Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): MCAA 568: Chris Tolles: Pressing

Warmup: Over the river (20 mins)

2 - 9 minute blocks. 1 minute rest. Light to moderate intensity.

6v3 rondo. Grids 12x12. Ball is played into the BLUE team. 3 RED defenders press to win possession of the ball and play back into their 3 players in the middle zone for a point. BLUE must connect 5 passes before trying to find a pass across the middle zone into YELLOW for 1 point. if BLUE loses possession they become the defending team against YELLOW and the drill continues.

Coaching points for defending teams:

• Communicate
• Press as a unit
• Patience and look for cues when to apply pressure
• Stay compact and don't get split
• Force towards teammates to apply pressure together
• Defenders position themselves into the half-spaces

• Poor first touch
• Poor body position
• Immediate pressure on the ball

Small Sided: Pressing as a Unit (25 mins)

3 - 8 minute blocks. 1 minute rest. Moderate intensity.

Field size: Width of pitch by 50 yards

Small Sided: 8v6 (numbers can be adjusted). If too easy for offense remove a CM. If too difficult for offense add 7,11 and defense can add 2,3.

Possession starts with GK from his hands or goal kick each time. Offensive team RED looks to break pressure and score in the 3 mini-goals. Defensive team BLUE presses together as a unit to try and win the ball back and transition to offense and score in the big goal.

The 9 dictates when to press. 7,11 sit in the half spaces taking away the inside pass first and forcing the play to the outside back. The 9 must make a curved run to press the 4 and take away the 5 as opposed to a straight line pressing run which allows the 4 to switch the play immediately. Once the ball goes wide to the 2 the 11 will press and the 9 will take away the CB #4. The key is that the CMs are tight to their men so as to not allow quick combo play to either switch the field or play directly into the offense 7,9,11 represented by the mini-goals. The BLUE 7 on the weak side must tuck into to midfield to assist the CMs and provide an extra defender making it difficult to play out.