5v5 + 2 Floaters Possession (Progressing)
Progressing from the start of the build-up (using space and losing your marker)
Setup & rules
- As in the diagram, play starts from a floater, with the team first set up in a 2-1-2 shape
- The attackers connect passes and aim to progress the ball from one floater to the other
- When the defenders win the ball, they give it to a floater and switch to attacking
- The defenders don't drop back; they press from a high position
- No passes directly between the floaters
- 15–25 min
Key factors
- When you support, use a feint and time your movement (a feint before receiving = a movement to lose your marker, and judging when to move)
- If you are marked, move to another space (if no marker follows, you get free; if the marker follows, you create space for a teammate)
- The player closest to the ball moves into space first (when the nearest player moves first and others then fill that space, the movements become connected)
- Support in the space a teammate has vacated (avoid players occupying the same position and create mobility)
- When a teammate moves into your space, move to another space (if you stay there, one defender ends up marking two players. Moving to another space puts the defender in a dilemma)
- Target the space left by a defender who is drawn by a teammate's movement (when a defender jumps to intercept a pass, the space behind them is easier to target)
Kazu's notes FROM THE COACH
The biggest feature is that everyone except the floaters is marked man-to-man. Coaching points:
- The supporting player first checks whether they are free and where the opponents are
- If free, stay where you are; if marked, move to another place
- Once players can see the opponents' movements, have them also watch their teammates' movements
- Once they can see their teammates' movements, have them also watch the movements of the players marking their teammates
Gradually increase what players need to look at and the factors they need to judge. Adjust the pitch size according to how often the target situations occur. Tools: tactical concepts = support, losing your marker, using space / technical actions = passing, carrying dribble.
Use this drill in your own session
Download it and open it in TRAINING DESIGNER — a free drill designer and session planner in your browser. Edit the diagram, change the numbers, add it to a session, and export as PDF, GIF or video.
In the app: menu → “Import external data” → choose the downloaded file. No sign-up needed. The original Japanese article: junior-soccer.college.One idea a week from Japanese youth football
A free weekly essay on how kids actually learn the game — complexity, the ecological approach, and what 30 years on Japanese grassroots pitches taught me.
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