Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): recover defensive shape (transition attack to defense)

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Area:

Use half a pitch with goals at either end. Create 2 channels from edge of penalty area to halfway line as shwon.

Equipment:

Cones or dics, bibs balls

Objective:

Play a normal game ibut when the team lose and the ball is in your defensive half we want them to recover into a defensive shape, the width of the penalty area or inside the cones. although there is no restricton on and the team out of possesion and they can go into the channels, we want to allow the team in possesion to use the width but recover to a 1-3-2 formation when out of possesion to have good protection infront of the goal keeper to make it difficult to penerate. Once possesion is won back from the blue team the roles are reversed and they become the team in possesion and the reds need to recover into a defensive shape the width of the penalty area in a 1-3-2. Encourage the team in possesion to play out wide and use the space.

Progression:

The coach will introduce a ball and shout "play". the original ball is dead and they players have to react to the new ball in play. This will help simulate turn overs of possesion but also for the coach to keep replay situations until a player or players learn and identify that they need to recover into defensive shape and not run back to help.

Key points:

Encourage players out of possesion to delay, deny to allow team mates to recover into the defensive shape as required.

Identify in transition early that possesion is about to be lost as a trigger to drop back and communicate with team mates to drop.

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