Rules:

50 x 40 area
Players must pass the ball to their target players to score. To score again they have to work the ball back into their own half of the field to be able to return.
Target players have two touches as do side players.

Coaching Points:

Creating Space by running off the ball to receive or to help a teammate receive.
Quality of Passing; long and short to targets and to teammates.
Support play: working angles and distances incorporating switching play using the side players.
Receiving and Turning in tight situations and dribbling in 1 v 1 situations.
Quick decision making is required in this session because the numbers are small, the area tight and the transitions rapid.

Develop:

No restriction on touches then 3, 2 or 1 touch, but only if it is on to do one touch.
All outside and target players have one touch only where possible
Switch with target players as they receive the ball.
Switch with outside players

Here is an example of the transition and movement off the ball to make it happen.

(2) passes to target player (8) who brings the ball back into the playing area.
(3) makes a run into the other half of the field on the blind side of (C) to receive the next pass. They need to get the ball into that half to be able to score.
(1) makes a forward run into space to receive the next pass off (3) and passes to target player (7) who can start the play again.
(1) switches with (7) and becomes a target player for the next phase of play.

Observe the Attacking Team – Recognize their movement off the ball for example to work the ball into their own half see if the players make runs early in there as soon as the ball is at a target, some should support short and some long so the target has choices.

Observe the Defending Team – See if they are sucked to the ball or they recognize runs off the ball and track players making runs away from the ball into the other half. To lessen the workload and keep everyone involved have players switch with targets and outside side players when they pass to them.

Elements of play the target game teaches

Attacking as Individuals and as Team

Creating Space by running off the ball to receive or to help a teammate receive.
Developing quick support play working angles and distances incorporating switching play using the side players.
Passing long and short to targets and to teammates.
Receiving and turning in tight situations and dribbling in 1 v 1 situation’s.
Lots of touches on the ball for the players in this practice.
Quick decision making is required in this session because the numbers are small, the area tight and the transitions rapid.

Defending as Individuals and as a Team

Pressurizing players on the ball to regain possession.
Supporting pressuring players and tracking runners off the ball.
High pressure to regain possession in the attacking half to be able to go straight to the target to score.

We have transitions from defense to attack and attack to defense, quick decision making and improved concentration as the switch occurs. There are interchanges of positions between inside players, targets and side support players.

As a coach you can work in this session how to defend properly as individuals and a team or how to attack properly as individuals and a team.

Conditions to impose to change the focus of the game

No restriction on touches then three, two or one touch but only if it is on to do so.
Introduce neutral player so a 5 v 4 overload in the middle if possession isn’t kept easily.
Interchanges of players outside to in, inside to out as they pass the ball observing the quality of the pass and the first touch of the receiver or performing a crossover.
Have one teammate at each end so you are attacking both ends but once you have passed to one target you keep possession and must try to get to the other target. You can’t go back unless the opposition win the ball and then you get it back, only then can you go back to the same target.
To lessen the workload and keep everyone involved have players switch with targets and outside players when they pass to them. This causes a constant transition of players and focuses the player’s concentration.
The team can only score if they get an overlap, crossover or 1 – 2 in during the build up.
No talking so players have to rely on their own vision to play.
Players move into the target zone to receive (timing of run and pass) so we don’t play with actual targets, different players can then become the target player.
Man – Marking – Have the players man mark so they must track a player when they haven’t the ball and they must lose their marker when they have the ball. This is a good test to see who is working hard and who isn’t as they have a designated job to do. You as a coach can see who works to get free of their marker and who works hard to prevent the player they are marking get the ball.
This session is particularly good as a midfield play practice session as you can liken the start when the ball is at a target as it being a target defender passing it in and to get to the other side through midfield to the other target who is now a striker. Then this target player maintains possession and the team can go the other way, the target striker then becomes a defender for the attacking team starting the move and the other target becomes the striker to pass the ball to. So it is consistent movement end to end with the attacking team from a defender into midfield to a striker.
To improve the speed of thought reward a successful one touch pass with a goal or point. To score a goal by passing to the target player now reward this with three goals or 3 points.
The team in possession can pass back to the opponents target players to help keep possession of the ball. Liken this to passing back to the keeper in a game situation.