PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR BOYS SOCCER
12 sessions built on an elite possession philosophy. Every activity sourced directly from Developing an Elite Philosophy in Possession. Every session is opposed, game-realistic, and position-relevant.
GKs: Distribution under pressure — serve to feet vs a pressing forward. CBs: Driving passes to switch play — receive from GK, hit the far FB on the half-volley. FBs: Defensive 1v1 footwork — shift hips to deny the cross against a winger cutting inside. CMs: Half-turn receiving angle — check, receive, open body before ball arrives. Forwards: Receiving back to goal, single touch lay-off under shoulder pressure. No generic work. Each player knows their focus and goes straight to it.
Poles and cones scattered randomly creating gates (1 pt) and goals (2 pts). No set pattern — players read pressure areas continuously. Teams score by dribbling or passing through gates or shooting into goals. Pure game-reality from minute one.
10×15 area, mannequin 4 yards ahead, two gates beyond. Defender starts behind (≈75% of elite receiving situations). Attacker protects, dominates, and passes through a gate or reaches the end line. 6 reps each. Progress: replace mannequin with live defender.
Wide pitch, 6 goals (one central, two wide each end). Teams score in any goal. Switching play earns a bonus point; no more than 3 consecutive passes in the same zone. Forces identification of the pressure side and switch to find freedom.
Small area, 4 small goals, no GKs. Seven 4-minute bouts: (1) Vertical goals only, (2) Horizontal only, (3) 20 passes = goal, (4) Any goal, (5) Volleys only, (6) Aerial set volley, (7) Chest volley. Each bout rewards a different technical quality under competitive pressure.
Three questions: Which pressure areas were identified? When did switching play unlock space? Name the Five Receiving Lines. Connect one moment in the SSG back to the 10-minute rule work.
GKs: Footwork to receive back passes under press — serve-collect-distribute against a closing forward. CBs: Body shape when receiving under a high press — open body, first touch away from pressure. FBs: Overlap timing — read the winger's run and time the burst without being offside. CMs: Checking away and offering at a new angle — 10 reps, vary the angle each time. Strikers: Checking to feet — correct body shape on arrival so the lay-off is automatic.
Whites 1v1 vs yellows. Two red overloads always available. Whites maintain possession — reds provide the escape. 60-second bouts, rotate. Establishes possession mentality: hold, retain, use the overload, don't panic.
Two areas: left = small pitch (finishing), right = multiple gates. Promotion/relegation: win on gates → promote to finishing. Defender starts on the attacker's shoulder. Use speed of turn, disguise, or body feint to escape. Rotation every 5 min.
Octagonal shape. 2 blue targets opposite each other outside. 2v2 inside. Whites retain using the full shape. Trigger: when the inside 2v2 opens, the receiving pair rotate — check away then spin, overlap, or underlap. Foundation of all midfield and forward rotation patterns.
Poles in centre forming a goal playable from both directions. GK stands in the central goal. Two teams attack from opposite ends. Teams must circulate before shooting — cannot approach straight on. Types of finish rewarded differently: side-foot, driven, first-time, curled.
Could players name what their partner was about to do before they received? Identify 2 examples of correct rotation. Connect the partner rotation to today's 10-minute rule movement work.
GKs: Angle setting — adjust starting position for different ball positions in wide areas. CBs: Stepping to intercept or hold — read the striker's run and choose correctly. FBs: Cross delivery technique — driven low, whipped in-swinger, cut-back. 10 reps of the preferred delivery. CMs: Rotation check-away — walk through the pattern, then do it at pace against a shadow defender. False 9 / Forwards: Dropping to Line 4, turning, playing the through-ball to the arriving CM. Each player coaches themselves — the coach circulates and gives one point each.
4 white players retain on outside. 2 yellow overloads (6v4). 4 reds press for 90 seconds then rest. Forces midfielders to find the correct angle to receive — never in a line, always in a triangle. 90-second press bouts carry physical load during preseason.
