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Free activity · 100 Possession ActivitiesSupport Ahead and Behind
A 24x16, 6v3, and the team must always have a player ahead of the ball and one behind it. A pass backward followed by a pass forward counts double. It shows players that a back pass is how you go forward.
Setup
A 24x16. 6v3. The team in possession must always have a player ahead of the ball and one behind it.
How it works
- A pass that is played backward and then forward inside two passes counts double.
- Six passes is a point.
- Defenders swap on a win.
Scoring
First to 15.
- One in front, one behind, always.
- The back pass is not a retreat. It changes the angle.
- The forward pass after it is the one they cannot stop.
Make it easier or harder
- Progression 1: The backward pass must be one touch.
- Progression 2: Add a defender: 6v4.
Coach’s notes
- If It Stalls: Everyone ahead of the ball? Nobody may receive a forward pass until one has been played backward.
Why it works
Young players often think a backward pass is a mistake. Parents on the sideline can make that worse. The double score turns it into the smart play it usually is.
It also teaches the player without the ball. Staying behind the play feels like doing nothing, until the team needs that outlet.
Where it sits
This is activity 34 of 100 in 100 Possession Activities (Theme 4 · Angles and Support). 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 angles and support drills ›
More like this
Ages 11+ · Possession and passingTraveling TriangleThree attackers with one ball travel down a 10x30 channel against a defender who may only walk, keeping a triangle around the defender the whole way.
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Ages 11+ · Possession and passingAngles RondoNobody may receive in a corner, or in a straight line with a defender.
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Ages 11+ · Possession and passingWall Passes to GoalWaves of 3v2 to goal, and a one-two doubles the score.
Open the activity ›All ten rungs of this theme, and nine more themes
100 Possession Activities is a 115-page PDF with 100 animated MP4 videos: rondos, playing out from the back, through the lines, support, switching, overloads, movement, timing, counter-pressing and counter-attacks. Print the page, watch the clip, run the session.