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Home/Training Drills/Dribbling Drills/Carrying the Ball Out of the Back
DribblingIntermediate

Carrying the Ball Out of the Back

Carry the ball out of the defensive third under pressure. Drive forward to break the press, keep the ball out of the presser's reach, commit a second man, then release the free player.

Create your own drill
Live animationDRI
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
3
Recommended
Pitch
60 × 30 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U9-U10
Any format

Setup & instructions

A defender receives deep with a forward pressing. Instead of a hurried pass, the defender drives forward with the ball to break the press, carrying it past the presser and into midfield, then releases the free player once a second man has been committed. Emphasise a positive first touch forward and keeping the ball out of reach. Vary the press and the release. Rotate roles.

Setup time: 1 min

Tactical breakdown

Carrying the ball out of defence is the riskiest thing a centre-back does and frequently the most effective, and both halves of that need saying. Lose it thirty yards from your own goal and the consequence is immediate. But a carry does something no pass can: it removes a presser permanently rather than transferring the problem to a teammate. A pass under pressure gives the ball to somebody who is also under pressure. A carry past that presser eliminates him from the phase.

The trigger is the space in front. If a forward is pressing from an angle and nobody is covering the ground behind him, the carry is on. If the midfield line is compact ten yards away, it is not, and the pass is the correct decision. Teaching the read matters more than teaching the technique.

The first touch has to be positive and forward, into the space rather than square. A defender who takes a sideways touch to buy time has invited the press to arrive properly organised, and the carry that follows starts from a worse position than the one he had.

Carrying at the second defender is what completes it. Driving forward until a midfielder has to step out means somebody has left their position, and releasing at that moment finds the player he abandoned. Carrying into space and then stopping achieves half the job.

The honest note: at youth level this is where a lot of goals are conceded, and a coach who demands it without also teaching when not to do it is setting a defender up to be blamed.

How to run this drill

  1. Read the space before the touch. A presser coming at an angle with nobody covering behind him means the carry is on. A compact line ten yards away means the pass is correct.
  2. Take a positive first touch forward. Into the space, not square. A sideways touch to buy time lets the press organise, and the carry then starts from a worse position than before.
  3. Keep the ball out of the presser's reach. On the far side of your body as you go past him. A carry that runs close to a defender's foot is a tackle waiting rather than a break.
  4. Drive at the second defender. Keep going until a midfielder has to step out. Carrying into space and stopping does half the job and leaves the next line intact.
  5. Release the man he leaves. The instant the second defender commits, the player he abandoned is free. That is the pass the whole carry was setting up.
  6. Teach when not to carry. This is where a lot of youth goals are conceded. Demanding the carry without teaching the read sets a defender up to be blamed for following instructions.

Coaching focus

FROM SESSION PLAN

Coaching points

  • Positive first touch forward, invite and beat the press
  • Carry it out of the presser's reach, head up
  • Break the line: drive into the space beyond
  • Commit a second man before you release
  • Release the free player, do not overrun it

Common mistakes

  • Rushed pass instead of a composed carry
  • First touch sideways or backward, not forward
  • Carrying it into the presser, losing it
  • Releasing too early, before committing a man

Progressions & regressions

VARIATIONS

Progressions

  • Add a second presser to squeeze the space
  • Set a line to break for a point
  • Finish the move on a goal beyond midfield

Regressions

  • Passive presser to groove the carry
  • Walk the first touch and the drive first
  • A bigger area to give more time
Equipment
Cones×2
Tactical principles
carrying out of the backbreaking the presscentre back carryingplaying out from the backdriving into midfielddribbling drillbeating the first linedefender on the ballbuild up playu10 dribbling drill
Audience
U9-U10

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