📋 Session Plan
U11–U12 Combination Play
A 60-minute session building the give-and-go, third-man run, and overlap combination — the three attacking patterns that transform individual quality into
A 60-minute session building the give-and-go, third-man run, and overlap combination — the three attacking patterns that transform individual quality into
Standard 4v1. Rule: after every pass you must take at least 2 steps to a new position. No standing after passing. This rule enforces the 'pass and move' habit that makes the combination session possible. 10 minutes, competitive, high reps.
Two players, one ball, passive defender. Player A passes to Player B, immediately runs in behind the defender. Player B plays first-time back into A's run. 6 reps each pair. Name it: 'That is a give-and-go.' The key: A must run BEFORE the pass arrives at B — the run starts when A's foot leaves the ball, not after.
Three attackers, one defender. A passes to B. A then makes a decoy run. B passes to C who runs in behind. The third man is C — the player who doesn't touch the first pass but arrives to receive the second. Walk through it three times before adding the defender. Once understood: 4 reps at pace. Bonus: if the third man scores, that combination gets called 'third man' aloud.
7v7 (or 9v9). Bonus scoring: give-and-go that creates a shot = 2 pts. Third-man run that creates a shot = 3 pts. Overlap that produces a cross or shot = 2 pts. Any goal = 1 pt. Coach calls bonus points aloud when they occur. Target: at least 3 bonus point sequences in 25 minutes. If none occur by 10 minutes, pause for 60 seconds and demonstrate one combination, then resume.
Clear demonstrations and high energy. Keep the session moving with minimal queuing, and reinforce one or two key coaching points rather than overloading players with information.
Players standing in queues (set up enough stations to keep everyone active) and the session running too long on one activity (keep blocks tight and move on while engagement is high).
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Coaches tip: Post-session recovery nutrition matters as much as the drills themselves — MaxiNutrition's recovery range is built for exactly this.
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Building conditioning between sessions at home? DeerRun UK's home treadmills make it easy to keep up cardio work off the pitch.