BUILDING FROM

THE BACK IN
A 3-5-2
AG E P H AS E : U 1 7 +
SESSION PLAN
SESSION OVERVIEW BUILDING FROM THE BACK IN A 3-5-2

LEVEL PART 3: 11v11 GAME KEY

• U17+ • This is an 11v11 game, with a zone in the middle of the Ball movement
pitch created as a visual aid for the attacking team to
be able to create overloads depending on the position Player movement
SESSION OBJECTIVES of the ball. without the ball
• The practice provides high levels of realism and
• To develop players’ understanding of how to build complexity when building. Adding in the strikers and Player movement
play effectively. extra midfield player connects all of the learning from with the ball
• To increase players’ ability to create overloads in both previous practices across the whole team.
central and wide areas.

PART 1: 6v3 POSSESSION-TRANSFER Players

GAME
• This is a possession-transfer game that introduces some Cones
of the concepts of building out in a 3-5-2 formation.
• It challenges the attacking team to recognise when to
Flat marker
play through or around the opposition.
• The coach can use this practice to highlight both
technical and some positional detail.
Cones with
flat marker
PART 2: 8v6 POSITION-SPECIFIC
PRACTICE
Goal
• This is a position-specific attack v defence game that
focuses on building play from the back.
• There is a specific focus on the positioning of the Mini-goal
middle centre-back and wing-backs, which will depend
on the type of pressure the opposition are putting on
the team.
Mannequin Pole

Football

AGE PHASE: U17+

6v3 POSSESSION-TRANSFER GAME BUILDING FROM THE BACK IN A 3-5-2

FUNCTION 1
N

• This is a principle-based possession-transfer game that

takes place on a pitch measuring 20m x 40m, with two C
20m x 20m halves. Two goals are placed on each end
line, three metres in from each touchline. A B
• It features three teams of three, with two playing
together against the other in a 6v3. There are also D B A D
two neutral players (N), positioned on the outside of C
the playing area, and two target players (D) who start
C
between the two goals on each end line. A
• The in-possession team – Team A in Diagram 1 – B
attempts to transfer the ball from one target player to
the other, using the possession team in the other half of
the pitch (Team C) if necessary.
• The defending team – here, Team B – moves to defend N
in the opposite half of the pitch once the ball has been
transferred, as shown in Diagram 2. The neutral players
on the outside move to create an overload in whichever
2 N
half of the pitch the ball is in.
• The shape of the in-possession team thus replicates
a back three and two wing-backs – as in Diagram 2.
• If the out-of-possession team wins the ball back, they A
C

should attempt to score in the target goals in the half B

they won possession. The team that concedes or puts
the ball out of play then becomes the chasing team. C
A
D B D

DEVELOPING THE PRACTICE

A
B
• To progress the practice, the coach can limit the
C
possession teams to two touches. This ensures that the
speed of the ball is kept high throughout.

AGE PHASE: U17+

6v3 POSSESSION-TRANSFER GAME BUILDING FROM THE BACK IN A 3-5-2

COACHING DETAIL: TECHNICAL

BODY POSITION
• Players should attempt to position themselves in a way
in which, as they receive possession, they are able to
break the opposition’s lines of pressure.
• Challenging the players to be able to see three corners
of the pitch when receiving will help with this coaching
point.

PASS DETAIL
• Fast-paced passes to the back foot of the receiving
player will allow the in-possession team to play around
or through the pressing players.
• Passes played to a receiving player’s front foot might
suggest that they need to protect the ball and find an
alternative way to play forward.
• The coach should consider encouraging players’ use of
disguised passes.

RECEIVING SKILLS
• Players should be able to receive the ball and move it
away from pressure with their first touch.
• This first touch should either be positive to play
forward, or should be an attempt to hide the ball from
pressing players to allow possession to be maintained
and circulated.

SCANNING
• Underpinning all of the in-possession players’ technical
actions is a high level of awareness as to the type
of pressure they’re facing at any moment and the
movement of their teammates.
• Constantly perceiving the picture through glances and
shoulder-checks is crucial in this sense.

AGE PHASE: U17+

8v6 POSITION-SPECIFIC PRACTICE BUILDING FROM THE BACK IN A 3-5-2

FUNCTION 1
1 3

• This is a position-specific practice that takes place in

one half of a pitch, with the wider areas zoned off from 2 7 8
6
around 10m in the half to the centre circle. Two target
goals are placed on the halfway line and eight metres in
3
from the touchline.
8
• The pitch is split into five vertical lanes as shown in 9

Diagram 1. Lines are marked in line with the width of 4

the 18-yard and 6-yard boxes. 10
• The in-possession team, playing left to right, is made up
4
of a goalkeeper, a back three, two wing-backs and two
central midfielders. They should set up as pictured
in Diagram 1, with the wing-backs in the wide zones, 5 7
4
the two outside centre-backs and two midfielders in 11

