Football/Soccer Session (Advanced): Defensive Press, cover, support on zone 1 flanks - focus on left and right wingbacks

Screen 1

THEME:  Delay,Depth and Cover, Balancing, compactness, Control and restraint.

MOMENTOF THE GAME: Opponents in possession

PHASEOF THE GAME: Defending

TOPIC: Defending on Zone 1 flanks

LEGEND:

WARMUP (15Minutes):

Playerswill go through club pre-activity with captains leading (in this case Iwould use the Foothills FC method).

Playerswill select two teammates to lead them through the FIFA 11warm up.

Keepersuse their own custom warm up after pre-activity.

ACTIVITYINSTRUCTIONS: 

Organization: 

18players broken into 2 groups of 9. Each group has 6 attacking playersalong the lines of a 20 foot equidistant hexagon, and 3defendingplayers inside the play area.  

Conditions:  

Attackingplayers can pass left, right, or through the hexagon, but must stay ontheir assigned side. Any attacker on the outside can start thesequence. The 3 defensive players in the hexagon attempt to utilizeall the defending principles. As one defender delays, then anotherprovides cover by anticipating the next pass, and the last defenderprovides support as needed. After the pass is made, the defenderclosest to where the ball went becomes responsible for delay, and theothers move into cover and support positions.. If the ball isintercepted by the defenders, or an errant pass is made, one defenderswitches with the attacker who made the last pass and the sequencestarts again. The coach will supervise one hexagon, and assistantcoach will supervise the second.

Variations:   

Oneattacker drops out, and becomes a sub, so that the attackers can movein and out of empty side spaces.

KEYFACTORS: 

Whois the primary player closing down in first contact? Whois secondarily covering, who is in tertiary support?

Towhich area should play be confined to?

Howdo we use delay to block defend and defend against the quick attack?

Whydo we want to organize to reinforce depth and cover?

EQUIPMENT:

18 discmarkers, 6 yellow and 12 red pinnies, balls located around each playarea

Screen 3

PART: 

**This session can emphasize both the Left and Right Wingbacks.  All that is needed is to switch the focus from the left side to the right side of the pitch.

THEME:

Delay,Depth and Cover, Balancing, compactness, Control and restraint.

Opponents in possession

Defending

Defending on Zone 1 flanks

1=right Wingback

2=right central defender

3=left central defender

4=right outside mid

5/6=keepers

INSTRUCTIONS:

Organization: 

Action takes place in area of field inside markers.  The end lines are at the bottom of zone 1 and the high zone 1 border.  The field of play is the right flank and 3/4 of the central channel (Right central and 1/2 left central).  The defensive team has 4 players in red, and 1 keeper.  The attacking team has 3 players in blue.  Concentration is on the left side of the field for one session, then will switch to the right for the next session.  There will be 8 defensive players and 2 keepers, and 8 attacking players (18 all together). 

Goal:      

Creating a situation where the wingback presses the opposition attacker and attempts to shut down that player. possess the ball, then pass it up to the player on the zone one line to relieve pressure. 

Conditions:  

Play begins when an attacking sub passes the ball to an attacking player deep in the right flank of  zone 1.  The Right wingback attempts to block the attacker from making a pass another attacker in the play area.  If the attacker makes the pass, the remainder of the unit (right central defender, left central defender, and right outside mid) will attempt to win possession.  If any of the defensive group gains possession, they can immediately play the ball out to an awaiting sub at the high zone 1 end line for a point.  The attackers get a point if they score on net.  Keepers switch after a goal is scored, the defensive sub receives the ball, or the ball goes out of play, and play resets at that point as well.  Subs come in on resets.

Variables:    

Add additional attacking midfielder, making defensive decision making more dynamic.   

KEY FACTORS:

Pressure on the ball by the Wingback, and support by the remaining defensive group on the left side of the field.  

Tight play and pass anticipation.

Movement and decision making based on ball and attacker positioning.

Win the ball with confidence, or slow down and force the attackers

Clearing on gaining possession to relieve attack

EQUIPMENT:

1 full size net, 10 red cones, 10 balls, 8 red pinnies,  8 blue pinnies, 1 additional blue pinnie, 1 green pinnie for the keepers.