Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): RHS - Deny Central Penetration

Back 4 warmup (20 mins)

Setup:

Cones setup as shown.

4 lines (1 line for each position in back four)

Activity:

1) 4 players come out from lines and coach serves 3 balls in. Player receives and plays back in two touches and other players move to cover/balance positions behind ball.

2) Progress to remove inner cones and use outer cones.

After the 3 balls have been played, players jog around outside cones and perform dynamic movements back:

skip, high knees, lateral shuffle, inch worms, back lunge, linear skip, 45 degree bound & stick, backpedal to accelerate.

8v8 - Deny Central Penetration (25 mins)

Setup:

Half field (field should be shrunk a little to be 60 yards wide)

2 teams in 1-4-3 formation.

Balls behind each GK.

Activity:

1) Teams score by passing ball into GK feet.

2) Teams score by passing ball into GK hands (or feet).

Coaching Points:

~Cues of when to step: bouncing ball, backward pass

~Don't let player on ball turn to face forward

~Back four squeezing together to deny penetrating pass

~Reading cues of when to drop: time & space on ball, head up, approaching ball to strike

~Open body shape of back four - see ball and player