Support and overload

Strikers need to do more than just score goals sometimes they have to hold the ball up until support players arrive to create overloads in attack. Important for the players to create space with the overload attack, keeping possession until the midfield support arrives and movement of players to open routes to goal

Set up

You need balls, bibs, cones and two. In an area 50 x 30 yards split in two with a goal at each end. We used 18 players in the session.

How to play it

You have two halves that alternate in attacking. One half works and the other half rests. Both halves have a goalkeeper and a back three, defending against three forwards.

The midfielders who will start the attack, begin at the opposite goalposts. These midfielders will have to make long supporting runs to join the attack.

The exercise begins from the two midfielders in the opposite half of the field. The midfielder with the ball dribbles into the field (unopposed) and then plays it into the forward in the other half.

As soon as the forward touches the ball, the play is live. The forwards are outnumbered until the two midfielders arrive, then resulting in an overload for the attacking team.

Once the midfielders arrive, this creates a 5v4 situation for the blues (attacking team).

Once the attack finishes, the next group attacks the other end. The flow of the exercise is important as a high tempo will make decision making harder and challenge the players’ fitness levels as well as technical skills.

Technique

Good passing and communication are vital to success of the session