FREE High Intensity Pre-Season Session Plan!

Creating a pre-season training session is certainly a balancing act for a coach. On one side, many coaches aim to enhance their players' fitness levels, compensating for a lengthy break and readying them for the demands of competition quickly. However, we are increasingly recognizing as a coaching community that pushing 'too much, too soon' can harm fitness levels and raise the risk of injuries across the team. So, how do you find the right balance? Careful planning and identifying your main objectives are crucial in this process. This week we share a full high-intensity pre-season session with the focus on the attacking side of the game.

These new tactical videos are part of the launch of our new eBook: MSC 6 Week Tactical Training Program (18 Full Session Plans Plus a Webinar) written by Gary Curneen Click here to get your copy

You can watch the full breakdown below. Please 'like' and subscribe to our MSC YouTube page if you enjoy.

You can also get full details and dimensions of each exercise below.

Exercise 1: 3v2 Waves Game

• Exercise takes place inside a 25x50 yard area with a halfway line

• One GK, two defenders and one attackers stay in each half

• Players work in pairs, starting at the furthest goal-line and playing a ball into the center forward and then going to support

• Defenders can pressure the center forward on the 1st pass, but cannot win it

• Attacking pair look to support as soon as possible and create a 3v2 to goal

• If defenders win the ball, they pass to either mannequin for two points

• After the attack, attacking pair recover on the other side and the attack moves in the opposite direction

Exercise 2: Attacking Overloads Central and Wide

Part One:

• Exercise takes place in a 25x35 yard area

• Three defenders (in red) and a GK stay at all times

• Attackers (in blue) work in pairs

• One attacking pair start in forward positions, one in midfield and one serve

• The first pair serve long into the midfielders and then sprint around to follow their pass

• The midfield pair receive and work with the forward pair to create a 4v3 central overload to goal (with 8 seconds to score)

• If defenders win possession, they can score in mini-goals for two points

• After the attack: midfield pair become forwards, servers become midfielders, and forwards recover behind the goal to become servers

Part Two:

• Space now opens to wide areas with a 45x35 yard area

• Four defenders (in red) and GK stay at all times

• Again, attackers work in pairs

• Same set-up but now it becomes a 6v4 with a wide attacking option

• Attackers move from: Servers to central midfielders to wide attackers to center forwards to servers

• Shot clock moves to 10 seconds

• Again, if defenders win possession, they can score in mini-goals for two points

Exercise Three: 6v6+6 All Out Attack Game!

• Exercise takes place in a 40x40 yard area with a 5-yard zone in each corner

• Players are organized into three teams of six players, plus two GKs

• One team starts as the neutral team (purple in example) with one player positioned in each corner and two central players - ALL LIMITED TO 2 TOUCHES

• Neutrals play for the team in possession but cannot shoot on goal

• Play 6x3 minute games and rotate teams every time

• Rules are simple:

  • One point for a shot on goal

  • Two points for a goal

  • Three points for a goal from a cross