Cones 2 yards apart vertically, 6 yards between pairs. Attackers approach from angles — not straight lines. Gates on the side for scoring. Angled approach changes the defender's cover shadow and creates the extra half-yard.
Half pitch, full width. Two back fours face each other, no GKs. 2 yellow CMs between the lines. Back four builds through the horseshoe (GK→CB→CB→FB→FB). Ball to CM → recycle or turn and play forward. Opposing back four transitions to press shape immediately.
Two main goals with GKs. Four side goals (poles 4 yards from touchline). Teams score 1 pt in main goals, 2 pts in side goals. Side goals force wide play. False nine drops creating central overload; forwards check wide to attack side goals.
Three questions: (1) What does our possession game look like now? (2) Name the Five Receiving Lines. (3) Which 1v1 scenario appeared most? After 3 days of the 10-minute rule, ask players: did they notice a change in their specific area?
GK (L1) → CBs (L2) → Pivot/DM (L3) → No.10/CAM (L4) → Forwards in the block (L5). Five different lines spread the opposition, create numerical advantages in specific zones, and give the ball carrier multiple real options in every moment.
10 min × 4 sessions/week = 40 min/week on one specific strength. Over a season that is 26.5 hours of focused individual practice — from a substitution that costs nothing. The compounding effect is why Lees calls it the most underused development tool available to any coach at any level.
Every minute of every session involves live opposition. Mannequins don't tackle, don't press, don't create the decision-making pressure that transfers to match performance. Real opponents are the teacher — from day one, session one.
GKs: Distribution under a press — kicked long or played short; read the press shape, not just the target. CBs: Diagonal driven pass to switch — 10 reps, alternate feet, no standing passes. CMs: Receive on the half-turn and play forward first time — the 10-minute rule for midfielders is this movement, done until it's unconscious. No.10: Receiving between lines, disguising the turn — 10 reps against a shadow marker. Forwards: Dropping to Line 4, laying off for the arriving CM run. Each player self-coaches their specific pattern.
Whites outside with balls. Yellows vs reds 1v1 inside. White serves to yellow. Yellow dominates the 1v1 and plays immediately to the opposite white target. Focus: movement before ball arrives, first action after winning = play forward.
Area split into 4 equal boxes (12×12). 1v1 in each simultaneously. One red CM centrally. Yellow dominates and plays to the CM or into another box. Player who concedes becomes the next CM. The attacker's work begins before the ball arrives.
Two white targets top and bottom. 3v3 centrally. Ball starts at bottom. CMs rotate: one drops, one holds, one makes a line-breaking run. Variation 1: receive and recycle. Variation 2: receive, turn, penetrate immediately. Rotation triggered by where the ball goes — three CMs shift as a unit, never static.
Tight area. 4 yellows press and counter. Whites: 2 outside (CBs/FBs) + 3 inside (midfield trio). Yellows press in a coordinated block of 4. When yellows win → immediate counter to goal (8-second rule). Progress: add white No.10, then yellow forwards.
How did midfield rotation beat the press? One moment where rotation unlocked it. Connect the CM half-turn from the 10-minute rule to one pass in the SSG.
GKs: Horseshoe distribution — short to CB, CB feeds back, GK switches to far FB. Pace and timing only. CBs: Playing through a press — receive under a closing striker, body shape to play around or through. FBs: Underlap timing — watch the winger go outside, then check inside at the exact moment the defender follows. CMs: Retention under a tight press — 1v1 keep-ball, find the body position that protects the ball without backing into the defender. Strikers: Hold-up strength — back to goal, two hands out, resist for 3 seconds, then turn.
Two 18-yard areas back to back. GK in each. Two back fours outside each box. 3 CMs vs 3 CMs centrally. Back fours retain in horseshoe and feed their CM trio. Establishes the critical link between defensive line and CM.
