Ball possession
Ball possession in soccer is meant the action executed by two or more players that get to transmit the ball avoiding the interventions of opponents. In other words, during the game, each time a team dominated the ball we can say that team "possesses the ball".
At this point we have to make a simple but yet substantial difference between to be "possessing the ball" and "playing to possess the ball"; the first one refers to the fact that any player from the team completely dominates the ball and can execute any move, while the other is an strategic election of the team that wants to dominate the ball for a tactical issue.
The advantages of playing with ball possession in soccer could be:
- Make the opponent move towards the ball to move him away from the defense of their goal
- Force the opponent to a constant change of position to then surprise him in the empty spaces that they has left
- Create the basis for an attacking action
- Change the front of attack
- Control the rhythm of the match
Each coach can add to this cast other motivations and advantages that come from the strategic election without forgetting that to be able to act in an efficient manner they needs from each player some essential tactical and technical concepts:
- Capacity of transmitting the ball and particularly the pass
- Capacity of receiving the ball and particularly of the oriented control
- Capacity of defending the ball
- Capacity of mobility of the players and particularly of unmarking
- Capacity of staggering on the available space creating lines and different passing depths
In the proposed exercises players can become familiar with multiple situations and get used to keep possession of the ball, improving technical and tactical aspects. In this context the coach can influence with individual or group corrections transmitting their philosophy in an efficient manner.
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Soccer Tactics
Thematic match: 6 versus 6, 1 goal can count for 2
Ball possession - Thematic match 6 vs 6 training technical and tactical aspects -
Soccer Technique
Thematic match to train intensity and pressing
Ball possession - 5 v 5 with flank players to train intensity, execution speed, finishing and pressing -
Soccer Tactics
Conditioned game 7 vs 7 - Barcelona FC
Ball possession - From Guardiola's notes : conditioned game 7vs7 with (predetermined) number of compulsory passes before finalizing -
Soccer Tactics
8 vs 4: width and transitions
Ball possession - Ball possession 8 vs 4 in a zone-split rectangle, working on transitions and looking for width -
Soccer Tactics
Rondo 6 v 3 with in-and-out rotations
Ball possession - Situation of numerical superiority in ball possession to facilitate the creation of passing lines -
Soccer Tactics
4 v 4 Small-sided Game - Manchester United
Finishing - Train positioning and losing your marker in order to create scoring chances -
Soccer Tactics
Ball possession and search of space - 3 against 3 + 2 neutral players
Losing your marker - In this exercise we train players so that they learn how to move based on the game and to look always for empty spaces to receive the pass from the teammate -
Soccer Tactics
3 against 3 - Transition and search of depth
3 versus 3 - Useful exercise to train the search of depth and the transition phases -
Soccer Tactics
Theme match: 4 v 4 +1 with side supports
Ball possession - Ball possession in small spaces to train quick passes and quick thinking and execution -
Soccer Tactics
Possession and creating space
Losing your marker - Improve ball possession in a situation of numerical superiority