Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Specific Practice (OP) - Defending the Lines

FAW Coach Ed

Owen Roberts

Profile Summary

Name:	Owen Roberts
City:	Bridgend
Country:	United Kingdom
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Specific Practice

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Specific Practice

Specific Practice / Out of Possession / Defending the Lines

Welsh Way Principles
Understand how to defend the lines by forcing play wide to protect the middle, stopping split passes & staying narrow and compact
Organisation / Area Size:

65x75 yards minus tapered corners at the top end of the pitch.

Channels marked out on both wings

Teams play 8v7

Red team play GK-3-5-2 minus #9, 10, 11 + 7 in a GK-3-2-1

Blue team play GK-4-5-1 (single pivot) minus back 4 + GK in a 1-4-1

Alan Planning a Red Team GK - 3-5-2 Minus #9, 10, 11, 8 + 7 in a GK-3-1

Blue Team - Blue team play GK-4-5-1 (single pivot) minus back 4, 6, 8 + GK in a 3-1

How:

Working with the team out of possession (reds) on how to defend the lines in a mid-block. If the reds win possession they won't be coached, but have to counter quickly. To maintain realism, the blues will be coached to try and play through the middle into their striker's feet.

Minutes 1-3 - Terminal intervention/walkthrough to reinforce principles & objectives

Maximum 4 minutes - Defend narrow & compact to stop split passes, force play wide & protect the middle

Maximum 4 minutes - Fast pressure to the ball, Protecting Space behind

Explanation:

Play starts & restarts (if the ball goes out of play) with the Blues.

The opposition (Blues) in possession have to play with realism and aim to score in the goal. To enable the Reds to be coached on the defensive principles, the Blues should aim to play through the middle into one of their strikers as often as possible. The Reds are to be coached on defending the lines to protect the middle. If the reds win possession, they will be timed to score within 5 seconds in one the 3 goals that mark where their #9/11/7 would be.

Teams can score by:

Blue - scoring against the reds (+1 goal) or playing a split pass through the middle (+1 goal)

Red - Winning a throw-in by forcing the blues wide (+1 goal) or winning possession and scoring on the counter (+ 2 goals)

Challenges, Conditions & Targets

The practice is conditioned with the tapered corners and channels in the wide areas. The Reds are challenged by only being able to have players in 2 of the 3 zones - if the blues are in possession in one channel, the opposite side Red fullback must tuck in to stay compact. Challenge the 2 Blue CMs to play into their striker's feet as much as possible.

Key Points:

Out of possession

Stay compact
Force play wide
Make play predictable
Protect the middle

In possession

Quick counter in transition
Play through or around opposition

Interventions:

Concurrent

Terminal

Walk Through

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): SSG

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SSG

SSG / Out of Possession / Defending the Lines

15 Minutes

Welsh Way Principles
Understand how to defend the lines by forcing play wide to protect the middle, stopping split passes & staying narrow and compact

Organisation / Area Size:

65x75 yards minus tapered corners at the top end of the pitch.

Teams play 9v9

Red team gain their #9 to play GK-4-2-3-1 minus #11 +7 in a GK-4-2-1-1

Blue team gain 2 CBs to play GK-3-5-2 (single pivot) minus 1 CB + GK in a 2-1-4-2

How:

Continuing to coach the Red team, they must continue to protect the middle & stay narrow and compact. The Blues will continue attempting to play through the Reds as often as possible and their single-pivot CDM should be encouraged to step forward to increase their numbers in central areas.

Defend narrow & compact to stop split passes, force play wide & protect the middle

Fast pressure to the ball, Protecting the space behind

Explanation:

Play starts and restarts with game realism - throw-ins, corners, goal kicks.

The Reds are in a GK-4-2-1-1 missing only their wide players

The Blue are now in a 2-1-4-2 missing their GK and one CB

To be able to score, the Blues now have to have played a split pass into their striker before they can shoot - they can continue to keep possession and shoot later on but if they lose possession, once they regain possession, they have to complete another split pass before they can shoot. This will enable the Reds to continue working on their defensive principles.

To score, both teams shoot into their goal however the Blue must complete a split pass before doing so.

Challenges, Conditions & Targets:

Channels are removed so the practice is only conditioned by the tapered corners at one end. Even without the channels, the Red fullbacks are still conditioned to tuck inside if opposition play in on the other wing.