Fixing Build-Up in Youth Soccer
- Gary Curneen
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Build-up at youth level is always a hot topic. Young players should absolutely learn how to build from the back, but that doesn’t mean teaching them a predictable sequence of five-yard passes around their own penalty area. When too many players drop towards the goalkeeper looking for possession, we can actually reduce the space available, invite more pressure and leave very few options higher up the field.
The objective of build-up should be progression — finding ways to start the attack and move the ball forward. That could be through a short combination, a longer pass, a dribble or an individual action. Rather than giving young players a fixed pattern to follow, training should expose them to different pictures and encourage them to recognize space, make decisions and find their own solutions. For more training ideas, please check out the MSC Youth Build-Up Exercises eBook here.
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Here are two training games from this week’s MSC Breakdown designed around those ideas.
Training Example 1:
Exercise is set-up in a 40x30-yard area with two goals and goalkeepers, playing 4v4+1. The neutral player operates centrally and teams look to progress the ball from their goalkeeper into the neutral player. Once the neutral receives, they can join the attack to create an overload towards goal. Encourage players to recognize that progression can come through one pass, a combination or carrying the ball forward rather than simply accumulating passes.
Training Example 2:
Exercise is set-up in a 40x30-yard area divided into four quadrants with two goals and goalkeepers. Players are initially matched 1v1 within their areas, with the goalkeeper providing the additional player in possession. If a player dribbles the ball into the next zone, they are allowed to continue forward and create an overload. The game encourages defenders to recognize space ahead, carry the ball forward and understand how dribbling can eliminate pressure and create numerical advantages higher up the field.
