Possession
Spain 4v4+3: Spacing Game with Counter-Press
Keep the ball with good spacing and quick circulation under pressure, open the body on the outside before the ball arrives, and react the moment possession changes: counter-press to keep the ball in the grid, or use the neutrals to break and score.
Duration
15 min
Total drill time
Players
11
Recommended
Pitch
18 × 12 m
Setup space
Level
Advanced
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U11-U12
Any format
Setup & instructions
Mark an 18 x 12 m grid with a disc on each corner and a mini goal just off each corner, set on the diagonal and facing the middle. Two teams of four and three neutrals in a third colour: one neutral on each end line, behind it, and one inside the grid. The possession team stands outside the two long sides, two a side, and may move along their line; the other four start inside the grid. With the neutrals it is 7v4. Outside players have two touches and can still be pressed by a defender stepping to the line. Ten passes in a row unlock the goals, and the possession team then finishes in any mini goal; the final touch must come from a team player, never a neutral. When the defenders win the ball the possession team counter-presses at once, coming into the grid to keep the ball inside it. The defenders combine with the neutrals to attack any mini goal straight away. If they score they become the possession team on the restart: they go to the outside and the other four come in. A turnover the counter-press wins back starts the count again from zero. After every goal the coach plays a new ball in from one side. Play 3 to 4 minute rounds and keep score for both teams.
Setup time: 6 min
Tactical breakdown
This 4v4+3 positional game, popular in Spanish coaching, is built around spacing and speed of circulation. It is played in an 18 x 12 m grid with a mini goal off each corner. The possession team stands outside the two long sides, two a side, and with three neutrals (one behind each end line and one in the middle) it plays 7v4 against the four inside.
The outside players have two touches and can still be pressed, which is what makes the game demanding. A defender can step to the line at any moment, so every outside player has to open up before the ball arrives and know where the next pass is going. The middle neutral is the key to the shape: playing in and out the other side moves the ball faster than any pass round the edge, and the four inside have to screen that neutral first.
Ten passes in a row unlock the goals, and the possession team then finishes in any mini goal. The final touch must come from a team player, not a neutral, so a neutral in a shooting position sets it for a team-mate instead. That keeps the neutrals as connectors rather than finishers.
The transition is where the game earns its intensity. When the defenders win the ball, the possession team counter-presses at once, coming into the grid to keep the ball inside it; a quick regain starts the count again. If the counter-press is beaten, the defenders combine with the neutrals and attack any mini goal straight away, and if they score they become the new possession team on the restart. Both teams therefore practise keeping the ball, pressing to win it, reacting to losing it and finishing quickly after a regain, all in a small space at high tempo.
How to run this drill
- Mark the grid and the goals. An 18 x 12 m grid with a disc on each corner and a mini goal just off each corner, on the diagonal and facing the middle. The coach keeps spare balls off one long side.
- Set up 4v4+3. The possession team stands outside the long sides, two a side. One neutral stands behind each end line and one plays inside. The other four start inside the grid: it is 7v4.
- Ten passes on two touches. Outside players have two touches and can be pressed by a defender stepping to the line. Ten passes in a row unlock the goals.
- Finish without the neutral. After ten passes the possession team finishes in any mini goal. The final touch must be a team player's: a neutral in a shooting spot sets it for a team-mate.
- Counter-press on the loss. When the defenders win it, the possession team counter-presses at once and comes into the grid to keep the ball inside. Win it back and the count starts again.
- Score and swap. If the defenders beat the counter-press, they use the neutrals to attack any mini goal. If they score they become the possession team: they go outside and the other four come in.
Coaching focus
FROM SESSION PLANCoaching points
- Spacing first: two outside players on the same side stay apart so one pass never covers both
- Open up on the outside before the ball arrives, so the first touch already faces the next pass
- Two touches means the decision is made before the ball comes: scan, then receive
- Use the middle neutral to switch it: in and out the other side is quicker than round the edge
- Circulate fast enough that the four inside can never set; the pass that beats the press is often the simple one
- After ten passes, finish with purpose: a neutral who is in on goal sets it for a team player
- Lose it and react at once: the nearest player goes at the ball, the next cuts the easiest pass, the rest close the grid
- Defenders: press as a unit, screen the middle neutral first, and step to the line to press an outside player
- Win it and look for the goal first: one pass into a neutral, then a finish, before the counter-press lands
Common mistakes
- Two outside players on one side standing level, so one defender covers both
- Receiving square on to the line instead of opened up, so the second touch is a turn
- Ignoring the middle neutral and only passing round the outside
- Celebrating the turnover instead of counter-pressing: the defenders get a free pass out
- A neutral finishing, or the possession team shooting before ten passes
- Defenders all chasing the ball and leaving the middle neutral free
- Losing count: everyone should know the number at all times
Progressions & regressions
VARIATIONSProgressions
- One touch for the outside players after the fifth pass
- The finish must be first time
- A goal straight after a regain counts double, to reward the counter-press and the break
- Only the middle neutral may play for the defenders after a regain
Regressions
- Unlimited touches for the neutrals, three for the outside players
- Eight passes to open the goals
- A bigger grid: 22 x 15 m
- Outside players cannot be pressed: defenders stay inside the grid
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