Coaching tools › Activities › Pressing and transition

Fast or Slow

By Gabe Ramos · U.S. Soccer Coach Educator · Updated November 2026

6v6 with a halfway line. Win the ball in their half, and you must shoot inside eight seconds. Win it in your own half, and you must complete six passes first. Where you win it decides how you play.

Setup

A 40x30 with mini goals. 6v6. A halfway line.

How it works

• When a team wins the ball in the opponent’s half, it must shoot inside eight seconds.
• When it wins it in its own half, it must complete six passes before shooting.
• Wrong choice: possession changes.

Scoring

Most goals.

Make it easier or harder

• Progression 1: Ten passes from your own half.
• Progression 2: Let the players decide fast or slow, and explain the choice at the break.

Coach’s notes

• If It Stalls: Wrong choices piling up? The coach calls fast or slow at every win for a round.

Why it works

Good teams change speed. This gives players a simple rule for when: a win near their goal means go, and a win near ours means keep it and get organized.

The second progression is the goal. Once players choose for themselves and can explain why, they understand the game, not just the drill.

Where it sits

This is activity 95 of 100 in 100 Possession Activities (Theme 10 · Counter-Attacks and Transitions). The book is ten themes of ten rungs each, from a 3v1 square to a full 9v9 transition game, and every activity has its setup, rules, scoring, two progressions, three coaching points and an animated video like the one above.

All counter-attacking drills ›

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