3 areas side by side: (1) 10×15 — 1v1, (2) 12×12 — 2v2, (3) 15×15 — 3v3. Groups rotate every 3 minutes. Guardiola's overloading logic made physical: win the 1v1 → create the 2v1; two players dominating → the 3v2 overload. Individual skill IS the foundation of every team possession moment.
3 zones. End zones: 2v1 (CBs + GK vs CF) — easy possession. Central zone: 3v4 (3 midfielders vs 4) — deliberate underload. Floaters on outside as relief. Ball flows end zone → central 3v4 → opposite end zone. The underload forces faster decisions and genuine patience.
3 zones: 2v1 each end, 3v3 central. Floating extra defender creates overload pressure. Teams alternate: one builds out through all three zones, the other establishes a press. When pressing team wins in central zone → counter to goal immediately.
Connect to Guardiola: how did the 1v1 work become a 3v2 by the SSG? Name one moment of successful build-out through the press. Ask the striker: did the hold-up work from the 10-minute rule show up in the game?
GKs: Post-save distribution — save, reset feet, distribute quickly. Time the restart. CBs: Marking in transition — opponent goes long, CB must get side-on before the ball lands. FBs: Delivery technique — their specific preferred cross (whipped in-swinger, driven low, cut-back). 10 reps of that one delivery from a moving approach. Wide players: 1v1 vs a retreating FB — the defender is backpedaling, attacker must use pace or disguise to find the cross angle. Strikers: Near-post run timing — check away, then attack the near post at the moment the ball reaches the wide player. No wasted runs.
Isolated to one side on the edge of the box. Mannequins as a "second six-yard box" (Bielsa/Bilbao session). Wide player receives from CM, moves around the mannequin block, delivers. All cross types: early whipped, driven low, cut-back, lofted clip. Forwards attack near, far, penalty spot.
Reds as outside feeders. Two small goals 3 yards in from each corner. Attacker receives with defender already facing them. Must use feint, step-over, change of pace, or disguise to score in either corner goal. Defender In Front requires maximum disguise, not maximum speed.
Wide pitch, 2 zones. Two 8-yard free channels down each side — defenders cannot enter unless ball is there. GKs both goals. Wide channels: FB + winger combine to beat the press and deliver. Options: overlap, underlap, double-pass, or direct 1v1. Central zones are overloaded — teaches the team to exploit width as primary outlet.
3 zones, 2 goals with GKs. 8v8 to 11v11. Minimum player counts in each zone enforce structural discipline. Teams play through to the next zone before switching. End of Phase 2 integration: back four, midfield, and wide play all expressed in a structured live game.
Can players identify the back four structure, midfield rotation, and wide combination in a single possession sequence from today? Ask FBs and wide players: was the 10-minute rule delivery/timing visible in the SSG?
2v1, 3v2, 4v3 — mini overloads are the engine of possession. One player dominating their 1v1 creates the team's next 2v1. Players who view the game as small numerical situations and act on them within seconds make elite possession work.
By Day 6 players have 60 minutes of focused individual work on their specific strength. The principle now shows up in collective sessions — the CB's driven switch, the CM's half-turn, the FB's timed underlap. Individual excellence feeds collective coherence. This is what Lees means by "the individual parts make your ideas function."
Midfield rotation, front-three rotation, FB/winger rotation — these are rehearsed patterns that become instinct. Movement before the ball arrives = space when it arrives. The movement creates the opportunity; the pass uses it.
GKs: Footwork and positioning to receive back passes under pressure from a pressing forward. CBs: Step to intercept — read the striker's run into the channel, time the step, don't get caught flat. FBs: Recovery run — sprint at full pace from an advanced position back to goal side of a winger. Timed. CMs: Immediate press trigger — the moment the ball is lost, the CM's three steps must be toward the ball, not away. 10 reps simulating loss of possession. Forwards: Press trigger technique — drop the shoulder, show the opponent one way, cut off the pass. Today this is the defensive skill they develop.
