60: 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: Learn to control possession.
Full 60-Minute Practice: 3 x practices to work on progressive possession.
Possession is important, but it’s what you do with it that matters. You can have 70% of the ball, but if you don’t create chances or control the game, it’s meaningless. The key is to combine possession with intensity and intent." - Jürgen Klopp
Controlling the Game Through Progressive Possession
In modern football, possession is more than just keeping the ball—it’s about controlling the rhythm of the game, dictating the pace, and imposing your style on the opposition.
Progressive football, which focuses on purposeful possession and strategic advancement, has become a hallmark of the world’s most successful teams.
This newsletter explores the principles of possession soccer, why it’s essential, and how to implement it effectively.
We’ll dive into coaching points, tactical considerations, common mistakes, and questions to help players think critically about their roles in this style of play.
Why Possession Football is Important?
Possession football is about more than just passing the ball around—it’s a strategic tool to dominate games. By controlling the ball, teams can:
Manage the tempo: Slow the game down to frustrate opponents or speed it up to exploit spaces.
Conserve energy: Force the opposition to chase the ball, wearing them down physically and mentally.
Create scoring opportunities: Patiently break down defensive structures by moving the ball and players intelligently.
Limit opposition threats: The less the opponent has the ball, the fewer chances they have to score.
At its core, possession football is about control. It’s a proactive approach that allows teams to dictate how the game unfolds, rather than reacting to the opposition.
Key Coaching Points for Players
Technical Proficiency: Players must master the fundamentals of receiving, passing, and retaining the ball under pressure. This includes first-touch control, accurate passing (short and long), and the ability to shield the ball from opponents.
Spatial Awareness: Players need to understand where they are on the field, where their teammates are, and where the opposition is. This awareness helps them make better decisions about when to pass, dribble, or hold the ball.
Movement Off the Ball: Static players make it easy for defenders to mark and intercept. Encourage players to make runs, create passing lanes, and support the player on the ball.
Patience and Timing: Possession football requires discipline. Players must know when to play forward and when to recycle possessions to maintain control.
Tactical Considerations for Possession Football
Formation and Positioning: Formations like 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 are ideal for possession football because they provide passing triangles and numerical superiority in midfield. Players must understand their roles within the system—for example, a holding midfielder who recycles possession or a fullback who overlaps to create width.
Pressing Triggers: When possession is lost, teams must press aggressively to win the ball back quickly. This requires coordination and communication to ensure players press as a unit.
Transition Play: Smooth transitions between defence and attack are critical. Players must immediately react to turnovers, either by pressing high or dropping into a defensive shape.
Playing Through the Lines: Progressive football emphasises moving the ball through the thirds of the field (defence to midfield to attack) with purpose. This requires players to recognise when to play short, quick passes and when to switch the play to exploit space.
Common Mistakes and Faults
Overcomplicating Play: Players may try to force intricate passes or dribble in dangerous areas instead of making simple, effective decisions.
Solution: Encourage players to prioritise safety in their half and take calculated risks in the final third.Lack of Movement: If players are static, the ball carrier has fewer options, making it easier for defenders to intercept.
Solution: Emphasise the importance of constant movement and creating passing lanes.
Poor Communication: Without clear communication, players may not be on the same page, leading to turnovers or missed opportunities.
Solution: Encourage players to call for the ball, signal their intentions, and provide verbal cues to teammates.
Inadequate Support: If players don’t provide enough support to the ball carrier, they can become isolated and lose possession.
Solution: Teach players to position themselves at optimal distances to offer short and long passing options.
Player Questioning
What do you see when you receive the ball?
Potential Answer: “I see the positions of my teammates, the pressure from the opponent, and the space I can exploit.”
How can you create space for yourself or a teammate?
Potential Answer: “I can make a diagonal run to drag a defender away, or I can drop deeper to receive the ball and open up space behind me.”
When is the right time to play a forward pass versus retaining possession?
Potential Answer: “If I see a teammate in space or a chance to break the defensive line, I’ll play forward. If not, I’ll recycle the ball to maintain possession.”
