zone to end zone, 1 point for 4 completed passes in an end zone, 1 point for the player closing down who wins possession of the ball or forces the ball out of play and 1 point for the player from the middle who intercepts a pass. If the ball goes out of play, give possession back to the 4 players in the end zone and start again.

After 5 mins. the players in the R/H zone go to the L/H zone, the players in the L/H zone go into the middle (not forgetting to split these four players into 2 teams of 2 one to close down in the R/H zone and one to close down in the L/H zone) and the players in the middle go into the R/H zone. Now start again.

Variations:
* Limit the number of touches per player.

Coaching Points:
While the exercise is going on encourage the players to do the following:
1. Support every pass they make
2. Communicate with each other i.e. tell each other if there is a "Man on" or if they have got "Time".
3. Encourage good movement off the ball it is very important the players in the end zone that aren't waiting to receive the ball put themselves into good areas to make it easy for the boys who aren't rying to make the pass.
4. Stress the importance and show the benefits of closing down the opposition and limiting their options.

Focus:
Technical Passing, Technical Receiving, Tactical Defending, Tactical Attacking, Tactical Support, Tactical Possession, Tactical Transition, Tactical Combination Play