Core Topic 1: In Possession

Module: Master The Game: 12-18 Years Old Classroom: Use The 360TFT Game Model Original Location: https://www.skool.com/coachingacademy/classroom/62d426ee

TLDR

In Possession is about how I build, maintain, and progress with the ball to create and finish attacking opportunities. It’s broken down into four progressive principles that layer together.

Positioning focuses on build up play and building the attack where players learn to take up effective positions to stretch the pitch, offer passing options, and create the foundation for controlled possession. The focus is on scanning, support angles, and spatial awareness through structured rondos, build-up patterns, and third-player support roles.

Ball Retention is about maintaining possession and circulation, securing the ball under pressure, moving it with purpose, and recognising when to accelerate or slow tempo. Players learn to circulate to provoke, create overloads, and stay composed when pressed through overload games, possession grids, and positional rotations.

Breaking Lines teaches creating the attack and movement between lines, progressing play vertically through passing, dribbling, or movement to disrupt opponent shape. It emphasises central combination play, third-man runs, and exploiting space between lines through central overloads, wave patterns, and dynamic positional games.

Creating and Finishing Opportunities focuses on final third decision-making once the line is broken. Players develop timing of runs, weight of passes, shot selection, and attacking from preferred assist zones through crossing and finishing scenarios, small-sided games with zone rewards, and fast transition finishes.

These aren’t siloed topics but layered principles. Players revisit each one with new demands as they develop, with every session tying back to real-game situations.

In Possession - Core Concepts

This phase is all about how we build, maintain, and progress with the ball to create and finish attacking opportunities. It’s broken down into four progressive principles:

1. Positioning (Build Up Play, Building The Attack)

Players learn how to take up effective positions to stretch the pitch, offer passing options, and create the foundation for controlled possession.

The focus is on:

In training: structured rondos, build-up patterns, third-player support roles.

2. Ball Retention (Maintaining Possession, Circulation)

This is about securing the ball under pressure, moving it with purpose, and recognising when to accelerate or slow the tempo.

Players learn to:

In training: overload games, possession grids, and positional rotations.

3. Breaking Lines (Creating The Attack & Movement Between The Lines)

This principle teaches players how to progress play vertically — through passing, dribbling, or movement — to disrupt the opponent’s shape.

It emphasises:

In training: central overloads, wave patterns, & dynamic positional games.

4. Creating & Finishing Opportunities (Final 3rd, Finishing The Attack)

Once the line is broken, the focus shifts to final-third decision-making: Can we assist? Can we finish?

Players develop:

In training: crossing and finishing scenarios, small-sided games with zone rewards, and fast transition finishes.

Layered Learning

These aren’t siloed topics, they’re layered. Players revisit each one with new demands as they develop, with every session tying back to real-game situations.

This content is part of the 360TFT Football Coaching Academy - Use The 360TFT Game Model