Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Defending - Delay and Deny (Start Time: 2023-01-06 19:00:00)

1v1 (20 mins)

Delay and deny 1v1 channels

Blue attacker aim to dribble past the red defender and stop the ball on the white line, red defender attempts to win the ball and burst into space in behind the blue attacker, stopping the ball on the red line

Red defender plays the ball into blue attackers feet, blue attacker attempts to dribble past the red defender who is delaying and showing the attacker onto their weaker side, forcing a mistake. The focus should be with RED DEFENDER ONLY. No coaching for the blue! Focus on the defending principles only. Swap over the player roles when suited

Deny attacker by jockeying (allowing teammate to make a recovery run - coaches must demonstrate jockey skill)

Focus on the distance between defender and the ball - two or three arm lengths away

Use of body shape, showing onto weak foot, delay the attacker

Wave practice

Wave practice - focus on the defending team

Use the entire group and repeat multiple teams, giving coaching to defending team ONLY

Team in-possession score into the goal - use goalkeepers or first time finish with no keepers

Team out-of-possession DENY opponents using principles that you have coached in the previous two activities - do they work in an opposed random game?

Transition from att to def once ball is dead (scoring goal or ball being cleared)

Steps demonstrated in the graphic:

1) Reds start with ball and play 1v1

2) Add attacker to blue and play 2v1

3) Add two attackers to red and play 2v3

And keep adding 2 to the team that has just defended and now attacking in the next phase

Eg, 4v3, 4v5, 6v5 until numbers run out

Must be patient with this activity as its challenging - can we better the defending after each attempt?