Counter-attack 3v2 to goal
Two defenders win the ball in their half and a third player joins to counter 3v2 on the other goal. Teaches a fast, direct attack in the seconds after winning the ball.
Your assistant coach: turn this drill into a full session, plan the weeks around it and tell me how it went.
Set-up
- Pitch with a goal and keeper at each end.
- Team A attacks 2v2 at one end; on a turnover, Team B counters with a third player sprinting in.
Equipment: Cones, balls, two goals, bibs
How it works
- Team A attacks 2v2. When Team B wins it (or the keeper saves), they counter immediately.
- A Team B midfielder sprints in to make it 3v2.
- Finish within 10 seconds.
Coaching points
- First pass forward if it's on.
- Spread wide: one player each side and one through the middle.
- The player with the ball runs at a defender to commit them.
Formations this drill suits
Add this drill to a session plan โ
Make it easier
- 15-second limit
Make it harder
- A Team A player can recover
- Finish within 8 seconds
AttackersDefendersKeeper / neutral- - โ Passโ Runใฐโ Dribble
Free AI coaching help from Gafferbook. Ask anything about coaching your team.
More transitions drills
Five-second counter-press box
4v4 possession where the team that loses the ball scores a point if they win it back within five seconds. Trains the instant reaction when the ball is lost.
See the drill โContinuous waves: 2v1 into 3v2
Two attackers go against one defender; as soon as the attack ends, that defender and two teammates attack the other way 3v2. Non-stop overloads with lots of goals.
See the drill โWin it and go (4v4 + counter goals)
A possession game where winning the ball lets you attack two counter goals straight away. Teaches the first forward pass after a turnover.
See the drill โSprint back: recovery after losing it
When a team loses the ball, players must sprint back behind a recovery line before the opponents reach it. Teaches recovery runs as a habit.
See the drill โThree-team transition game
Three teams: one attacks, one defends, one waits. When the attack ends, the defenders attack the other way against the waiting team. Non-stop transitions.
See the drill โDefend the corner, then break
The team defends a corner, then breaks quickly to score in mini goals at halfway. Teaches the counter-attack from set pieces, a common source of goals.
See the drill โ