4 Lanes: Ball Circulation Vs Shifting
To be good at shifting, coverages and closing spaces are the basics for a good defensive tactic. For being successful when attacking we will need to be good at a different variety of offensive tactic concepts.
Interior play Positional Attack (FCB)
If you fill up the spaces in a rational way when attacking, then, you will be able to be more prepared to start the pressing when you lose the ball. This is a typical Guardiola drill, who likes the pressing after losing the ball and the positional organized attack.
Small Sided Game 2v2 high pressure
Small sided tactical game in which we will reward the correct high press. The player will learn how to fix the distances in front of the player with the ball, will learn how to delay the game defensively, coverages, defensive exchanges and when the right moment to do a tackle is or to make the team in possession lose the ball.
4 Lanes: Create Superiority 6vs6
In a simple structure applicable to any style of play with a line of 4 in defense + 1 midfielder. You will find a lot of key tactical concepts in this drill: Shiftings, coverages, closing interior passes… and, in order to attack, a wide variety of offensive tactical concepts will be needed.
Supports: Superiority/inferiority
Ball retention, body orientation (One of Guardiola’s biggest obsession) to receive the ball from the exterior neutral player who has advantage through the guided discovery learning method. The defensive anticipations will make the attackers be on the right body shape to retain the ball and switch the play.
Speed of Play and switching the play
How many times do we listen the coach tell this player to do not repeat a pass when he has already done it? Is this useful to say it once the player has already committed the mistake? Would not be better to implement a drill with an easy rule which creates a offensive habit and improves the player decision-making?
Multi-Defensive Concept + 1v1 & Duels
The balance movements before losing the ball are key in order to achieve a good defensive transition. To choose the moment for a challenge when attacking is also a key decision in order to provoke a dangerous situation for the rival.
Understanding of the game
Tactical situation to improve the decision making about when to create a numeric superiority or when to keep being a support in an intermediate distance.
Four squares possession
To achieve an appropriate players’ distribution in the free spaces, to switch the game successfully, to choose either checking to the ball or checking away… this drill will make you players think and take decisions.
Four squares unlimited touches
A tactical drill in which the players have to pass the ball to each other trying to gain offensive timing in order to attract the rival and then play the ball to mid-distance players or to the ones who are far away from the ball.