Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Function: Defending with a Midfield 4, a Withdrawn Striker and a Lone Striker

Set Up

Organisation:

-Half Pitch area. Marked in 5 yards from each touchline.

-Target Area just over the halfway line, which is the width and depth of half the centre circle.

-Two teams:

Reds play 1-4-2-1. GK, Back Four, Two Centre Mids and a Target player in the area.

Blues play 4-1-1. Midfield Four (7, 8, 6, 11), Withdrawn Striker (10) and Lone Striker (9)

-Working with: Blue Team

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Rules:

-Red Team start narrow and compact as if opposition have the ball

-Red Target player plays a long pass to the GK, Red Team open pitch up using width and depth and the GK plays out to either Centre Back.

-The Red team are trying to make a minimum of 3 passes and then get the ball to their Target Player.

-The Target Player then plays a long pass to the GK and play starts again.

-The Blue team are trying to prevent the Reds from reaching the target player, by pressing and winning the ball back.

-If they do win it back, they have 8 seconds to try and score a goal.

-Play starts again from the Red Target Player.

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Time:

Play for 2 minutes so players get an understanding of the rules, their positions and the pitch geography.

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COACHING POSITION:

-The Blue team is being coached on Defending, therefore the ideal Coaching Position is from near the Red Target player, behind the Blue team.

-This will allow the coach to see how the Blue team move as a defensive unit. However wandering from side to side at times is also ok.

Secondary Trigger

AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF PLAY USING THE FIRST TRIGGER, WHEN THE BALL IS PLAYED INTO THE FULL BACK STOP PLAY AND GO THROUGH THE SECONDARY TRIGGER AND THE MOVEMENTS THAT FOLLOW:

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Trigger:

Ball played into Full Back

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Movements:

7 - Arcing Run towards the Full Back to cut off a pass down the line and to force the full back to use their weaker foot and to play inside where we are strong in numbers

8 - Stays Ball Side of the opposition centre midfielder threatening a pass inside and potentially screening a pass forwards

6 - Shuffles over slightly to still screen a pass into the Target Player

11 - Stays on the outside shoulder of the opposition centre midfielder, threatening the pass to them, but also threatening the switch of play which is more likely to happen from the full back

10 - Moves over slightly to keep cutting the pitch in half, screening a pass into the furthest centre midfielder and threatening the switch of play

9 - stays near the Centre back, threatening the pass back and threatening the pass to the GK