How do you adjust your positioning when we lose the ball?
Potential Answer: “I immediately look to press the ball carrier or drop into a defensive shape, depending on our team’s strategy.”
Final Thoughts:
Possession football is a powerful approach that combines technical skill, tactical intelligence, and mental discipline. It’s not just about keeping the ball—it’s about using it purposefully to control the game and create opportunities.
As a coach, your role is to guide players in understanding the principles of possession, encouraging them to think critically and play cohesively. You can build a team that dominates games through progressive football by focusing on technical proficiency, spatial awareness, and intelligent movement.
Remember, the journey to mastering possession football is ongoing, but the rewards—both in terms of results and style of play—are well worth the effort.
The essence of football is possession. If you have the ball, the opponent cannot score. But possession must have a purpose—it’s about creating chances, not just passing for the sake of it." - Xavi Hernández
Developing Possession | Full Practice
Fast Passing Patterns
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Fast passing patterns to assist possession football.
Set-Up:
On a 30 by 20 space arrange the cones in a diamond shape but the central cones are staggered so there is one of them low and the other higher.
👕 Teams: ⚫️s Work through the technical practice using various patterns
How to Play:
Teams work through the following passing patterns to score a goal 🥅 :
⚫️s work through a variety of passing patterns (Set up x 2) for larger groups. Pass and follow patterns
1️⃣ Wall Pass around central cones.
2️⃣ Around the corner wall pass
➡️ The central player who receives a short pass moves around, the long player stays until they are the short pass then they move around the sequence.
3️⃣ Third player run 🏃♀️. The central players are fixed.
➡️ They receive a long pass, then they receive a short pass then the central players rotate with each other.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: 1st team to achieve a set amount of rounds of a pattern (if practice is set up x 2).
👨🏫 Review: Speed of the pass, the timing of movements.
🚫 Restriction: Each player gets three lives once they are gone they have to do X amount of ball mastery moves to get back in.
Three Team Game | Combine to Transfer | Possession
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Possession to play through a press
Set-Up:
On a 30 by 20 pitch- Cut the playing area in half and place a central coned area to hold a defending team.
Leave the sides open - Gap between central cone and manikins.
👕 Teams: ⚫️ Possession Team, 🔴 Possession Team, 🟡 Defending Team
How to Play:
The two possession teams ⚫️s and 🔴s connect 3-5 passes in their half then transfer the ball via one of the side gates to lock in a point.
🟡s send in two players to chase the ball. If the 🟡s win the ball they dribble into the orange-shaded zone behind the possession team.
As the ball is transferred between sides the 🟡s rotate to maintain the pressing intensity.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: 4 consecutive transfers end the round and put the defending team back in for another round.
👨🏫 Review: When to stay on the ball and when to share it. The use of the first touch to set up your next action.
🚫 Restriction: Defenders have to win the ball or force mistakes at least 5 times to leave the middle zone. Whilst attackers have three touches max.
SSG | Forward Passing | Possession
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Retain and build or set up and score.
Set-Up:
On a 30 by 20 pitch. 4 x mini goals 🥅. Offset the mini goals by around 4 yards to leave room for a support player to set up scoring chances.
👕 Teams: ⚫️ Attacking and Defending, 🔴 Attacking and Defending, 🟡 Support Players (Fixed in one half of the pitch- 1 x 🟡 between goals and 1x🟡 free to roam in the half).
How to Play:
A normal four-goal game where teams use the support players to set up scoring chances. 🟡s between goals are limited to one touch to set up scoring chances.
The players taking the shot at the goal must finish 1st time.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: Double goals for 3 one touch passes that lead to a goal.
👨🏫 Review: When to secure the ball and when to pass forward and attack
🚫 Restriction: Teams have a shot timer ⏱️ when they enter the opponent’s half if they haven’t scored within 10 seconds they must recycle ♻️ the ball ⚽️ back into their half.
The ball is the best player on the pitch. If you take care of the ball, the ball will take care of you. Possession is not just about keeping the ball; it’s about moving it with purpose to create opportunities." - Pep Guardiola
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