Diagonal Runs Without the Ball in a 6 v 6 Game

The following comes from Soccer Awareness eBook 12: 16 Team Shape Games. Soccer shape teaches players how to defend and attack as a team. No matter what formation you choose to play, Team Shape is a vital component to how successful your team will play on the weekend. In this book we will look at various options based on age groups for the size of the games. Get the book here.

---

The theme here is making diagonal runs with or without the ball to receive or create space for a teammate. When it is a forward diagonal run the player making it must avoid running offside in a game situation.

Coaching Points:

1. Creating Space.

2. Decision – when and where to pass into the receiver.

3. Technique – Quality of pass particularly the weight, accuracy and timing.

4. Angle and Timing of the Diagonal Runs both to create space and to receive the ball.

5. Support Positions of the players.

In the above example (2) is on the ball to pass it forward. (6) Makes a diagonal run away from the center taking man marking (B) with them. (4) Also makes a diagonally opposite run away from the central area taking (C) away also. This leaves space for (5) to come short with another diagonal run to receive the pass. As in receiving and turning (5) may have run (A) off to check back if time was available to do so thus creating more time and space on the ball.

Another way to create space for (5) coming short to receive would be for (6) to make a run towards (5) and cut across the path of (5)’s marker (A) to hold up their run.

---

Creating Space In A Small Sided Game Of 6 v 6

The following drill comes from the Soccer Awareness Training Center. Soccer Awareness Training Center provides unlimited access to Wayne Harrison's Soccer Awareness systems, training sessions, drills and more. Wayne's system helps develop world class youth soccer players and teams in a systematic and imaginative manner that guarantees performance at the highest level of competition. Whether you’re a beginning coach who needs help getting started or someone who wants to add some variety to their training sessions, the Soccer Awareness Training Center offers a wide variety of drills to choose from. Join Today

---

Here the players work to get free of their markers by their movement off the ball; they create space for themselves and / or for their teammates.

Coaching Points:

1. Creating Space – Spreading out as a team.
2. Decision – When, where and how to Create Space.
3. Technique – of passing and receiving.
4. Support Positions of players; angles and distances, movement off the ball.

In the above example (2) and (3) break wide to create space and offer two options to receive a pass from the keeper, (3) receives the pass and (4) runs off (C) to check back to receive the pass in space. (5) And (6) create space in front of the receiving player by making split runs to move (A) and (B) away from where (4) wants to attack and shoot at goal.

If either (A) or (B) do not track the two strikers and stay in the space in front to defend against (4) then (4) can pass to whichever play got free by not being tracked on their run.

Download a printable pdf of this session and more defensive small-sided games in the Soccer Awareness Training Center.

---