U13 Pre-Season — Week 5
A 75-minute match-realistic session — the rebuild is done, intensity rises. SSG-heavy with finishing pressure.
▦Session blocks
3v1 Rondo with one-touch progression
Two parallel rondos. Run the standard 6 minutes, then 4 minutes one-touch only. By week 5 the squad should handle one-touch rondos cleanly — that's the technical baseline for match-realistic work.
Finishing Under Pressure
Run the full progression including 100% pace defender. Players should handle pressure cleanly by week 5. If composure breaks, return to the 5-second timer for 4 minutes, then back to 3-second.
4v4 with full constraints rotation
Run 5 rounds of 4 minutes, each with a different constraint covering all the season themes: passing, first touch, defending, dribbling, shooting. By round 5 the squad should be applying multiple themes naturally — that's the integration test.
Full-pitch SSG (5v5 with keepers)
Move to a larger pitch (40×25 yards). Add full goals + keepers (rotate 1-2 outfield players in goal). Free play, no constraints. This is the first match-realistic environment of the pre-season — players should look like a team.
Recovery-Paced Possession
Closing circle. Brief, simple debrief: 'are we ready for the friendly?' Listen to player responses honestly. Squad self-assessment is part of the maturation.
◆What you'll need from yourself
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.
!Common problems
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).