| HSReds

Phase 1: Warm-up:

Fifa 11+

Misc Warm up Activation

⚡ Tuesday Training: “Back to Basics” Session Plan

70-Minute High-Tempo Session • Bravery, Passing & Pitch IQ

Cones U14 Reds Coach Feed ┃ Target Endline

⏱️ 15 Mins • Physical Bravery

Phase 1: 50/50 Gate & Gladiator 1v1

📐 DRILL SETUP Pairs matched by size/speed. Start with a 2-yard cone gate (ball dead in the middle), then expand into an 8×8 yard Gladiator square.

🎯 NON-NEGOTIABLE RULE Zero pulling out or turning your back! Turning sideways or dangling a lazy toe is how you get hurt. Strong body shape wins every time.

Step 1 – Technique Check (3m): Walk through the block tackle uncontested: bend knees (get low), plant non-kicking foot close to the ball, lock ankle solid, and strike the middle of the ball with the inside of your foot.
Step 2 – 50/50 Reaction Race (7m): Coach shouts “GO!” Both players sprint 5 yards to the ball in the gate. Win it cleanly with a committed block tackle.
Step 3 – Gladiator Box (5m): Coach rolls a ball into the 8×8 box. Battle 1v1—use your shoulder and body to shield the ball and dribble across your opponent’s green endline to score!

Open Hips (Half-Turn) —► 2-Touch Pass ───► Support Angle

⏱️ 20 Mins • Composure & Passing

Phase 2: “Open Body” 4v1 Rondo

📐 DRILL SETUP 10×10 yard square. 4 Red players stay on the outside lines, 1 Defender inside trying to win the ball.

🎯 WHY WE DO THIS Fixes sliced passes! When you already have your hips open and two passing options on either side before the ball arrives, you never have to panic-kick it.

Rule 1 – Open Body Profile: Stand on the half-turn (green bar) so you can see the whole square before the ball reaches you.
Rule 2 – Two-Touch Rhythm: 1st touch on your back foot pushes the ball out of your feet; 2nd touch is a firm side-foot pass along the grass. No scooped or chipped passes!
Rule 3 – Get Out of the Shadow: If you don’t have the ball, you cannot stand still behind the defender! Slide left or right along your line to give your teammate an easy angle.

—► Plan A (Short & Wide) —► Plan B (Channel Clip)

⏱️ 15 Mins • Team Walkthrough

Phase 3: Live Restart Rehearsal

📐 DRILL SETUP Full squad in 4-3-3 positions on our half of the pitch. Fast, sharp walkthroughs so everyone knows their exact job on Saturday/Sunday.

🎯 5-SECOND RESET RULE Whenever the whistle blows for a restart, you have 5 seconds to sprint to your exact spot!

Station 1 – Centre Kick (5m): Practice both Our Kick-Off (all 11 in our half, ST → CM, wingers sprint on the kick) and Their Kick-Off (locking the circle edge).
Station 2 – 6-Yard Backpass Wall (3m): Coach shouts “BACKPASS!” All 10 outfield players sprint onto the goal line between the posts, arms tucked across chests, and charge the ball on the first touch.
Station 3 – Goal-Kick Triggers (7m): Rep out 6 goal kicks against 3 pressing forwards—mixing Plan A (short to split CB → down the line to LB/RB) and Plan B (diagonal clip from the corner of the 6-yard box out to the wing).

Reds Bibs ───► Transition Run

⏱️ 20 Mins • Conditioned Match

Phase 4: “Tackle Point” & Freeze Game

📐 DRILL SETUP Half-pitch match (Reds vs Bibs). Normal football rules with two massive bonus conditions to reward effort and awareness.

🏆 HOW TO WIN THIS GAME You don’t just score by putting the ball in the net—you score by being brave in 50/50 challenges!

