4v2 Angle of Support
Four passers keep the ball from two defenders — and when the defenders win it, the whole game jumps to the next square.
Early support, good angles, and the right supporting distance are what keep possession, and this game asks for all three on every single pass.
Starting at Core — your team is set to mixed.
15 min tonight · Two teams of 4 (4v2)
- Ages 9+
- Two teams of 4 (4v2)
- 15 min as the drill is written
- Cones, pinnies, balls
Grab Cones, two colors of pinnies, and a few balls.
Build Build two 18-by-18-yard squares that share one side.
Place Four reds and two yellow defenders in one square; the other two yellows wait in the far square. Ball starts with the reds.
- 1
Organize the players
Split into two teams of four in pinnies. Send four reds and two yellow defenders into one square; the other two yellows spread out in the far square.
“Reds, this square is yours. Two yellows in with them — other two yellows, far square, and stay moving.”
- 2
Show the jobs
Walk one round — the reds pass and give the ball two ways out; when a yellow wins it, they play it across, both yellows join that square, and two reds chase in as the new defenders.
“Passers — give the ball two options, always. Defenders — win it, play it across, then go join it.”
- 3
Play
Start the 4v2 and let the pattern run. Everyone moves at all times — even the two waiting in the far square should be working into supporting spots.
“Support early — be there before the ball is! Move, even without it.”
Look for Support arriving before the pass — triangles forming around the ball ahead of the receiver's first touch.
- 4
Switch and repeat
Let the transfer do the rotating — every steal sends two defenders across and pulls two new ones in. Keep the tempo up so the game stays dynamic.
“Won it? Play it across and follow! New defenders — in you go!”
If the passing keeps dying, walk the cones out a few steps while they play — more room slows the pressure — then bring them back in once it flows.
Go deeper · 2 notes
Why it works
Possession here never sits still — the ball, the defenders, and the jobs all move from square to square, so support has to arrive early, at an angle the defender cannot reach, and at the right distance. Even the players waiting are playing: finding the supporting spot before the ball arrives is the whole skill.
What they learn
Early support, angle and distance of support, and movement without the ball.
Where does this come from?
SoccerXpert — their published drill library.
A published drill library. Useful and widely used, but not a governing body — so it fills gaps rather than leading.