Two identical pitches, 15-yard gap. 5v5 on each. Coach calls a number — that player sprints across for a 1v1. Rest continue 4v4. All five 1v1 scenarios can arise. 2×6 min rounds.
18-yard box. GK in each goal. Coaches and players outside constantly feed aerial and ground balls — no waiting between reps. Continuous 60-second bouts. Relentless delivery replicates match speed. Forces finishing decisions under fatigue and close-quarters pressure.
3 equal boxes. 3 teams of 3. Team A in middle. Team B in one end box. Team C: one player each in the other two boxes. A achieves 5 passes then switches to C. When ball moves to C's side, B transitions — one sprints to press the middle. Every team is simultaneously in a different moment.
Tight area. 4 whites at corners. 4 reds + 3 yellows centrally. 7v4 in possession. When whites win → expand to corners immediately, the 7 press all four corners. The essence of Guardiola positional play: overload centrally; press immediately on loss. 3×6 min rounds.
Ask players to identify one moment each of: In Possession, Out of Possession, Counter Attack, Counter Defend. Did the press trigger work from the 10-minute rule appear in live play?
GKs: Long distribution accuracy — target a CB or CM moving into specific channel zones. Timed. CBs / DM: First touch forward in transition — receive a pass under no pressure, first touch must go 5 yards forward in under 0.5 seconds. FBs/Wide: Counter run into channel 1 or 5 — explosive first 10 yards from a standing start, curved run to stay onside. CMs: Recognise the open channel before the ball is played — 10 reps: coach points to a mannequin line, player calls the open channel out loud first, then runs it. Forwards: Bent run behind the defensive line, stay onside, reach the ball at pace. 10 timed reps.
Central possession box. Mannequins outside in 5 vertical channels. GKs both ends. Teams retain (min 5 passes) then trigger a runner to break one channel. Runners identify the open channel before making the run — the decision comes first.
Edge of box in 3 zones. 1v1 in each simultaneously. One red CM outside all three zones. GK in goal. Attacker dominates and gets a shot. CM gives one combination option — attacker decides: combine or go direct. Simulates the final 1v1 before goal in a real match.
2 zones, both width of the penalty box. GK in top goal. 2 defenders top, 1 midfielder bottom. 3 rows of 3 attackers at halfway. Coach plays to first group of 3. Penetrate bottom zone (vs 1 mid) then finish top (vs 2 def + GK). 8-second rule enforced from first touch. Groups rotate continuously.
Normal game (4v4–6v6). Player who loses the ball sprints around a designated object before re-joining. Creates temporary overload. Coach counts "1–2–3–4–5" — overload must be attacked by 5. No instruction. Players self-organise. Breeds urgency naturally.
How many counters reached a shot within 8 seconds? What slowed teams down — first touch, pass, or run? Did the channel recognition from the 10-minute rule make a visible difference?
GKs: Claim the aerial ball — coach lofts balls in, GK must command, call, and claim cleanly. 10 reps. CBs: Aerial contest + immediate ground transition — head the ball, land, accelerate into counter shape. FBs: Tucking in from wide — sprint from wide to cover central channel as the counter is countered. Timed. CMs: Getting between the lines — check, receive in the strip (see Day 9 activation), face forward, play. 10 reps with a shadow marker. Forwards/Wide: Bent counter run — stay onside off the CB's shoulder, attack the half-space, first touch toward goal. The non-aerial player starts their run the moment the ball is served.
Normal pitch, GKs both goals. Horizontal strips (≈3 yards wide) marked across full width. Rule: receive in a strip = no press for 2 seconds. Teaches players to identify and check into gaps between defensive lines. The reward is time on the ball — players discover it organically.
Coach serves aerial ball into area. Two players contest the header — one wins. Immediately becomes 2v2 to small goals. The aerial loser must recover; the winner's partner makes an immediate run. Trains aerial domination + instant ground transition — the exact sequence of a contested long ball or restart.
