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Breakaway Game Drill

This is an excerpt from Soccer Skills & Drills by National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Purpose: To practice finishing the goal on breakaways and semi-breakaways in a gamelike situation

Procedure: A line is made across the field 25 yards (22.8 m) from goal. Another is made 45 yards (41.1 m) from the goal to create a horizontal corridor. Inside the corridor, four attackers play versus four defenders. Between the line marking 45 yards (41.1 m) and the halfway line is a second corridor. Two attackers play versus one defender in this corridor. The ball starts with attacker 5 or 6, who plays to one of the four attackers in the corridor. When one of those attackers can sprint behind the defense to receive a through pass, that attacker continues on the break to try to beat the goalkeeper, as illustrated by attacker 2 in the figure. The closest defender must chase the attacker who has broken through. All others remain in the corridor (figure 8.18).

Coaching Points: The coach can manipulate the numbers in each corridor to ensure that the players have many repetitions at fi nishing. Use fewer numbers if there are not enough chances or more players to make the exercise increasingly gamelike. The coach may also allow a player to dribble if a good breakaway chance is presented. Again, there must be a chaser. A final stage is to let all players chase into the box if a breakaway occurs. This is very gamelike and should be played to conclusion of a strike at goal if the ball is deflected by the goalkeeper, a ball caroms off the post or crossbar, or if the chaser catches up and knocks the ball away.

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