Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Defending as a Unit- 3v3 up to 8v8. (Start Time: 2023-08-15 13:00:00)

Profile Summary

Name:	Sean Yorke
City:	Ottershaw
Country:	United Kingdom
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Description

Session Topic: Defending as a Unit

Date: 15/08/2023

Time: 45 Mins

Equipment: Balls, bibs, cones

Players: 16

Age Group: 15-17

Session Objective:

To give players lots of opportunities for repetition in Defending the Penalty area.
For players to learn and develop their understanding of their roles and responsibilities when defending as a unit.

Main Defensive Principles:

Pressing
Delay
Recover
Cover & Balance
Compactness
Deny

Main Coaching Points:

Staying Compact
Positioning (Cover and Balance)
Prevent Attackers from playing forward.
Understanding when to press.

FA 4 Corner Model:

Technical/Tactical:

Dictating play- showing attacker away from goal, onto their weak foot and force them to play sideways or backwards.
Body Shape when 1v1- Side on, bent knees, on toes, arm up.
Do not dive in and timing of the tackle.
Work as a Unit- Closest player presses and teammates drop to provide cover and balance.
Angles and distances between pressing and covering players.

Physical:

Strength to hold off attackers and win the ball.
Fitness: To consistently shift and move as a unit to stay compact.
Balance and Agility to tackle, recover and block.
Speed of press to close down attacker and to make a recovery run if attackers gets past.

Psychological:

Decision making: Triggers to win the ball (Bad touch or Bad Pass). When to press or cover.
Awareness: Of attacking players stronger foot, can you force them onto their weaker foot.
Anticipation: Try to predict the Attackers next move and adjust you positioning and body shape depending on this.

Social:

Communication Working as a team and covering you teammates.
Encouraging teammates if they make a mistake or are struggling.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 3v3+GK Set Up

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3v3+GK Set Up (15 mins)

Set up as seen above with 3 Defenders + GK & 3 Attackers plus a server player (Yellow 8)

Pitch is split, players are working in the final third and in the width of the penalty area.

Objective for Defenders:

Look to stay compact, focusing on working as a unit (press, cover & balance)
If they win the ball, look to counter attack and pass into server (Yellow 8) to get a point.

Objective for Attackers:

Be creative and look to combine or attack individually to score in the goal.
Counter Press if the ball is lost.

Progression:

Add additional defender to create 4v4. Still focusing on Defending as a unit.

Regression:

Move to 2v2 in a smaller area.

Rotate 3 Defenders after 3 minutes.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 3v3+ GK Animation

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3v3+ GK Animation (15 mins)

Roles and Responsibilities for Defenders:

When ball is with Attacking RW (Blue 7):

The LB (Red 3) should press as the ball is moving. CB (Red 5) should move across to cover just behind at an angle
RB (Red 2) should look to provide balance by moving behind the CB at an angle, creating a diagonal line.

Ball is with Attacking Striker (Blue 9):

As the ball is moving the CB should look to engage, as they move the LB and RB should tuck inside to protect the middle of the pitch, creating a triangle.
This means the Fullbacks are in a position to cut the passing lanes into the Wingers, whilst also being in a position to Delay the Striker if they beat the CB and allow the CB to recover.

Ball is with the Attacking LW (Blue 11):

Set up similar to above when ball is with the RW.
RB engages the winger, CB tucks inside with LB creating a diagonal line and providing balance.
CB is now in a position to engage with the LW if RB is beaten. But can also intercept if there is a poor pass as seen in the video, then look to counter attack and play forward into server.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Defending as a Unit- 8v7 + GK

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Defending as a Unit- 8v7 + GK (25 mins)

16 Players:

Set up:

RED: 4-3 + GK

BLUE: 2-3-3

Aim of the Practice:

Blue team are aiming to play though, around or over the opposition and try to score in the goal.
Red team are aiming to work as a team to stop the Blue team scoring, if possible to win the ball and counter attack to score in 1 of the 3 target goals place on or just past the half way line.

Red team:

Looking to stay compact as a team and defend the central areas. Try to dictate play and force the opposition wide.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Positioning of the Back 4 and Midfield if the ball is played the the Opposition Full Back

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Positioning of the Back 4 and Midfield if the ball is played the the Opposition Full Back (25 mins)

Red team looking to protect the centre of the pitch by staying compact and using the width of the penalty box as a reference.
The Red midfielders (8 & 10), should look to position themselves between the ball and their opponents to block the passing lines into the midfielders in the half spaces.
Important for Defenders to understand their roles and responsibilities for where ever the ball is.

If Ball is Played to Full Back (Blue 2), Winger (Blue 7) is spare inside.

The LB (Red 3) should apply pressure as the ball is moving.
If the winger (Blue 7) makes a run in behind the LCB (4) should shift across to cover this run, with the RCB and RB shifting across too to provide cover and balance.
If the winger receives the ball, the LCB (4) should look to apply pressure and look to force them backwards away from danger.
As the ball travels back to the full back and CDM (Blue 6), the Red Team should return to their starting positions.
The LCB (4) should immediately return to cover the middle to make sure there are no gaps for the Blue team to play in.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Positioning of Midfield 3 to cut Passing Lanes.

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Positioning of Midfield 3 to cut Passing Lanes. (25 mins)

If the Blue Team Attempt to play Centrally:

Blue Attacking Midfielders (8 & 10), will attempt to play in the half spaces between the Defence and Midfield.
Red 6 & 8 should look to stay in front of the opposition midfielders to cut the passing lines into them.
Red 10 can look to press opposition with teammates looking to tuck to cover and protect the passing lanes.
If the Blue team do play the ball through into a midfielder (8), then look to cross the ball and force the oppsition backwards.

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