Possession Passing

Possession Drill with Neutrals (4v4+3)

This possession drill puts two even teams inside a box and three neutrals around its edges who always play for the team with the ball. The extra bodies give the attacking side a 7v4 overload, so players get plenty of touches under real pressure without the game breaking down every few seconds.

AgesU9 to adult
Players8 to 18
Space30 × 25 m
Time15 min
IntensityHigh

Animate it in DrawTactics

It builds support angles, scanning before receiving and the habit of using a free player to escape a press, then playing forward again. Because the ball changes hands often, it also trains the reaction to losing it. Use it as the main possession block of a session, after a rondo and before a game.

Setup

Mark a 30 × 25 m area with a disc on each corner. Play 4 Reds against 4 Blues inside it, with 3 neutrals in a third color on the outside: one on each end line and one on a side line, 11 players in all. Neutrals play for whichever team has the ball and stay on their line. Keep a supply of balls by the area so a new one goes in as soon as one leaves.

Equipment4 discs, Bibs in three colors, Supply of balls around the area

How it works

A Red opens play by passing out to the side-line neutral, and the nearest Blue steps across to press that neutral.
The neutral bounces it straight back inside to a free Red while a third Red runs into space on the far side of the box.
That Red plays up to the neutral on the far end line, and a second Blue closes the passer down.
The end neutral finds the Red who made the run, and the Reds keep the ball away from the press.

Diagram of the possession drill with neutrals (4v4+3) with every pass and run — Every step of the drill on one diagram.

Coaching points

Make the area big when you have the ball and small when you don't
Use a neutral to get out of pressure, then look to play forward again
Open your body before the ball arrives so you can see the next pass
When you lose it, press straight away before the other team can spread out
Show for the ball in the gap between two defenders, not behind one

Make it harder

A pass from one end neutral to the other end neutral, through the Reds or Blues, scores a point
Neutrals are limited to one touch
Players inside are limited to two touches

Make it easier

Add a fourth neutral on the other side line
Make the area bigger
Allow neutrals to pass to each other once

Adapting it by age

U8–U10

Play 3v3 with 4 neutrals in a 25 × 20 m box, so there is always a free outside player. Allow unlimited touches and count five passes in a row as a point.

U12–U14

Go 4v4+3 in the default 30 × 25 m area. Add the end-to-end neutral scoring rule once they keep the ball comfortably, and cap the inside players at three touches.

U15 to adult

Play 5v5 or 6v6 with 3 neutrals on one touch in roughly the same space, so it gets tighter. Insist on a press within five seconds of losing the ball.

Common mistakes

Inside players stand still and wait for the neutrals to do all the work. Make it a rule that a neutral can't pass to another neutral, so the inside team has to move to get it back.

Neutrals hold the ball for several touches and slow the game down. Limit them to two touches, then one, and rotate the neutrals every three or four minutes so everyone gets a turn.

Teams bunch around the ball and the box shrinks. Freeze play and ask who is giving width and depth; one player near each line is a good target.

Players switch off when they lose the ball. Award the defending team a point for winning it back within five seconds.

FAQ

What does a neutral do in a soccer possession drill?
A neutral, sometimes called a joker or floater, plays for whichever team has the ball. That gives the attacking side an overload so they can keep possession and practice escaping pressure.

How many neutrals should I use?
Three is a good starting point for 4v4. Use four if the ball keeps breaking down, and drop to two once players are keeping it well.

Make this drill your own

Open the possession drill with neutrals (4v4+3) in DrawTactics to change the numbers and the size of the area, move the players, and export your own animation or diagram for your team. Or add it to a free session plan and print it.

Animate it in DrawTactics