Condition 1 – The “Tackle Point” (+1 Goal): Every time a player steps in and wins a clean, committed block tackle or 1v1 duel anywhere on the pitch, the coaches award +1 BONUS GOAL to your team immediately!
Condition 2 – The “Transition Freeze”: When the ball changes hands, the coach will blow the whistle and shout “FREEZE!” Every single player must freeze on the spot so we can check: are we sprinting toward the right goal, or standing watching?
Condition 3 – Goal-Kick Discipline: Every goal kick in the match must use our Plan A or Plan B setup from Phase 3.

🔴 U14 Reds: Pitch Basics & Non-Negotiables

Tap each tab below to see your exact positions and jobs on the pitch

U14 Reds GK (Olivia) Opposition —► Safe Pass

1. Goal Kick Setup (No More Gifts!)

❌ THE CARDINAL SIN Never kick the ball straight down the middle of the box! Their striker is waiting right on the edge of the area. Even if we concede 3 goals, we do NOT hide and kick it straight to them.

✅ BE BRAVE & USE WIDTH Every single goal kick, we set our shape early before the ball is even placed down:

Centre-Backs (CB): Split wide toward the edges of the 18-yard box, level with the 6-yard line. Have an open body shape facing the pitch!
Full-Backs (LB & RB): Hug the touchline halfway up our half. Give the CB an immediate pass down the line.
Plan A (Short): GK passes firmly to CB → CB takes one touch and plays down the line to LB/RB.
Plan B (If Pressed High): GK places the ball on the corner of the 6-yard box and hits it diagonally toward the wing. If it goes out for a throw-in near halfway, that is 100x safer than giving it away in front of goal!

2. Centre Kick Rules & Transitions

❌ BASIC FOOTBALL LAW At kick-off, every single player MUST be in our own half of the pitch. Never stand inside their half waiting for kick-off!

✅ WHEN WE KICK OFF vs WHEN THEY KICK OFF Know which way we are kicking and switch on before the whistle blows:

Our Kick-Off: ST rolls the ball back to our CM. As soon as it’s kicked, LW and RW sprint forward into their half to create width.
Their Kick-Off: Nobody is allowed inside the centre circle! Our ST and CMs stand right on the edge of the circle ready to press them immediately.
Transition Direction: The moment we win the ball, LOOK FORWARD and RUN FORWARD to support the attack—never jog back toward our own goal when we have the ball!

3. Indirect Free Kick Inside the Box

❌ DO NOT MAN-MARK IN THE BOX! Normally you have to be 10 yards back from a free kick—EXCEPT when the ball is only 6 yards from goal! You are legally allowed to stand on our goal line.

✅ BUILD THE RED WALL ON THE LINE If the ref gives an indirect free kick (like a backpass) inside our box:

All 10 Outfield Players on the Goal Line: Stand shoulder-to-shoulder between the two goalposts right on the white line.
Protect Yourself: Arms tucked tightly across your chest (no handballs!), knees bent, on your toes.
Wait for the First Touch: Because it’s indirect, they cannot score straight away—someone has to touch the ball to a teammate first.
CHARGE ON THE TOUCH: The split-second the first player touches the ball, GK and 3 players SPRINT OUT to block the shot and clear it!

4. Passing & Winning 50/50 Duels

❌ STOP SHYING AWAY OR DUCKING OUT Sliced passes happen when we panic, stand flat, or pull out of a challenge. Do not turn your back on the ball!

✅ THE 3 BASICS WE PRACTICE THIS WEEK Get these three basics right and everything clicks again:

Open Your Hips (Half-Turn): Never stand flat facing the player passing to you. Stand side-on so you can see both the ball coming in AND where your next pass is going.
Back Foot First Touch: Control the ball with your furthest foot (“back foot”) to push it into space, then play a firm side-foot pass along the grass.
Strong Block Tackles: In a 50/50 duel, get close, bend your knees (low centre of gravity), lock your ankle rigid, and hit the middle of the ball firmly with the inside of your foot. Never dangle a weak toe!

