What to train with U15–U16 players, with a sample session

Between 14 and 15 (the cadete category in Spain) players start to look and train like adults. They are stronger and faster, they can repeat high-intensity efforts and they can follow a game plan for a whole match.

This is the age to make the team work together without the ball: pressing with clear triggers, reacting to transitions in seconds and defending as a block. At the same time, the body still needs care, so injury prevention becomes part of every session.

Pressing as a team: what triggers the press (a back pass, a poor touch, a pass to the full-back), who goes first and how the rest cover.

Transitions: winning the ball and attacking in a few passes, losing it and reacting straight away instead of complaining.

Possession with direction: keeping the ball is not enough, players learn to play forward to a target or a striker.

Injury prevention: core, balance, landing and hamstring work in the warm-up, two or three times a week.

Warm-up (12 min): injury-prevention activation circuit. Core, balance and landing stations, in pairs, before touching the ball.

Rondo (12 min): directional 4v2 to a target. The four in possession keep the ball and score by finding a target player at the end of the area.

Main part 1 (20 min): pressing triggers, 6v4 build-up against the press. The four pressers only jump on a trigger agreed beforehand, and the six try to play out.

Main part 2 (18 min): 4v4 with goalkeeper. One team attacks the big goal; when the other team wins it, they counter to two small goals.

Game (20 min): three-zone match with pressing triggers. Cool-down (8 min): static stretches.

Give the players a voice. Ask the centre-backs when they think the team should press, or let the midfielders choose the trigger for a game. Players this age commit much more to rules they helped set.

Keep the intensity high but the volume controlled. Short games with full rest between rounds are better than long tired ones where nobody presses.

Respect different maturity levels. A late developer may be the best technician in the squad and still lose every physical duel; keep giving them minutes.