THOMAS FRANK, CLOSING PASSING LINES

📝 1. Description of exercise

Specific exercise to work on collective defensive principles by lines. Two teams of 10 players face each other in a space of 30×40 meters, where one of the teams executes attacks in 5v5 format, while the other 5 teammates rest outside the space. The offensive objective is to make progress by overcoming lines by passing, while the defensive objective is to close passing lines, to swing in a coordinated manner and to apply single and double coverages. The team that recovers the ball automatically switches to the attacking role.

📐 2. Organization and Development

• Space: 30×40 meters.

• Players: 2 teams of 10 players (5 play, 5 rest).

• Start: A team starts the attack with 5 players in front of the 5 rival defenders.

• Rules:

  • The attacking team must overcome the defensive line by passing.

  • If they make clean progress, they maintain possession.

  • If the defending team recovers the ball (interception or steal), they change roles and become attackers.

• Rotations: The other 5 players on the team wait to enter in the following sequence.

🧠 4. Tips or main points

• Coordination between lines: essential to close spaces between lines and interior zones.

• 📌 C ollective tilting: the block must move as a whole laterally in function of the ball.

• 📌 Coverages: observe the positioning of the second defender to cover the back or the spaces left by the teammate.

• 📌 Communication and body profile: essential for anticipating, guiding and closing effective lines.

🔁 3. Variants

• ⚽ Add offensive jokers to favor circulation and open lines.

• 🔄 Change the layout to 6v6 to work more density and coordination.

• 🕒 Establish possession time limits to increase intensity and decision making.

• 🎯 Adding mini-porteries or target zones to give direction to the attack.