Session #18: Introduction of Overlapping and Cross Overs

pdf of Session #18: U9-U12 L2T Player Development Sessions #18

Everybody is IT
Area: 15×15 or smaller

• All players are inside of a small area and they are all IT.
• When tagged, you go down on one knee.
• While on one knee if you can reach out and tag someone running past you then they are down on one knee and you are back in the game.
• If two players are down on one knee and they are close enough to high five then they are both back in the game.

Passing with Visual Awareness with Opening UP as the focus
Area: 15×15 or smaller

• Players cannot play the same ball twice.

1. Open up with every first touch.
2. Break the LINE.
3. Live on the LINE then back up and open up with first touch breaking the line with your movement.

• REVISIT what opening up means (ball rolls across body to “back foot” or “front foot” depending on your use but let’s use OPEN UP and Run Across Body)
• VISUAL AWARENESS. “Information comes in through eyes” “Find spaces between players, curtains to pass through, BREAK IMAGINARY LINES”

• “Can you be looking side to side and see if you can use players as the frame of the window, if that frame gets too small can you move to a larger one?”

Tech/Tact Exercise (Overlapping)
Area: 15×15 or smaller

• ½ of the players are on the inside of an area. These players have the ball.
• They pass to an outer player who is encouraged to be as wide as possible. When they receive it wide the player dribbles toward the middle making space for the inner player to ‘GET AROUND’ them
• The inner-passer tells the outer player to “HOLD” which is an indication they want to overlap. They then get around the outside player then return to the center area telling the outer-player when they wanted it played “NOW”
• Passes should take the players back into the middle of the area. • Allow them 2-3 minutes then switch players between areas.

Tech/Tact Exercise (Cross Overs)
Area: 15×15 or smaller

• ½ of the players are on the inside of an area. These players have the ball.
• Player on the inside dribbles toward a player on the outside, encourage player on the outside to remain wide.
• Outer-player moves toward the player dribbling towards them and the OBJECTIVE is to complete a ‘CROSS OVER’ and take their touch into the middle area.
• Can each player, receiving the ball and leaving the ball, accelerate on the exchange?
• Allow them 2-3 minutes then switch players between areas.

We refer to them as CROSS OVERs versus TAKE OVERs simply because of the visual of a Cross or ‘X’ and we can make the movement with our arms how we cross them to create an X.

4V4 plus 2 Neutral (Overlapping)
Area: 15×15 or smaller

• Attack one end zone…when you score, quickly change direction and attack the other end line. How many goals can be scored in three minutes?
• Players must dribble into the end zone.
• Attempt an overlap before you score. Overlaps …. Attacking AROUND Where is the least protected space? How can you attack the least protected space? How can you overlap and attack the least protected space?

A point if you complete an overlap …. can complete as many overlaps without scoring as we want to encourage the movement and creation of space.

Can you as a coach, show how an overlap is a 2v1 and can you show that attackers on the ball how they can dribble inside to open up space for the overlapping player and if not possible then continue to dribble forward or START OVER.

Final Game
Area: 15×15 or smaller

• Encourage the overlap or take over (if someone is dribbling across the field and/or shielding).