Key Takeaways
Table of Contents
THE BEST POSSESSION SOCCER TRAINING EXERCISES
HOW TO TRAIN POSSESSION
FOOTBALL DRILLS
Learn how to do a possession training exercise.
Included, the best possession drills variations.
How do I train this exercise?
The possession exercise is undoubtedly one of the most effective football exercises to master in the modern game. Why?
Football games are now fast-paced, and keeping the ball is harder than ever. This is why you have to become good at knowing:
- What to do before you receive the ball
Where your teammates are in the field - Where the spaces in the field are
Where you opponents are - Make quick and correct decisions once you get the ball
All these factors can be practised simultaneously with the possession soccer drill in training. This exercise has been popularised in Spain, where our football academy is located, and where we help international players from all over the world become better footballers and find teams to sign with in Spain.
WHAT IS A POSSESSION FOOTBALL DRILL?
Possession is a football exercise that can be practised in training. To play it, you need two teams of at least ⅔ of the players each, and it can be played with as many teams as you want.
These two teams will play in an area without goals, and the objective of the exercise is simply to keep the ball from the opponent’s team as long as possible.
Normally, the smaller the area or the more players in it, the less space there is to play, and thus the harder it is to keep the ball.
We train the possession soccer exercise with 4 variations to improve the different parts of your game:
- Tactical possession training
- Technique possession training
- Dribbling possession training
- Defending possession exercises
The possession soccer drill is actually very simple to understand and play; the important thing is “how” you perform the exercise. It has to be played the right way to get the benefits of the exercise and improve your football game.
You shouldn’t try to keep the ball at any cost; it should be kept in line with football’s best practices. These are:
- Play the ball fast when the situation requires it
- Play the ball slowly or keep it when the situation requires it
- Move to the empty spaces
- Keep the ball as short as possible to make the opposing football team run
- Keep your head up, and try to know what to do before the ball comes to you
HOW TO DO A POSSESSION SOCCER DRILL FOR TRAINING?
To perform the possession soccer drill, you need at least two teams; you can have more. Then you have to assign a playing area. This area can be a square or a rectangle, but normally, the smaller the area, the better, so there will be less space and thus the players will have to make decisions faster.
Then you have to assign a number of players to each team; this number can be as few as 2 or 3, or as many as 11 or more. This depends on whether you want to improve certain parts of your possession game, like attacking-focused possession, or improve your whole squad’s possession game, which you would do with an 11-versus-11 possession.
Then you have to decide how you want to play your possession drill, you can play a classic one or focus it on different aspects of the game, which we will mention later, like:
- Tactical improvement
- Technique and touch improvement
- Dribbling improvement
- Defending improvement
THE BEST POSSESSION EXERCISES TO IMPROVE YOUR FOOTBALL GAME
It’s crucial that you practise the possession exercise in many ways. This way, you can focus the drill on a specific aspect of the game and become better at it. The classic possession drill will improve many aspects on its own, but adding different objectives and goals will make it more fun to play, too!
In Alicante Football Academy, we always like to separate and work with our players on these types of possession soccer training:
Improve tactical awareness possession drill
In this version of the possession exercise, the goal is to keep the ball from your opponent by using your field positioning as your tool.
Possession with areas of 2v2
You have to create a large playing area and divide it into smaller areas, where only 2 players from each team will play, and they cannot move out of these areas. So, in simple terms, it is a large-possession game played within small mini possessions.
The reason why this version of the soccer drill will improve your tactical game is that it forces you to stay in a certain part of the field, your square, without following the ball, and thus creates more spaces and avoids an accumulation of players in a small area surrounding the ball.
It will force you to stay away from your marker in the small box and find the necessary space to receive the ball. This will translate into a real game, as your team often needs you to stay in position in the field and not come towards the ball, so you can draw your defender towards you and create space for other players near the ball to exploit.
Improve touch possession drill
In this version of the possession drill, the goal is to keep the ball from your opponent by playing it very fast and forcing them to run behind it.
One touch possession
You have to create a playing area, and the only difference is that you have only one touch; if you take more, the other team will be given the ball to restart play.
Realistically, playing a possession-based soccer game with one-touch is very difficult, even for pro footballers. But this is okay, the goal here is to embrace the difficulty and adapt your game to it, as this will make a real soccer game, where you obviously can have more than 1 touch, seem easier.
You will need to be constantly moving and finding spaces so your teammates can find you with 1 touch, and while you’re doing this, you will need to think about where you will play when you receive it, all this in a matter of seconds.
