Hi James, hope you're well? When coaching the transition into 7v7 I find it helps that you begin to coach players the positions of defenders, midfielders and attackers and what their roles are on the pitch. This way players can develop an understanding for each area of the pitch and the jobs of specific positions. It is important to rotate players positions as it will help them understand each position even more and how the team actually works.

In terms of preparation I think setting out zones for specific positions works well (thirds for example) and as they develop an understanding you can then progress that they can travel more freely but every time the ball goes out of play their position on the pitch resets. For example, if the ball goes off for a goal kick then each player must get back into their start position/area.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get on!