Part A (14 min, p.69): 3 zones. 3v3 centrally. After 3 passes, 2 break into end zone: 3v1. Score within 8 seconds. Part B (14 min, p.70): Half pitch. GK + 2 blue CBs + red striker. 5v5 in possession box. After 5 passes, 3 break vs 2 CBs + GK. Attack the side of the recovering CB. Striker occupies the set CB to free space for the arriving runner.
¾ pitch, width of penalty box. GK + 1–2 yellow defenders. Middle strip: 3 yellows vs 1 white No.10. Bottom: whites in two banks of four. Yellows circulate under underload. Trigger occurs → white two banks counter the ¾ pitch. Full sequence: sit in shape → recognise trigger → execute counter collectively within 8 seconds.
Day 8: countered vs 3 defenders. Today: vs back four. What changed? Which CB gave space? Did the aerial transition from the 10-minute rule carry into the unit work?
Counter attacks from a deep regain must reach a shot within 8 seconds. Hard rule, trained in every Phase 3 session. Name it every time it's missed. Count it aloud. The first touch must be forward — any sideways touch kills the counter before it starts.
Phase 3's 10-minute rule shifts individual work to transition-specific skills — the first touch forward, the press trigger, the recovery run, the aerial contest + ground transition. By Day 9, players have 90 minutes of focused work on these habits. They become automatic under fatigue because they've been isolated and repeated before fatigue ever arrives.
Counter attacks from triggers require collective, simultaneous recognition. One player seeing the trigger means nothing. The trigger must be trained specifically: which defensive body shape, which zone, which restart. The team must react as one within 2 seconds.
GKs: Sweep-keeping — read when to come for through-balls, decision-making on when to stay vs come. CBs: Driving with the ball into midfield to attract a press and release a CM. Controlled, purposeful carry. FBs: The skill each FB needs most against their likely first opponent — specific to the scouting. CMs: The player's single most important individual action in the game model — repeat it 10 times at pace. No.10: Receiving between lines, disguised turn, immediate forward pass. Forwards: Rotation pattern from today's activation — front three movement in the diamond, 5 min walk-through, 5 min at pace.
Two 18-yard boxes back to back. Rotation patterns rehearsed systematically: striker short → No.10 runs in behind; striker wide → No.10 occupies centre; both press high → screener drops to cover. Not improvised — choreographed understanding rehearsed until automatic.
Full-scale. GK in goal. Flat markers down the centre. Mannequins on edge of centre circle D. Attacker receives at halfway D, attacks goal with defender facing them. Markers force the attacker to stay in their channel — no drifting wide. The hardest 1v1 scenario in a full match-realistic environment.
Big area, 2 zones. Top: 2v2 (2 CBs vs 2 strikers). Bottom: 5v3 (midfielders vs pressers). Build in the 5v3, play into top 2v2. Rehearsed front-two movements: one checks short (Line 4); one runs behind (Line 5). CB pair: one steps, one covers. Midfield possession earns the chance; front-two movement creates the space.
Half pitch. Full back four in horseshoe. GK in goal. 4v4 in central possession box. After 5 passes → 3 break vs back four + GK. FBs start wide — attack the space before they tuck in. Third attacker takes far-post run. Progress: break after 3 passes, then immediately on any regain.
Walk one counter sequence at full speed. Ask: how did the front two movement from the unit show up in the counter? Did players' 10-minute rule work connect to a visible moment today?
GKs: Shot-stopping from close range — coach fires low driven shots from 8–10 yards. Reaction saves only. CBs: Heading delivery — lofted balls in from wide, CB wins it and redirects. Technique and timing. FBs: Late run into the box — time the run from deep, arrive at the far post as the cross is delivered. 5 reps each side. CMs: Late run into the box to finish — the arriving CM run from Phase 1 now finishes with a shot. Wide/No.10/Forwards: Bounce pass precision — the weight, angle, and pace of the lay-off that sets up the shot. 10 reps. The pass is the assist — it must be right every time.
