Week 1 · U14
Playing out from the back
Objectives — what the players will do
- 1Set the goal-kick shape: defenders split wide, a midfielder drops to help, keeper joins the team
- 2Play through, around, or over the other team’s pressure — and know all three count as wins
- 3Count the pressure and find the free player BEFORE the ball arrives
Play 1 — starts when the second player arrives
Rondo Ladder
Arrival rondos, rising as players arrive: 4v1, then 5v2, then 6v3. A pass that splits two defenders scores 3. Keep the tempo up and the trash talk friendly — this IS build-up play, shrunk to a square. 15 minutes.
Practice — the one taught activity of the night
Escape the Third
Mark a big zone in front of a goal with a ‘halfway’ line 30–35 yards out. Keeper + two defenders + one midfielder build from a goal kick against 2–3 pressers; they score by dribbling or passing over the line UNDER CONTROL. Defenders split to the corners of the penalty area, midfielder drops into the middle, keeper is always a passing option. Teach one trigger: if the pressers all rush high, the LONG ball to a striker waiting past the line is the smart choice — going over the press is a decision, not a panic. Rotate pressers every few minutes. About 25–30 minutes.
Pressers cannot engage until the second pass, drop to two pressers, unlimited touches. Walk the shape through once with no pressure at all so newer players learn WHERE to stand before learning what to do.
Even numbers pressing live from the keeper’s first touch, and require a named pattern before the escape: keeper → split defender → midfielder bounce → opposite side. Add the rule that a lost ball replays the rep — consequences sharpen decisions.
Play 2 — always finish playing the real game
Built Goals Count Double
Biggest game your numbers allow (up to 7v7 with keepers), 25 minutes. Every restart begins with the keeper, and any goal from a possession BUILT from the keeper counts double. Booting it clear earns nothing — the scoreboard now pays for bravery.
Key coaching points — in your own words
- ·Angles, not lines — never three players in a straight line.
- ·Count them out loud: if two press, somebody is free. Say the free player’s name.
- ·Squeezed everywhere? Over the top to the striker is smart, not scared — go win the second ball.
- ·‘Short or long — what did their press tell you?’
- ·Mistakes WILL happen in our half this week. Applaud the bravery, fix the picture, go again.
Add pressers one at a time until numbers are even; pressers live immediately.
Pressers passive until the second pass; give the build team a two-player advantage.
Game-day focus — watch for this on Saturday
Goal kicks: defenders split wide, one midfielder drops, keeper plays. If their whole team presses high, the striker stays tall for the long ball — that is playing out too. The keeper and the deepest defender run every restart with their voices. Expect a giveaway or two; celebrate the attempt anyway.
Message to forward to your parents
This week we are learning to play out from the back instead of booting it clear — the hardest, bravest skill in soccer. It WILL go wrong sometimes on Saturday, and that is part of the plan. The one thing we ask from the sideline: never yell ‘kick it!’. Cheer the brave pass — the payoff comes, and it is worth it.
This week's two videos
Prep the night before; copy the activity on the field.
Build-Up Play Explained: How to Play Out with Confidence
Watch the night before to understand the idea
Tight tactical explainer of back-four build structure and roles — the ideal team-meeting film for U13s new to 11v11. Show it before Week 1.
Watch on YouTubeBuilding The Attack — FA Learning Coaching Session
A drill you can copy on the field
Official FA session on building the attack — federation-grade session design you can lift straight into Week 3's line-breaking work.
Watch on YouTube