Also, make sure you always have the right body position to pass it to another teammate quickly, as your pass must be accurate and quick to avoid the opposition team stopping it.
Defending possession drills
In this version of the possession drill, the goal is to keep the ball from your opponent and make sure you can stay away from your defender, or stay on top of your attacker, by practising your defensive and man-marking skills.
Man-marking possession
You have to set up the classic possession game, but also assign one player from your team to another from the opposing team. Then, only these 2 players can defend and tackle each other; no one else can.
This will undoubtedly give you more time on the ball, as only 1 person can tackle you, but the goal here is to focus on what you do before you get the ball. You have to constantly run away from your defender into efficient spaces when your team has the ball.
Vice versa, as the defender, you have to make sure you follow your attacker and that he doesn’t receive the ball. But doing so, you also have to make sure you look at the ball too, not just follow your attacker mindlessly.
This will add a hyper-defensive focus on your game and make you switch quickly from this mindset to an attacking one once your team gets the ball again.
Improve dribbling possession
In this version of the possession drill, the goal is to keep the ball from your opponent for a set number of passes, then dribble in a 1-on-1 situation to score a point.
Possession with wings that only 1v1 is possible
Using the classic possession setup and playing space, you have to add 2 sections on both sides of the area. Then, when a team reaches a certain minimum number of touches on the ball, like 10, a teammate has to make a run in 1 of the 2 side areas, and 1 player from the opposing team can follow him.
Once your teammate receives the ball, we have a 1-on-1 situation in this channel area, and your teammate has to win the 1-on-1 and dribble past the opponent to reach the other side of the channel, like doing a ‘touchdown’. This will be a point for your team.
In addition to the parts of the game that classic possession soccer drills improve, you will improve your attacking runs into space and your final pass. Then, once you receive the ball, you will be able to work on your 1-on-1 skills.
The great thing about this is that you will actually be under pressure in the 1-on-1, as your team has had to work hard and make 10 passes to achieve this. This will mimic a realistic pressure situation in a real soccer game and make you a better footballer.
WHY ARE FOOTBALL POSSESSION SO GOOD?
The possession football exercise is great because it teaches you to keep the ball efficiently. But funny enough, it improves your mindset and movement off the ball even more. This is what will actually make your team keep the ball, rather than what you do once you have it.
A successful possession soccer drill should look simple, fast-paced, and efficient, without any dribbling or situations with lots of players fighting for the ball.
This drill has a proven track record with Spanish teams, as they practice it every day and consistently dominate possession in top-level games.
At Alicante Football Academy, we teach our players this exercise weekly to improve all aspects of their game, as well as helping them find teams to go on trial with and sign pro contracts in Spain.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT POSSESSION SOCCER DRILLS
What is the best possession exercise?
The best possession football drill is the one that forces you to play in a small space, quick and makes you move and find spaces for your teammates when you don’t have the ball.
How many times a week should I train possession?
A good number is 2 times a week, and if possible, 4 times a week is optimal.
The important part is to make the most out of the session and the possession soccer drill with the tips we’ve given you in the article.
FOOTBALL ACADEMY GUIDES
Have you ever felt lost trying to understand how to get into a football team?
Do you want to join a football academy?
In this guide we explain the most common ways to get into a team in Spain fast and how we help you in the process in Alicante Football Academy.
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Do you want to attend one and get signed for a football academy?
In this guide we explain all there is to know about about this and how we help you in the process in Alicante Football Academy.
Do you know what you have to do to get scouted?
How can you make scouts come to watch you play?
In this guide we explain how you can get scouted and how we help you in the process in Alicante Football Academy.
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Do you want to bring your training sessions to another level?
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Do you want to be the difference in every game and go past all your opponents?
In this guide we explain how we train speed in the academy and how you can score more football goals every game!
Have you ever wanted to become a better defender?
Do you want to be a strong, imposing defender that can lead a game?
In this guide we explain how we train defending in the academy and the best defending soccer drills to do alone and with your team!
Have you ever felt you need learn hot to train better by yourself?
Do you want to bring your individual training sessions to another level?
In this guide we explain the best individual exercises to do by yourself, used by the best academies in the world, that we encourage our players to do in their trainings.
Have you ever felt lost trying to understand how to become a footballer?
Do you want to become a footballer fast?
In this guide we explain the most common ways to get into a team in fast and how we help you become a pro footballer.
Have you ever felt lost trying to understand how to train a possession?
The possession exercise is undoubtedly one of the most efficient football exercises to become good in the modern game. Why?