3 zones. Narrow end zones with small outside goals. 5v5 centrally. Must bounce off the striker before scoring. Teaches: midfield → striker → midfield runner. The striker's first touch sets up the lay-off; the arriving CM times the run.
10×15. Red targets at one height higher, one deeper. Yellow vs white 1v1. Coach serves to yellow. Yellow receives under pressure, plays to one target. Heights force the decision: can I play forward (preferred) or must I bounce (safety)? Receive-and-play-forward is always the primary outcome.
Part A — Close Finishing (14 min, p.44): 2 goals with GKs, 3 defenders each half, 2 strikers opposite. 4 outside players 1-touch only. Every finish in tight traffic — rewards composure and correct shot angle. Part B — Front Three Combinations (14 min, p.45): One goal + GK, 18-yard area. Front three vs back four. No.10 supports outside. Runs: near-post, far-post, diagonal, overlap, underlap. First-time finish wherever possible.
Half pitch. GK + 2 defenders + 1 screener. Whites: striker + 2 wingers + No.10 + 2 screeners. 2 mannequins as FBs. 8-second rule is law. Whites build specific formation patterns (screener → 10 → winger → striker → 10; screener → striker → reverse winger; etc.). Attack on goal after 3 passes. Three full rotations of the white unit.
Without prompts, can the front unit walk through all three 4-2-3-1 counter patterns? Name the pattern, then demonstrate. Ask: did the bounce pass precision from the 10-minute rule change any finish today?
Day 12 is different. Each player works on whatever they decide they need most. Coach says nothing. No instruction. The 10-minute rule returns to its purest form: the player as their own coach. They have had 110 minutes across 11 sessions of focused individual work. Today they direct the last 10. This is the habit that must continue through the season: 10 min × 4 sessions/week = 26.5 hours per season. The coach's job is simply to remind them of that number and let them go.
Three concentric boxes. 5v5 central, 2 players each team in second box, 2 in outer. Build in central box → play a line-breaking pass to second box → play to far outer player. Screener wins the 5v5, recycles if blocked, finds the moment to break through lines.
5 min: each player runs their primary 1v1 pattern at pace, self-directed. 3 min brief: 2 attacking corners, 2 defensive corners — patterns already established, no new information.
Long pitch. 10v10. Flat cones form a trigger line in opposition's half. Rule: when defending team wins on or beyond the trigger line → counter within 8 seconds. No coach stoppages for 25 minutes. Coaches observe only — count counters, time them, note overloads recognised or missed. This is the game.
Players-led 7 min. Coach input: max 3 min. One possession principle and one counter principle for Period 2. Nothing else.
Three 8-minute blocks. A — Winning 2–0 (10 min left): manage the clock, possession team; opposition presses high. B — Losing 1–0: full press, direct counter, 8-second rule absolute. C — 1–1 (5 min left): probe possession then commit final 2 min. Players self-organise. Coach does not call the shape.
Questions: (1) Name the Five Receiving Lines. (2) Name the five 1v1 scenarios. (3) Counter from deep regain vs high regain — what is the difference? (4) Winning 2–0 with 10 min left — what is the game management approach? Coach closes with individual notes: one strength identified, one focus area for the competitive season. And one question for every player: what is your 10-minute rule focus for the season?
"The system, style and formation must be built around the individuals." On Day 12 the players prove this by self-organising without instruction. The game model exists to release what each player does best — it does not impose a shape that prevents the best player performing.
Day 12's 10-minute rule is player-directed — no coach instruction. This is the habit that must continue through the season. The coach's role is to protect the 10 minutes at the start of every session, remind players of the compounding maths, and get out of the way. 26.5 hours per season of focused individual practice. That is the rule.
"If you get the process right the outcome will often take care of itself." 12 sessions of possession shape, 1v1 domination, line-breaking, counter structure, and 120 minutes of individual identity work build a team that wins because individuals are excellent and the collective is coherent.