🔴 The 4-2-3-1: Player Positions & Unit Jobs

Tap each unit below to see how our 4 lines connect with and without the ball

Outfield Players Goalkeeper △ Passing Triangles

📋 Whole Team Structure

1. Why We Play the 4-2-3-1

❌ NO MORE “TWO STRAIGHT LINES” When we panic, we end up with 4 defenders stuck on our box and 5 attackers standing on the halfway line with a massive empty hole in the middle.

✅ 4 CONNECTED LINES = TRIANGLES EVERYWHERE The 4-2-3-1 gives every player on the ball at least two easy passing angles at all times:

Line 1 – The Back 4 (LB, CB, CB, RB): Our foundation. Stay connected to protect Olivia and split wide when we build from the back.
Line 2 – “The 2” (Double Pivot CDMs): Our shield and engine room. Sit right in front of the Centre-Backs so the opposition can never run straight at our defence.
Line 3 – “The 3” (LW, #10 CAM, RW): Our creators. Wingers stretch the pitch wide; the #10 links midfield to attack in the middle.
Line 4 – “The 1” (#9 Striker): Our focal point up top—holds the ball up, presses their defenders, and finishes attacks.

– – – Back 4 “On a String” ───► Attacking Width ───► Defensive Tuck-In

🛡️ Defensive Unit (GK + Back 4)

2. GK, Centre-Backs & Full-Backs

❌ NEVER ALL CHASE THE SAME BALL If one defender steps out to press the ball, the other three MUST slide across to cover the space behind them—never leave a hole in the middle!

✅ YOUR POSITIONAL JOBS Imagine an invisible rope tying our LB, two CBs, and RB together:

Goalkeeper (GK): Don’t stay glued to your goal line! When our Back 4 steps up, move to the edge of your box to sweep up through-balls and talk to your defenders.
Centre-Backs (CB & CB): Be vocal leaders. When we have the ball, split wide to give Olivia safe passing angles. When defending, stay tight together so no striker can run between you.
Full-Backs (LB & RB): When we have the ball, hug the touchline and push up to support the wingers. When we lose the ball, tuck back inside level with your CBs!

Open Hips (Half-Turn) △ Midfield Triangle

⚙️ The Engine Room (The 2 + #10)

3. Double Pivot (CDMs) & The #10

❌ NEVER LEAVE THE BACK 4 EXPOSED The two CDMs must never both charge forward at the same time. If you both run ahead of the ball, one turnover leaves our defence completely outnumbered!

✅ THE “SEE-SAW” & THE POCKET Our midfield trio controls the entire game when we stay disciplined:

The 2 CDMs (The Double Pivot): Work like a see-saw! If one CDM steps forward to press or support the attack, the other CDM tucks in centrally right in front of the two CBs to lock the middle of the pitch.
Always Show for the Ball: Whenever a defender has the ball, at least one CDM must drop into space with an open body shape to offer a short bounce pass.
The #10 (Attacking Midfielder): Live in “The Pocket” (the gap behind their midfielders and in front of their defenders). Receive on the half-turn and feed the #9 and Wingers!

───► Dribble & Cross ───► 3 Box Runs

⚡ Attacking Unit (LW, RW & #9)

4. Wingers (LW/RW) & Striker (#9)

❌ NEVER LEAVE OUR #9 ISOLATED ALONE! In a 4-2-3-1 we only have one Striker (#9) on paper—if our Wingers and #10 don’t sprint forward on transitions, our #9 is stuck fighting 1v4!

✅ WIDTH FIRST, THEN FLOOD THE BOX How our front players turn possession into goals:

Wingers (LW & RW): When we build from the back, start high and wide on the touchline to stretch their defence. Take players on 1v1 down the wing!
The Opposite Winger Rule: When the ball is on the Left Wing, our Right Winger (RW) does NOT stand on the touchline watching—sprint diagonally inside to attack the back post!
Striker (#9): You are our target and first defender. Hold the ball up to lay it off to the #10, make diagonal runs behind their CBs, and attack the front post on every cross.