Coaching tools › Activities › Playing out of the back
Free activity · 100 Possession ActivitiesSwitch and Go
Keeper, two backs and three mids against four pressers, with three gates on the far line. A point for a gate, and two if the ball went from one back to the other first. Playing out of the back with a reason to change sides.
Setup
Keeper, two backs and three mids against four pressers on a 40x30 with three gates on the far line.
How it works
- A point for a gate. Two points if the ball went from one back to the other before the gate.
- Pressers may press anywhere.
- If they win it, they go to goal.
Scoring
First team to eight points.
- Play one way to make them shift, then switch.
- Center mid: receive side-on so you can play either way.
- Backs: receive the switch moving forward, not standing.
Make it easier or harder
- Progression 1: A switch counts only if it goes through the center mid.
- Progression 2: Pressers get a second ball: if they win it and score inside ten seconds, three points.
Coach’s notes
- If It Stalls: No switches happening? A gate on the same side as the last three passes is worth nothing.
Why it works
A press is strongest when the ball stays on one side. The two-point rule rewards the team for doing the one thing a press does not want: moving the ball away from the pressure.
Watch the center mid’s body shape. Side-on, they can play either way. Square, they can only go back to where the ball came from.
Where it sits
This is activity 14 of 100 in 100 Possession Activities (Theme 2 · Playing Out From the Back). 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.
More like this
Ages 11+ · Playing out of the backDiamond OutKeeper, two backs and a center mid in a diamond against two pressers, with three gates across the far line.
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Ages 11+ · Playing out of the backBeat the First LineHalf a field. Keeper, two backs and two wide mids build against three pressers, and a striker waits in an end zone past halfway.
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Ages 11+ · Playing out of the backBounce or Turn From the KeeperTight, bounce it back. Loose, turn and carry. The score counts decisions.
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.