42: Grow Coach Newsletter
Football Coaches: Develop your Coaching Craft.
Welcome from JustCoachMD. We are happy to have you on board and look forward to providing you with helpful content.
Here is what to expect:
Coaching Craft: Playing with Overloads and Defending Underloaded.
Full 60-Minute Practice: Fast Break Attacks.
Coach Project: Coach players to attack/defend when overloaded or underloaded.
“If you have an extra man, you must find the overload and make it count. It’s about timing and understanding space. It’s the small details that can change the game.” Pep Guardiola
Winning the Numbers Game: Building Smarter Players with Overloads and Underloads
In Football, the ability to dominate situations where teams are overloaded or underloaded can be the difference between success and failure.
Whether exploiting a numerical advantage in attack or staying resilient when outnumbered in defence, playing with and without overloads challenges players to think faster, communicate better, and sharpen their tactical awareness.
These scenarios simulate the unpredictability of real games, forcing players to adapt, problem-solve, and make split-second decisions under pressure.
For coaches, incorporating overloads and underloads into training offers a powerful tool to develop smarter, more resilient teams capable of thriving in any situation.
1. Develops Problem-Solving Skills
Players must quickly assess the scenario and find creative solutions when teams are underloaded or overloaded. This helps players think on their feet and encourages adaptability during matches.
Game Condition: In a 6v5 small-sided game (See coach project), ask the underloaded team to play without one defender, encouraging them to figure out how to use cover and compactness to reduce the numerical disadvantage.
2. Improves Decision-Making Under Pressure
Players in underloaded situations are forced to make rapid decisions. This high-pressure environment helps them become comfortable handling stress and making the best decisions, even with limited time.
Game Condition: Play a 5v4 transition game where the underloaded team must transition quickly from defence to attack, making decisions with fewer players available.
3. Exploiting Overloads in Attack
In an attacking overload, players must recognise when and where to exploit space to create scoring opportunities. It teaches players how to utilise numerical superiority to break down defensive structures.
Game Condition: In a 6v5 attacking practice, have the team with the extra player focus on creating 2v1 situations on the flanks, forcing them to identify the spare player and create overloads.
4. Dealing with Overloads in Defense
When defending with fewer players, the team must focus on defensive shape, teamwork, and covering space effectively. This strengthens communication and tactical discipline.
Game Condition: Set up a 5v4 defensive practice where the underloaded team has to prevent the opposition from scoring within a time limit, helping them focus on staying compact and communicating to cover gaps.
5. Finding Spare Players
In both attacking and defending overloads, players need to scan and locate the “spare” player who can either relieve pressure or exploit the overload. This encourages awareness and improves off-the-ball movement.
Game Condition: Create a 6v5 possession practice where the team with six players has to find their spare player to progress through a press. This forces them to always be aware of their numerical advantage.
These exercises will mentally and physically challenge players, simulating real-match scenarios while reinforcing important tactical concepts.
What are the core skills players exposed to overloads or underloads require?
Here are some key skills that players exposed to these situations will require. Each skill is summarised and includes a question that the coach could ask a player about their intentions.
Awareness – Recognising overloads and under-loads quickly.
Where is the spare player, and how can you use them to create an advantage?
Decision-Making – Choosing the best option under pressure.
What’s the quickest and safest option to keep possession or stop the attack in this situation?
Communication – Coordinating with teammates in both attack and defence.
How can you help your teammates understand where the danger or opportunity is?
Positioning – Finding and utilising space effectively.
Where should you move to either support the attack or close down space defensively?
Tactical Discipline – Maintaining structure when outnumbered.
How can you stay organised and compact when the other team has more players?
“When you’re outnumbered, you need discipline and teamwork. It’s not about the number of players, it’s about how they work together, how they close the spaces and force mistakes.” - José Mourinho
Full Practice: Fast Break Attacks
Technical Practice | Fast Passing
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Use fast passing to break the opponent’s pressure.
