![Guardiola Guardiola](http://precision-training.soccertutor.com/uploads/drills/a6b5227e704910f38f94ff2fbae1fa1e.jpg)
This is called a 'positional' drill.What's the basic unit with four players? If you add three players then you can form two adjacent diamonds, either stacked or side by side. The three 'jokers' or Neutrals can be any part of either diamond.It relates to the real game in that you can form different diamonds on the pitch with, basically, any group of teammates. Let's say you play in a 4-3-3 with two holding mids. So a diamond might be formed by say the #3, 5,6 and 8 (position numbering system) and the adjacent diamond could be the 8, 11, 10, and 9 (vertically stacked diamonds) or the 5, 6, 4, and 2 (side by side diamonds).So it's game realistic in that you have a diamond of players possessing against, say, 2 defenders. The ball attracts more defenders so the original group must now move it vertically (advancing toward opp.
Goal) or move laterally (switch the point of attack).A main idea of Positional Play is to: play as you train, train as you plan. In a way, the coach does away with positions (center mid, left back) and players are just parts of the diamond (top, bottom, left, right) and when the ball moves we have a new diamond.
I know many of you across europe especially, are at the end of your seasons or very close to finishing. Next season for teams you will also be in transition from the 7v7 format to the 9v9 game, for a couple of years at U11 + U12.