Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Defending Central Area

Function Play (20 mins)

6 Defenders vs 5 Attackers (1 feeder who will become the 6th attacker) 

Defending team formation: 1-2-1-2 (1 CB, a Number 4, a Number 8, Number 10 & 2 strikers)

if/when the ball finishes into the opposite end zone the player's role are switched. 

Attacking team formation: 1-2-2-1

Attacking team looking to play the ball from end zone to the other end zone.

Defending team look to win the ball & try to score in any of the mini goals.

Practice starts with the feeder playing a ball into the attacking team and they will try to play the ball dwon to the other end zone with the aim to play through the central area marked out with flat markers. Defending team look to provent this by become compact and force the play down the sides. 

Progression:

if the ball is played through the centre and into the end zone 2 points are rewarded.

Key factors:

• Play through the centre area
• Off the ball movement 
• Players dropping into the centre to receive the ball

Primary Player(Striker):

• Press the ball
• Use their body position to force the play wide

• React to the primary players positioning cover & support force the attack wide.
• Cover the space to be able to press the ball if it played into player near them or intercept the ball if it is played to a player further away.

• Communication to player in front of them (they can see the attackers off the ball behind them)
• Recover: if the ball is switched over using a diagonal pass bypassing the secondary player they need to get over to hold up the player enabling their teammates to recover & support ot win the ball.