Set-Up:
30 by 30 square with 4x⚫️s and 4x🔴s in the centre and 4x 🟡s on outside
⚫️s work the ball ⚽️ North (N) to South (S)
🔴s work the ball ⚽️ East (E) to West (W).
🟡s Support players on the outside.
How to Play:
Each team has a ball and works it from one 🟡 to the other 🟡 for a point.
⚫️s work N to S and 🔴s work E to W
Each team sends one of their players to chase after the opponent’s ball ⚽️ 🔴1️⃣ and ⚫️1️⃣. If these players win the ball they get a point for their team.
The team with the highest regains and ball transfers wins the round.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: The team that wins the technical practice start the SSG at the end 1-0 up.
👨🏫 Review: Quality and accuracy of the pass.
🚫 Restriction: 🟡an only have one touch to return the ball so require quick support.
1v0 into 2v1s | Fast Breaks to Score
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Use the spare player to exploit overloads and score
Set-Up:
30 by 20 space with a large goal at each end of the pitch.
⚫️s Dribble to shoot unopposed then defend.
🔴s Fast break team in a pair.
🟡s Fast break team in a pair
🟢 GKs
How to Play:
⚫️s dribble around cone then toward goal and try to finish past 🟢 GK.
As soon as this attack is over the 🔴s and 🟡s attack in opposite directions 2v1 to goal.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: The first pair to score wins the round.
👨🏫 Review: Speed of play, forward-thinking exploiting space.
🚫 Restriction: Time limit to score or game resets.
2v1 into 3v2s | Attacking Overloaded | Fast Breaks to Goal
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Score quickly upon regaining possession.
Set-Up:
30 by 20 space, one goal at each end, defended by a GK 🟢.
⚫️s Defend then attack.
🔴s Attack then Defend
How to Play:
🔴s attack in a 2v1 to goal. As soon as the attack is over the ⚫️s attack in the other direction for a 3v2 to goal.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: Double goals for scoring within a set period
👨🏫 Review: Willingness to pass and run, and end product on the finish.
🚫 Restriction: Can only pass forward until you are in the final third (cutbacks etc).
"In those moments, you need players who are willing to suffer, to fight for every inch. The team has to become compact, almost like a wall, forcing the opponent to play around you.” - Diego Simeone
Coach Project
Objective:
To develop players’ ability to exploit an attacking overload or effectively defend when underloaded by focusing on quick decision-making, communication, and tactical awareness.
Coach Task: Exploiting or Defending in Overloaded Situations
Task Overview:
Create a 6v5 scenario in a half-field setting.
The team with 6 players is the attacking side (overloaded), while the team with 5 is the defending (underloaded).
Use goals or mini-goals to give both teams a clear target.
The defending team must be beyond the dashed line to score.
Player Objectives:
Task for Attacking Team (Overloaded): Exploit the numerical advantage by creating 2v1 situations, finding the spare player, and scoring within 8 passes.
Question for the players: Identify where the overload is and use quick passing combinations to create a goal-scoring opportunity. Can you make the most of your extra player?
Task for Defending Team (Underloaded): Stay compact, delay the attack, and prevent the opposition from scoring for at least 20 seconds.
Question: Can you stay organised and communicate to close down space effectively, even though you’re outnumbered?Progression: Reduce the number of defenders to increase the challenge or allow the defending team a quick counter-attack after regaining possession to encourage transition play.
Please feel free to get in touch or share your ideas, actions, and interventions. We would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, post them here; we will do our best to answer them.
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Utilizing the free man in build up phase is one moment. Also, once we enter Progression phase, the recognition of creating a 2v1 (committing a defender by dribbling before playing the ball wide or playing the ball wide for a 1v1 with no continuity in support to make it 2v1).
This article came at the right time for me as it’s one of the tasks my team seems to struggle with. Finding the spare man, utilizing 2v1s and how to defend outnumbered.