Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): [UEFA B] - Defending the Switch of Play (1) (Spec & SSG) - Martin Roberts

Specific - Defend the Switch fo Play (10 mins)

Setup:

• Half Field
• Tapered at one end with mini goals.
• Shaded zone can be marked off with cones
• Yellow (Out of Possession) playing 4-2-3-1, remove #7, #9, #10, #11
• Blue (In Possession) playing 4-3-3, remove #1, #2, #3, #4, #5

Timings:

• 10 Mins

Who, What, Where, When, Why, What If?

• Who - Yellow team, Out of Possession
• What - Defending the Switch of Play
• Where - In the defensive third, starting the press when the opponents cross into the defensive third, from the midfield third.
• Why - To prevent the switch and stop the opponents creating an overload
• When - As soon as they enter the defensive third, the trigger being when the player with the ball puts their head down to start to strike the ball
  
• What IF - The ball gets played through the middle, via Blue #9 & #10 before reaching Blue #11.
  • There are no bonus goals awarded as it wasn't direct.
  • Defenders continue with the slide across and the pressure responsibilities slides across also. Meaning if Blue #9 gets the ball, then one of Yellow #4 or #5 must press while the other provides cover, and Yellow #2 & #3 tuck in either side of the central defenders, in order to protect the middle.

Block 1:

• Ball always starts with Blue team at the half way line.
• Yellow #6 & #8 are tasked with the immediate press of the Blue #6 & #8 once the ball is played, their role is to attempt to prevent the pass out wide.
  • IF the ball get passed out wide (Blue #6 to Blue #7) then the closest player, Yellow #8, needs to follow the ball and press onto Blue #7.
    At the same time, the pass to Blue #7 is the trigger for Yellow #2 to apply pressure to the inside shoulder, to force Blue #7 to face outside, towards the byline.
    • Yellow #6 then drops ball side of Blue #10 to block the passing lane, and Yellow #4 steps in front of Blue #9 to block that passing lane, the aim is to force Blue #7 to play backwards, preventing the direct switch of play.
    • Yellow #5 moves to the center and drops a little deeper to sweep any pass the breaks lines, and to face the pitch to read the field. Yellow #3 leave the wide player, Blue #11, and comes inside and joins up with Yellow #5 to provide cover and balance.

Interventions:

• Walkthrough:
  At the start, discuss the shape and movement of the Yellow team, explain the bonus goals to the Blue team.
• Concurrent:
  Using the coaching process, stop play and correct the players so they recognise where their positioning should be.
• Terminal:
  Explain at the end of the practice, which players are joining and where.

Conditions:

• Half pitch, tapered towards the half way line
• 3 Mini goals for Yellow team to attack into
• 2 wide zones marked out, these are the direct switch of play zones

Challenges:

• If the Blue team can make a switch of play from one wing to another (from inside the zones), that is worth 2 goals.
• If the Yellow team can score in the mini goals, that's worth 1 goal.
• If the Yellow team can force the Blue team to play it so any player inside the center circle, that's worth 2 goals.