Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Session 2 - National D - Attackers Defending (Start Time: 2022-10-18 14:35:00)

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Lee Molloy

Profile Summary

Name:	Lee Molloy
City:	Dublin
Country:	Ireland
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Description

The session is designed to assist attacking players in understanding how they can defend from the front to force turn-overs in possession high up the pitch, which can allow them to enter a better goal-scoring position quickly and directly.

The first practice begins with a 4v2 (4 defenders v 2 attackers). The attackers' objective is to prevent the defending 4 from playing out from the back and to regain possession to create a goal-scoring opportunity. The players involved are the GK, 2 CBs and the 6 of the defending team, vs. the 9 and 10 (striker and CAM) of the attacking team.

The second practice builds on the first but adding in additional players to create a 6v4 scenario. In this practice, the defending team includes GK, LCB, RCB, RB, LB and CDM vs. the attacking teams ST, LW, RW and CAM. The objective of the attacking team is the same as before - try to win back possession high up the pitch to stop the red's from breaking forward and to create a goal-scoring opportunity.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Warm-up - part 1

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Warm-up - part 1 (5 mins)

Warm-up: Part 1

Method:

Players divide evenly between cone A and B
Players jog continuously around the cones, completing different movements called by the coach. Movements are as follows:

Rotate arms forwards
Rotate arms backwards
Twist hips
High knees
Heels-to-bum
Open the gate
Close the gate
3/4 pace
Sprint

After this, players circle together and captain takes them through a static stretch

Coaching Points:

Look out for any signs of injury
Cones set out in a large square - transition seamlessly into part 2 of the warm-up

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Warm-up part 2

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Warm-up part 2 (5 mins)

Warm-up Part 2: 4v4 +4 Possession game

Method:

12 players - 3 teams of 4 (red, blue and black team)
Red and blue team start in the middle, black team are on the outside.
Black team offer a passing option to whichever team are in possession of the ball.
Teams can rotate in different ways. Examples would be:

Every 60s, the team on the outside changes
If a team completes 10 consecutive passes, they go on the outside
If the black team give the ball away, they transition to defence (i.e. they now enter and try to win back possession)

Coaches can use this time to set up other practices while giving players an opportunity to continue warming up in a more intense way

Coaching Points:

Still a warm-up, so encourage players to be careful and not flying into tackles/ over exerting themselves
Focus on good quality passes and movement - i.e. move away from the ball to create space, good body position, good communication
Allow each team time on the outside to 'rest' - keep energy for the main practices

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Practice 1 - 4v2 Attackers Defending

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Practice 1 - 4v2 Attackers Defending (20 mins)

4v2 Attackers Defending

Method:

Blue team (Attackers) objective is to turn over possession high up the pitch so that they can transition quickly to attack and create a goal-scoring opportunity

Red team (defenders) trying to play through the blue team and score in the mini-goals

Ball begins with GK and blue no.9 then presses the CBs from the front.

If red team score, coach passes to blue team who immediately transition to attack and try to score

Considering we have 12 players, we can run 2 of these practices simultaneously. Coach could set them up side by side and monitor both or focus half their time on one game and the other half on the other.

Coaching Points:

Blue no.9 presses CB - should arc run to cut off passing lane back to the goalkeeper (as per line A, as an example) and to stop from passing across to other CB
When pressing, they should get there quickly and stop a couple of yards short. Maintain a low body position at an angle and with knees bent to facilitate quick changes in direction
Blue no.10 (CAM) should stay tight to the red team '6' to try and prevent the forward pass.
Blue no.9 is responsible for pressing both CBs - this can get tiresome. Encourage the blue 9 and 10 to rotate (i.e. 10 presses the CB while 9 drops to mark the red 6) when possession changes sides to avoid the 9 getting worn out and also so that the ball can be pressed quicker and more intensely to stop blues from breaking out into space
If reds score, blues should break quickly and be direct - try to move forward and get a shot off before red team has an opportunity to recover (to encourage this, you could add a time limit such as '7 seconds to get a shot off').

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Practice 2 - 6v4 Attackers Defending

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Practice 2 - 6v4 Attackers Defending (30 mins)

6v4 Attackers Defending

Method:

Blue team (Attackers) objective is to turn over possession high up the pitch so that they can transition quickly to attack and create a goal-scoring opportunity
Red team (defenders) trying to play through the blue team and play it to one of the players in the gates
Ball begins with GK and blue no.9 then presses from the front.
If red team (defenders) succeed in getting ball to the end man in the gates, that end man then joins the attack and blue transition to attack and try to score as quickly as possible
This is set up on the basis that there are 12 players - if there were only 10 for example, then the coach could position themselves in the centre and play a pass to the blue team once the red team make it through the gates

Coaching Points:

Blue no.9 presses CB - should arc run to cut off passing lane back to the goalkeeper (as per line A, as an example)
Blue no.10 (CAM) should stay tight to the red team '6'.
Wingers on blue team should move according to the ball. If the ball goes to the red RB, then left winger of blue should press and the blue right winger should took more central (in line with goal-post). This positioning is important as it would a) keep blue team compact, b) cut off passing lane to red LB, and c) allow blue winger to press the left CB if the ball is played back to him
As the game progresses, encourage the blue no. 9 and no. 10 to rotate the press - rather than no. 9 running from one CB to the next, the no. 10 could press the CB if the ball is switched and the no.9 could drop to mark the no.6 - allows for more efficient energy conservation
When possession is turned over and blues transition to attack, they should do so quickly - be direct and decisive. Consider implementing a time-limit (e.g. 7 seconds) in which blue team has to get a shot off. This would replicate a game scenario where you have to be quick to capitalize on the turnover before the opposition get back into position

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