How To Play Possession Soccer

Possession soccer is a tactical strategy that a team employs to control the pace of a game. Through careful passing and slow advances, a team maintains possession of the ball. The chief benefit of this strategy is that it gives you a good chance of scoring while wearing out the opposing team, who must run after the ball constantly to attempt to regain it. The downside of possession soccer is that it is difficult for a team to maintain control of the ball for long periods of time, though highly developed passing skills make this task easier.

Step 1

Pass the ball as soon as you receive it. One of your goals is to wear down the defenders. Rapid passing forces defenders to reposition themselves constantly, which is exhausting, so don't hold on to the ball any longer than necessary.

Step 2

Move the ball forward in increments. Don't attempt to kick the ball far forward to a teammate, because long passes are more difficult to execute accurately. Instead, pass the ball to the nearest open teammate.

Step 3

Wait for an opening in the other team's defense to take a shot. The goal is to approach the other team's goal area slowly, then pass the ball around until a defender makes a mistake, such as pursuing the ball too far away from the goal area. When that happens, one of your teammates should run into the gap in the defense to receive a pass and shoot the ball.

Step 4

Stop trying to create scoring opportunities once your team has secured the lead. If you maintain possession of the ball, the other team can't score, and you will win. Focus on executing short, accurate passes that keep the ball far from the other team's players.

Tips and Warnings

Passing drills that develop quick decision-making and accurate ball distribution help prepare a team to play possession soccer. For example, divide players into groups of four. Designate one person in each group to be the defender. The remaining three should form a triangle and pass the ball to each other while the defender attempts to win the ball. To heighten the difficulty of the drill, direct the passers to make rapid decisions and quick passes.