📋 Session Plan
U13 Attacking Combinations
A 75-minute session building the give-and-go and through-ball patterns into instinct — the combinations that break defensive lines.
A 75-minute session building the give-and-go and through-ball patterns into instinct — the combinations that break defensive lines.
Standard 20×16 area. Run all constraints — call-by-name, two-touch, open it up. The constant movement primes the squad for the give-and-go work coming next.
Foundation block. Run all 5 phases. The progression from unopposed to passive defender is critical — don't skip phases. By the end, every pair should execute the combination cleanly with a defender alongside.
Bridges from the give-and-go pattern (where the run is INTO space) to the through-ball pattern (where the run is BEYOND a defender). Same skill family, different application. Run the full progression including the recovery defender.
Constraint: 'every goal must come from a 2-pass combination at minimum'. Forces players to look for the give-and-go or through-ball patterns. Run as 5-minute rounds with 90-second resets. End with 5 minutes of free play.
Closing reflection: 'name one combination you saw work today' — peer recognition embeds the learning more than coach correction.
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.