Competitive Square

Focus

Skills under pressure, Defensive, Contested ball, Decision Making.

Skills

Kick Short, Tackle, Handball Quick, Crumb.

Purpose

Good old fashioned hard-ball-get practice is occasionally required to improve attack on the ball. This drill provides competitive practice both 1-on-1 and with assistance from teammates. Winning the contest requires accurate disposal under pressure.

Players

10⁺

Ages

13⁺

Balls

Cones

Distance (max)

30m

Opp. tops

50%

Visible opposition strip: 50%

Setup
Create a 30m long hexagon with cones as per diagram for each group of 10 (5 vs 5). Players from each team are assigned a letter (A) to (E). Players (A) to (D) line-up on opposite sides of the square so their opponent is diagonally opposite. (E)'s stand at opposite ends of the square facing one another.
Step 1
Coach or assistant feeds the ball somewhere into the square. They then call out a random letter from '(A)' to '(D)'. In this example, the coach calls for (A)'s.
Step 2
(A)'s from both sides sprint into the square and compete for the loose ball. In a 1-on-1 contest, the player who gathers the ball can use teammates (B) to (D) as kick or handball options, however these players must return the ball to (A) immediately and not draw the opponent.
Step 3
The aim is for the competing players to deliver the ball on-the-full to their teammate (E) from within the playing area. If (E) takes the ball with one foot touching the cone, 1 point is awarded to the team.

Players on the cones aren't allowed to deliver to (E) and must only return possession to the contesting players.

If the ball goes out of bounds, restart the contest by feeding the ball somewhere into the square.

If a scrimmage occurs, also restart with a random feed.
Step 4
Once the contest is won, players return to their stations, and the running aggregate score is called out.
Step 5
The next contest starts, again with a feed into the square. The coach can either call for another 1-on-1, e.g. '(C)', or can call multiple letters, eg '(B)' and '(D)', in which case two players from each team enter the square and compete.

You can call up to 4 players from each team to compete.

If multiple players are called, the players on the cones cannot be used.