Kick chase and stay onside

The kick chase needs players to get themselves into an onside position and then into a line to prevent the attack making any significant progress in return. This session, though focused on the defensive chase, works well for trying out counter-attack strategies.

Warm up time: 5
Session time: 6-9
Development time: 6-9
Game time: 15-20
Warm down time: 7

What to think about

Any player in front of the kicker has to retire if they are within 10 metres of the catcher and that means retiring towards their own goal line. Any other player has to stop and wait for the kicker or another player in an onside position to run past them. Your attacking team might want to keep a certain number of players in the backfield, behind the chasing line to cover any return kicks. The chasing line needs to move up together, sliding across if the ball is moved quickly from one side of the pitch to the other.

set-up

1. Get into an onside position.
2. Get into the chasing line and come up together.

What you get your players to do

Put 10 players in one third of the area and make them pass a ball among themselves. They should be at least 5m apart and every other pass must go backwards. Place three “counter attackers” at the other end of the box. When you shout “kick”, the player with the ball kicks the ball upfield. His team mates have to chase the kick while the other team gathers and tries to run back as far as it can without the ball carrier being touched twice. (Restart if the kick goes out of play but not if it goes behind the counter attackers.)