Ashley Armstrong
| Name: | Ashley Armstrong |
|---|---|
| City: | Centennial |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Membership: | Adult Member |
| Sport: | Football/Soccer |
Team Name/Age Group: U11-U12
Coach Name: Ashley Armstrong
Location: Gates Soccer Complex
Date: 2/24-2/28
Number of Players: 12 players
Equipment Needed: 2 mini goals, pinnies, cones, balls
Weekly Structure: Interleaving
Session Duration: 1.5 hours
TRAINING SESSION: OBJECTIVE: To regain the ball when transitioning from attack to defense in the attacking half.
Desired Behaviors:
Main Principle 1: Apply Immediate Pressure on the Ball
The player is recognizing situations when to press or hold and force wide (awareness).
The player is trying to win the ball when showed an opportunity to regain (distance, numbers, and levels of compactness).
Main Principle 2: Recover with Speed
The player is sprinting back and puts pressure on the opponent on the ball.
Player Action 1: Pressing - Having fast approach but slow arrival
Player Action 2: Challenging - Taking good defensive posture (on toes, knees are bend, staggered
stance…) that allows to start the 1v1 in favorable conditions
Player Action 3: Covering - Positioning at the appropriate distance from the challenging teammate, allowing to quickly put pressure again if needed

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
Learning Activity: Modified Game Form
Activity Objective: To teach players to transition quickly after losing the ball in the attacking half and get immediate pressure on the ball so that opponent cannot get forward.
Number of players/opponent: 12 players
Size/Shape of Field: 55x25 yards
Methods of Scoring: Focus team (burgundy) scores on big goal, non focus team (blue) scores on either mini goal in half spaces.
Total Activity Duration: 30 minutes
Active Duration: Rest Duration - 5 minutes, 2:30 minutes rest
Number of Sets: 4
Activity Rules: Focus team 9 or 10 starts with the ball and dribbles onto the field of play. 9,10,7,11 for burgundy attack the 2,4,3,6 of blue. If blue wins it, they score quickly in mini goals in half spaces. Every ball restarts with burgundy 9 or 10.
Formation & Player Roles: 1-3 vs 1-3-1
Rotations (substitutions): Rotate teams after every round so everyone gets chance to attack and transition to defend in attacking half.
COACHING INTERACTIONS:
1. WHAT: pressing, covering
WHEN: Breaks or freeze moment
HOW: How do you know whether to force the opponent inside or outside? (force into your covering player) How can you force one way? (angle of approach and body shape)
2. WHAT: Covering
WHEN: Breaks or freeze
HOW: When one forward presses, what should the rest of the team do? (deny passing options to play forward or switch and get compact horizontally)

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
Learning Activity: Modified Game Form
Activity Objective: To teach players to transition quickly after losing the ball in the attacking half and get immediate pressure on the ball so that opponent cannot get forward.
Number of players/opponent: 12 players
Size/Shape of Field: 55x35 yards
Methods of Scoring: Burgundy scores on big goal, blue scores on either mini goal in half spaces. If blue can score within 10 seconds of winning the ball, it is 2 points.
Total Activity Duration: 30 minutes
Active Duration: Rest Duration - 5 minutes, 2:30 minutes rest
Number of Sets: 4
Activity Rules: Play 6v6. Balls restart from goalkeeper or 4 at half line. 4 cannot join the play but can be a supporting player in possession. If burgundy shoots or scores, coach quickly plays a ball into the blue team in a counter attacking position.
Additional Restraints/Constraints/Restrictions/Rewards:
Formation & Player Roles: 1-2-3 vs 1-3-2
Rotations (substitutions): Rotate teams after each round.
COACHING INTERACTIONS:
1. WHAT: Immediate pressure on the ball and recover with speed
WHEN: Breaks
HOW: Once you shoot the ball or score, what should your mentality be? (get behind the ball quickly and get pressure on the ball)
2. WHAT: Immediate pressure on the ball, challenging, pressuring
WHEN: Freeze or breaks
HOW: If the ball is played wide and the 7/11 pressure the ball, how can the 9 help to win the ball back? (deny passes backwards and backpress)
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2v2 Flying Changes
Learning Activity: Modified Game Form
Activity Objective: To teach players to transition quickly after losing the ball in the attacking half and to get immediate pressure on the ball and get behind the ball quickly.
Number of players/opponent: 12 players
Size/Shape of Field: 14x22 yards
Methods of Scoring: Both teams score on mini goal, but must be in their attacking half to score.
Total Activity Duration: 18 minutes
Active Duration: Rest Duration - 4 minutes, 2 minutes rest
Number of Sets: 3
Activity Rules: Place ball by each goal. Each team starts with 2 lines of players, one on each side of the goal. One team starts with the ball and dribbles onto the field of play. Other team defends. Play 2v2. When one team scores or ball goes out of bounds, the other team comes in with 2 new attackers and a new ball. The team who just attacked now defends. If ball goes out over sideline, whichever half it went out on, determines who starts with the ball.
COACHING INTERACTIONS:
1. WHAT: Recover with speed
WHEN: breaks
HOW: When recovering after losing possession, what is your main priority? (stop opponent from scoring). Where do you need to go to do that? (in between their goal and the ball)
2. WHAT: Apply immediate pressure and recover with speed, pressing, covering
WHEN: Breaks
HOW: How should you recover once you lose the ball? (QUICKLY!). Where should you go if you are defending and are not directly pressing the ball? (get behind the ball and cover my teammate).