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Equipment, Setup & Instructions
Equipment
- Cones to mark the practice area and circle boundary, and to set up 2-yard gates.
- Sufficient balls for each blue server.
- Bibs or markers to distinguish reds from blues, if needed.
Setup
- Area: 35x25 yard rectangular area with a circular zone marked inside it using cones.
- Group Red: 2 red players start inside the circular zone, facing outward toward the blues, without a ball.
- Group Blue: 4 blue players start spaced evenly around the outside of the circle, each holding a ball.
- Equipment: Cones marking the corners of the 35x25 yard area, cones marking the circular zone boundary, and multiple 2-yard-wide cone gates spaced with gaps between them inside the circle.
Instructions
- A blue player passes the ball to a red in the circle.
- The red must receive and turn through a gate with one or two touches, aiming to open up to a passing lane.
- The red then passes the ball to a different blue and moves to find another available gate.
- Players continue rotating, with reds seeking space and gates and blues delivering varied passes.
- Coach manages pace, ensuring the ball remains on the ground and decisions are made swiftly.
Coaching Points
- Call for the ball and announce your next option for clear communication.
- Move early to create space and receive through a gate.
- Establish effective passing angles and spacing around receivers.
- Make early decisions by scanning before and during possession.
- Use quality first touches to efficiently turn through gates.
- Keep your head up to maintain awareness.
- Ensure continuous movement: receive, turn, and move to a new gate.
- Support plays quickly after passing to maintain available passing angles.
- Adopt a side-on body shape ready to receive and turn.
- Keep passes grounded with appropriate weight and direction.
- Understand and adjust to available passing options.
- Maintain fluidity in passing and support movements.
Variations
Make it harder:
1. Restrict reds to a single touch to receive and turn before passing.
2. After the first touch, have the coach call out a specific gate color/side to turn through.
3. Blues can only pass to gates unoccupied by a red in the last 2 seconds, requiring increased scanning.
Make it easier:
1. Allow reds two touches: one for setup, one for turning through the gate.
2. Decrease the number of cone gates to simplify the choice for reds.
3. Slow down the drill, allowing time for scanning before receiving and turning.
4. Use softer, shorter passes to improve control and ensure passes stay grounded.
FD
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