Zones 2 and 4, and the middle centre-back pushed

forward in the central zone. 5
2
• The pressing team, playing right to left, is made up of
a midfield four and two strikers. They should set up as
2
pictured in Diagram 1, with the central midfielders and 1 3
strikers in the central zone and the two wide midfielders
in Zones 2 and 4.
• Diagrams 1 and 2 show how to create overloads 2 7 8
6
through the positioning of the wing-backs and middle
centre-back.
3 9
• The ball starts with the in-possession team, who should 8
attempt to play out from the back to score in either of 7
4
the two target goals on the halfway line.
• If the pressing team manages to win possession, they 10 4
attempt to score quickly past the goalkeeper.
• To develop the practice, any goal scored by the
11
possession team can be worth the number of passes
they made before scoring – so 10 passes = 10 points,
4 5
for example. This will challenge the team’s decision-
making on when to play forward and when to recycle
possession. 5 2

AGE PHASE: U17+

8v6 POSITION-SPECIFIC PRACTICE BUILDING FROM THE BACK IN A 3-5-2

COACHING DETAIL: PASS DETAIL

IN POSSESSION
MIDDLE CENTRE-BACK
• The middle centre-back plays a pivotal role in creating
overloads when the ball is central. They should assess
whether the opposition strikers are pressing high or
protecting and creating a block.
• When the opposition is pressing high, the middle
centre-back should push forward and look to play
behind the line of the opposition strikers. This will
create opportunities to play through their press.
• If the opposition is protecting, the middle centre-
back can stay deep and play in front of the opposition
strikers, so creating opportunities to play around them.
• Pass detail is vital when attempting to build from the
back. Being able to eliminate players with fast passes
that remain on the floor will allow the receivers more
time and space to evaluate how to progress play.
COACHING DETAIL:
MANAGING THE OPPOSITION
PRESS OR PROTECT
• The out-of-possession team should be encouraged
to either press high or drop off into a mid-block and
protect. This will pose the attacking team a variety of
problems they need to overcome when building.

WING-BACKS
• The two wing-backs should attempt to play on the
shoulder of the opposition wide midfielders as much
as possible.
• If the wide midfielder defends narrow, there is an
opportunity to play around and the wing-back can
advance with the ball.
• If the opposition wide midfielder defends wider to mark
the wing-back, this will create opportunities to play
split passes into the midfielder to receive beyond the
opposition’s midfield line.

SCANNING
• Underpinning all the in-possession actions is the
players’ ability to scan and assess what type of pressure
is being applied and where the space is.
• Players should be encouraged to scan as much
as possible to be as effective as possible when in
possession.

AGE PHASE: U17+

11v11 GAME BUILDING FROM THE BACK IN A 3-5-2

FUNCTION 3

• This is an 11v11 game played on a full-sized pitch. 7

6
• One team, playing left to right in the diagram, is set up
2
in a 3-5-2 formation and is designated as the attacking
team. They are the focus of the practice. The opposition 8 8
9 10
should set up in a 4-4-2 shape.
• A central zone is marked out that is the width of the 5

18-yard box and stretches from one 18-yard box to 4

11
the other.
6
• This zone is to act as a visual aid for the attacking team.
10 7
Throughout the game, the attacking team should look 4
9
to have more attackers than defenders in the middle
zone or in the wider areas, depending on where the ball
5 3
is. This is to try and create overloads centrally or in wide
11
areas of the pitch.
• Otherwise, standard football rules apply. 2

DEVELOPING THE PRACTICE

• Once the attacking team is showing a good
understanding of how to create overloads, the central
zone can be removed.
• Alter the formations of the defending team – 4-3-2-1 or
4-3-3, for example – to give the attacking team different
challenges when building out from the back.

AGE PHASE: U17+

11v11 GAME BUILDING FROM THE BACK IN A 3-5-2

COACHING DETAIL: SCANNING

IN POSSESSION • Underpinning all the in-possession actions is the
players’ ability to scan and assess what type of pressure
MIDDLE CENTRE-BACK is being applied and where the space is.
• The middle centre-back plays a pivotal role in creating • Players should be encouraged to scan as much
overloads when the ball is central. They should assess as possible to be as effective as possible when in
whether the opposition strikers are pressing high or possession.
protecting and creating a block.
• When the opposition is pressing high, the middle
centre-back should push forward and look to play COACHING DETAIL:
behind the line of the opposition strikers. This will MANAGING THE OPPOSITION
create opportunities to play through their press.
• If the opposition is protecting, the middle centre- PRESS OR PROTECT
back can stay deep and play in front of the opposition • The out-of-possession team should be encouraged
strikers, so creating opportunities to play around them. to either press high or drop off into a mid-block and
protect. This will pose the attacking team a variety of
WING-BACKS problems they need to overcome when building.
• The two wing-backs should attempt to play on the
shoulder of the opposition wide midfielders as much
as possible.
• If the wide midfielder defends narrow, there is an
opportunity to play around and the wing-back can
advance with the ball.
• If the opposition wide midfielder defends wider to mark
the wing-back, this will create opportunities to play
split passes into the midfielder to receive beyond the
opposition’s midfield line.

CREATING OVERLOADS
• The attacking team should attempt to create numerical
overloads as often as possible.
• When the ball is central, the team should attempt
to have more players in the central zone than the
opposition. The same rule applies when the ball
moves wide.

AGE PHASE: U17+