Football/Soccer Session (Advanced): Possible OA2 - Defending the Overload - Jon & Andy

Frame 1 (5 mins)

Specific into SSG - Defending the Overloads Out of Possession - 16 players - 60 mins

Key Factors:

- Session topic: Defending the Overloads Out of Possession Managing the Team in possession to provide challenges to the defending side. Sub principles of defending the final third and exploiting overloads whilst in possession.

- Mode: Specific Practice.

- Number of players: 16.

- Time: 50-60 min.

 

Learning Objectives:

- Recognise opposition movement.

- Press quickly.

- Protect the middle.

- Leave the furthest players.

- Force players wide.

- Defend the box.

- Stop crosses.

- Distances between defenders/pitch area and geography.

- Body position (side on for flexibility of movement)

Organisation:

- Area size: Half pitch.

- Equipment: Balls, bibs, tall cones, disc markers, 2 mini-goals.

- Work to rest ratio: 3x3 min with 1 or 2 min break (This will change for each frame)

- Coach to rotate around pitch and change coaching position.

- Supporting coach to feed balls into blue number 10

- 9v7 Specific Practice to start (This will change throughout transitions into SSG).

- On either side of the pitch there will be a box (15x20 yards) with a 'gate' to dribble through (using two orange cones - as shown).

- Players will be organised as shown on the diagram.

- Blues will be setup with a goalkeeper and 3 defenders, then two blues in each of the boxes and the blue number 10 on the halfway line.

- Reds will be set up with 3 players in each box and a striker (Number 9) who will play against the three blue defenders and the goalkeeper.

- Play will begin with the blue number 10 on the halfway line. He will play the ball into either of the boxes to one of the red players (alternating the box every time). The blue number 10 will then make a recovery run into the box he plays into 5 secs after the ball has been played. The reds have to use the numerical advantage (3v2) as quickly as possible as the recovering defender will make it a 3v3.

- A red player will have to try and dribble through the gate. If the red player manages to do this they now attack the big goal, joining the red striker. Two red players join in from the opposite box to make it a 4v3 against the blue defenders (excluding the goalkeeper).

- If the blues win the ball back in the boxes they have to try and score in the mini goals on the halfway line. If the blues win the ball back when defending the big goal they have to play the ball into the blue number 10.

- The objective of the blue team is to defend the overload and play forward quickly to score a goal. While the red team will be looking to get play forward quickly using ball speed and use player movements to create the overload.

- The coach will work with the blue team to demonstrate the strategy of defending the overload. 

- Red team will be managed to ensure the realism of the practice and will adhere to the main in possession principle and also to create the overloads while in of possession.

- Coach will keep an eye on the progressions and regressions of the conditions in the squares throughout the session and change as required to keep the continual flow of the session.

- Session is more position specific - organise Blue back three (4, 5 & 6) and Blue wing back (2&3) to defend overload.

- Blue players in the boxes are wing backs (2&3), central midfielders (7&8).

- Red players in the boxes are right/left backs (2&3), central midfielders (6&8) and wingers (7&11).

Frame 2 (10 mins)

Organisation:

 - Area size: Half pitch.

- Equipment: Balls, bibs, tall cones, disc markers, 2 mini-goals.

- Work to rest ratio: 3x3 min with 1 or 2 min break (This will change for each frame)

- Coach to rotate around pitch and change coaching position.

- 9v7 Specific Practice to start (This will change throughout transitions into SSG).

- On either side of the pitch there will be a box (15x20 yards) with a 'gate' to dribble through (using two orange cones - as shown).

- Players will be organised as shown on the diagram.

- Play will begin with the blue number 10 on the halfway line. He will play the ball into either of the boxes to one of the red players (alternating the box every time).

- For this frame the Blue 10 wont follow his pass after 5 secs leaving the be 3v2 for the reds putting more pressure on the blue team to try and defend the overload in the box. The players are still required to dribble at this point through the orange gates but have 8 seconds to try and achieve this.

- A red player will have to try and dribble through the gate. If the red player manages to do this they now attack the big goal, joining the red striker. Two red players join in from the opposite box to make it a 4v3 against the blue defenders (excluding the goalkeeper).

- If Blues do win the ball back in this frame they shall try and find the Blue 10 instead of the goals (keep him active in the session as well giving them a different target to hit).- If the blues win the ball back when defending the big goal they have to play the ball into the blue number 10.

- This should give the blues more to think about defensively and should also make the organise more specifically.

- The objective of the blue team is to defend the overload and play forward quickly to score a goal. While the red team will be looking to get play forward quickly using ball speed and use player movements to create the overload.

Frame 4 (20 mins)

SSG - 20mins - 9v8 (4th Frame) and 9v9 on the (5th Frame)

Organisation:

- Pitch will be extended 15 yards and marked off as shown on diagram. 

- A red goalkeeper and a red central defender will be added to allow for the 9v8.

- The blue number 10 will now become their striker.

- The blue 7 will drop out of the session for the first 10 mins.

Team in Possession:

- Will be asked to force conditions on the team out of possession.

- Red goalkeeper to always play wide to increase the distance for the Blue striker to recover. 

- When attacking down one wing can the opposite full back stay high and wide to create the overloads on both sides of the pitch.

- Fullbacks (2&3) will be encouraged to get on the ball and drive forward.

- As they commit the first player they should have an overload in that wide area very similar to the specific drill.

- Players will need to commit the players out wide fast to allow for more success. If they do not do it quick enough it will allow the defending players more of an opportunity to move across and cover.  

- No touch limit on players.

- No time limit on players.

Team out of Possession:

- Recognise the opposition movement to prevent overload.

- Press quickly.

- Asked to protect the middle and work as a unit.

- Will always be asked to leave the furthest players and force players wide.

- Defend the box and stop any crosses.

- Body positioning (side on for flexibility of movement)

- Distances between defenders/pitch area and geography.

- Can the players look to recognise the movement of the extra player quickly.

- Recognise player movement off the ball/rotation.

- Coach points recognising overlapping/underlapping runs and how to deal with this - Key focus on distances between defenders/pitch area and geography. 

- Throughout the practice the Blue will be asked to press high to give the team in possession more to think about  (The keeper for the team in possession can then play over the top into the spaces left in wide areas).