Get ready to attack

U13–U16 | HANDLING 7

Get players used to fixing a defender by attacking at pace

1. Mark out a 20m x 10m area. Put two cones on one long side, 4m and 8m from one corner. Down the centre of the area line up five players, two on yellow cones, two on red and one on white. Put a feeder on the short side of the area facing them.
2. You call either “Yellow” or “Red”. The colour called, here “Red”, is the defender group. The other colour are the attackers The player on white always joins the attackers.

3. On your call, the defenders run to touch the cones on their try line, while the attackers run to the opposite line.
4. All players then run back into the area. The two defenders can defend against the two inside attackers only, leaving the widest attacker free.

5. The feeder passes to the nearest attacker once the defenders have touched their cones. They all then play out a 3v2 with the free attacker aiming to score over the defenders’ line.
6. Develop by allowing defenders to defend against any player so the attack has to decide on choice and time of pass.

You will need

• A 20m x 10m area
• 1 ball
• Coloured cones
• Bibs

Got more players?

Set up a second playing area and run another game alongside.

What to tell your players

“Hands up to receive the pass”
“Attack at pace”
“Pass for the receiver”