5v5 + 2 Servers Possession (Progressing) — Entrelíneas and Runs in Behind
Progressing and keeping the ball (entrelíneas and runs in behind)
Players: 5+5+2 serversArea: about 25×35 mAge: U-11 and upTime: 15 minPhase: Keeping the ball
Setup & rules
- The attackers take balanced start positions
- After that, they may move positions
- Aim to progress the ball from one server to the other
- When the defenders win the ball, roles switch
Key factors
- If you can progress with the initial start positions plus small adjustments to positioning, don't move positions (no position changes)
- Attackers in every position first look to get past the defensive line through their positioning and orientated control
- When the central attacker drops between the server and the wide player, it becomes the trigger for the mobility that follows
- At that point, if the attacker between the lines is free, play into them; if a defender jumps out, the wide player makes a run in behind
Kazu's notes FROM THE COACH
Notes: Always play with equal numbers so that players recognise the spaces created when the attackers shift their positioning (adding a floater creates a numerical advantage from the start, which changes the meaning of the practice).
Remarks: When the ball reaches a server, the attackers must always take up their start positions (depending on the situation they may not be able to, so it may help to also encourage ways of buying time).
Coaching points:
- First let them play freely and watch whether they can take up their start positions
- Help them understand what situations arise from moving positions with equal numbers
- Encourage the servers to think about two things at once: when to play a short pass and when to look for a long pass
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.
I'm Kazu — a youth football coach in Japan since 1995. These are sessions I actually use, shared from the Japanese coaching site I have run for years (Junior Soccer College). I also write a free weekly
newsletter on how children learn the game.