I. Warm-up
The group of 24 played on a full field, working on passing in groups of threes. A passer played a short ball to a teammate, who would wall it back to the first player who would then "find" the third member with a longer pass and run to support it. The sequence would then be repeated. On occasion a player would play the long ball to one of the two goalkeepers and run to receive the goalkeeper distribution. Stretching was interspersed with this phase of the warm-up.

Seeking to work on passing rhythm, the coach then worked on combination play in threes. One of the trio would dribble at a second teammate and play the ball to feet with the third member of the group then having that ball walled off to them; the sequence would then be repeated with the original passer becoming the next "wall," etc. (See Diagram 1).

The next sequence involved overlapping runs. Here the player with the ball played it to the feet of a teammate and supported with an overlapping run. The ball then was played to the third player, followed by another overlapping run. Once this sequence was completed, the roles would be reversed until all three players had functioned as the player performing the overlap. "Showing" for the pass and the speed of the run were emphasized. (See Diagram 2).

The final phase of the warm-up involved the takeover. Here the player with the ball is defended by one of the trio and dribbles at the third player. Following the takeover, the players rearranged themselves with the ball dribbled to the original defender, who performs a takeover while the third player defends. This is repeated "on the go" as players assume different roles (dribbler, overlapping player, defender) each time the ball is exchanged.

II. Playing Out of the Back — 3 v. 2
On a field 60 x 75 yards, a ball is played by three midfielders to two attackers positioned behind a line of flat cone markers. They must try to combine within three passes for a shot on goal (A.). Once the shot is taken, the goalkeeper distributes the ball (B.) to one of the defenders who support the ball on the outside of the field. The two defenders try to force play to the ball side of the field with the objective of the back with the ball to now play a long cross-field pass to the third back, who then plays a ball to the central midfielder behind the cones at center field. The sequence now repeats itself. (See Diagram 3.)

The exercise is designed to emphasize the focus in the 3-5-2 of working the ball from the backs to the central midfielders for distribution. If the ball is played to one of the two outside midfielders and lost, then the shape of the three defenders will be disrupted as they seek to regain the ball.

III. 6 v. 4 — Playing Out of the Back
Two midfield defenders now play against the three attacking midfielders on an enlarged 75 x 75 field. The objective of the defending team is to take a shot on goal within a prescribed number of passes (three). Once the keeper distributes the ball to the outside back, the midfielder times a run and receives the ball. Emphasis is placed on the back delivering a ball to the midfielder’s feet. The midfielder either uses a 1-2 pass with the defender or turns and plays the ball to a free midfielder showing to space. The objective is to cross the line of cones in possession of the ball. While play is occurring with the attacking outside back, the other two backs must remain compact. The two defending midfielders should play one up, one back.

Note the "two up-one back" alignment of the midfielders. The setup of the central midfielders is dependent on which of the three alignments (see Part I of this series) the coach utilizes. If the defenders win the ball, they attack. If the attacking team crosses the line with the ball, the coach or a player restarts play with a ball to the defending team. The coach may wish to make the game more realistic by "squeezing" the field by making it narrower (44 to 60 yards in width).

IV. 8 v. 6 Full Field
In the next progression, Petrucelli stretched play over the full field. The defending team now added a third defender against the three central midfielders of the attacking team, while the attacking team added its two outside midfielders who were unopposed, making the training game 8 v. 6.

The objective for the eight is to work the ball out of the back (3 v. 2) to one of the two "holding/playmaking" central midfielders (note the new alignment of the three). The ball then is played to the outside midfielder, who dribbles to goal, supported by two central midfielders and his opposite outside midfielder. This creates a 3 v. 2 attacking situation on goal with the three only able to score via a crossed ball. Play resumes with a goalkeeper distribution coming the other way or by a ball played in from midfield by a spare player or coach. The defending team must try to score within four passes. (See Diagram 5.)

V. 10 v. 8 — Full Field
The coach can add two strikers to the attacking team and two to the defenders, making the game 10 v. 8. Again, the objective is scoring via crossed balls with a central midfielder getting involved in such attacking play.

Here the emphasis is on the two deep-lying central midfielders trying to free themselves and change the point of attack. Another coaching emphasis is for the third central midfielder to support the two strikers in attack.

Finally, the outside midfielders must stay on the touchline and work to create space for themselves on the perimeter of the field. If they are tightly marked, they can combine with their supporting midfielder for a "short-short-long" ball; if they are marked loosely, they can turn with the ball and combine with one of the central strikers. (See Diagram 6).

Finally, the outside backs also must look to deliver a long accurate ball to the feet of one of the central strikers. The strikers must be just that: central. They do not want to run into wide spaces, killing that space for outside midfielders to utilize. The strikers then can combine with an outside midfielder to penetrate to goal. (See Diagram 7.)

VI. 11 v. 11 Play
Petrucelli constructed the game to match two teams both playing 3-5-2. Here he emphasized the need for the two forwards to try and stretch the three defenders (a weakness in the 3-5-2) as wide as they can while not taking away the outside attacking space for their midfielders. He also emphasized the need for the three central midfielders to play-make by utilizing one- and two-touch passing.

In Diagram 8 the backs are changing the point of attack to one another aided by support from the holding midfielder. A second change of the point of attack sees the back playing to an outside midfielder. Note the two central midfielders getting into the attack, one supporting the attacking outside midfielder, the second supporting the central strikers.

A second training game emphasized using the third central midfielder as Petrucelli matched a 3-5-2 system against a 4-4-2 system of play.

Diagram 9 shows that, as the outside midfielder attacks, there is a numerical advantage in the central midfield for the 3-5-2 team. Depending on how the 4-4-2 team elects to combat that, there will be some good attacking opportunities available for the 3-5-2 team in the attacking third of the field.

Editor’s note: Chris Petrucelli is the women’s coach at the University of Texas and a senior member of the NSCAA National Academy staff.