Football/Soccer Session (Difficult): Line of Confrontation

Defensive Warmup

Focus: Defensive footwork warmup built in with dribbling/passing. Introduction of language and defensive concept.

Setup: Multiple grids of two cones each. Appr. 12 yd apart. 4 to 6 per grid. Set up two grids in box and one more just outside the arc (if needed)

Game Progressions and Coaching Points (More progressions; these are just 6 possibilities):

Before progressions and racing defenders. Do dribbler dribbles up, lays off, and then leg warm up stretches going backwards (open gate right-shuffle twice right-open gate left-shuffle twice left, backwards run, shuffles backwards twisting hips every couple of steps).

Progression 1: Dribble/Defender Warmup - Dribbler lace dribbles forward from one cone to next while defender runs backward and tries to beat him to the cone (running backwards). When dribbler gets near cone, he lays ball off (no pass; let it roll) to waiting player, and then dribbler becomes defender and runs backward. 1) Quick feet and quick transition (stay focused) 2) let ball roll off dribble; no pass 3) Can change to side run or low defensive stance

Progression 2: Dribble Hesitation/Defender Mark - Same as progression 1, except now defender will do some sort of hesitation or feint at least once (max twice) before hitting cone and laying off. Defender must pause, stay ahead of dribbler, and restart quickly to work on staying in tackle zone and restarting. 1) On stop, stay off the front shoulder where you could tackle a cut, but be prepared to sprint as well. 2) Keep knees bent; ready to sprint.

Progression 3: Dribble turn/Defender retreat sprint - All players now start on one side of the grid. Dribbler dribbles to cone; performs turn move at cone (i.e. "L" turn), and speed dribbles with laces back to original cone. Defender runs backwards to first cone; goes around cone quickly; and sprints forward in recovery run to touch starting cone before dribbler returns. Dribbler becomes defender. 1) dribbler must perform move at cone; not before 2) dribbler quick move and speed 3) teach defender to cut off angle of dribbler force away from cone. 4) give defender a pt or dribbler for who reaches first. 5) Add in defender gets into defensive stance upon reaching cone

Progression 4: 1v1 - All four on one end. Dribbler dribbles past the cone/Defender jogs up with dribbler but stops before the cone. As soon as dribbler gets pasts the cone on dribble, they turn and go at defender 1v1. Have 3 seconds to beat them back to cone. 1) Quick Attack move 2) good defensive posture and footwork 3) Defender let the ball come to you; don't stab.

Progression 5: Touch Tight - Continue playing dribble game you are on. Coach yells "touch tight". Everyone freezes and defenders touch their dribbler while being goalside/ball side of the grid next to them. In sample above, yellow would look at blue grid; blue to yellow; red acts as a "6" and defends whichever grid they choose (yellow or blue). 1) Knees bent; ready to pounce 2) Correct ball side and goal side mark

Progression 6: Pass Combo/Defender Recovery Run - Four players are split again (2 on each side). Player A begins with a forward pass to other cone to player B. then he follows pass and breaks out at an angle to perform a wall pass around the other cone. Immediately, Player B passes long to continue sequence while player A turns and sprints in recovery trying to get to cone before wall pass can be made. 1) Work up to defender runs at passers and they pass around defender 2) "Ball goes behind us; we sprint into retreat"; no jog

Line of Contention 2

Same game as Line of Contention 1. But now red scores a point by getting ball into one of the red score boxes on the far end. This is to simulate what offense will try to do and intercepting passes. (Score boxes could be between 6 and 18; as we are trying to force ball out wide).

Blue must stay in central zone until long ball is forced; then intercept.