Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defensive principles/defending the switch of play

Screen 1 (25 mins)

Organisation:

• 3 teams of four (red, blue, white), 
• 2 neutral (yellow) players who always join the side of the team in possession. 
  
• 2 goalkeepers outside the shaded area who are also part of the team in possession
• 1 half of the pitch
• 3 zones
• 1 ball

Key points:

• Deny the opposing team space
• Force the opposition to play the ball under pressure 
• As a team, pressure the ball, support the first defender, mark a space or man

Session aims:

• The aim of the offensive teams (here marked in red and blue) is to get the ball passed from one goalkeeper to the other. The ball must be played at least once in each grid, including the narrow space in the middle
• Play will always start from one of the goalkeepers
• As the ball is played into the central area, one player from the other end (red) moves into the central area, along with the floaters to create and overload in the attacking favour.
• When the blue player has played the ball into the central zone, the central blue player must retreat back into their zone after the ball has been transferred to the other side.
• The defenders (white) will attempt to win the ball back and the defender in the central area will attempt to slow down play until his teammates can sprint back from the zone they are in after it has been transferred.
• The nearest defender (usually the one in the central area) should press the ball to slow down the attack. One more defender moves to replace this player in the central zone.
• The attackers can play the ball from end to end as often as they like as long as it is played through the central zone, however they only score a point when both keepers touch the ball without the defenders touching it.

• Defenders must press aggressively to attempt to win the ball back
• Get behind the ball and stay narrow
• Defenders must sprint into position
• Communicate who will press and who will mark/block passing lanes

Limit the number of touches for the attackers to only two.

If possession is lost, defenders swap with the attacking team that lost the ball.

Time:

• 5x4 minute blocks with floating yellow players swapping with other players