Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Pressure/Cover/Balance (Pre-Season 2, Advanced)

Profile Summary

David Kenney
Name: David Kenney
City: Austin
Country: United States of America
Membership: Adult Member
Sport: Football/Soccer
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Description

Guiding Questions:

1) What is the job of the covering defender? (deny space behind, protect the goal, take away split passing lanes, aware of other attacking players)

2) How do you know where to be? (behind the pressure, cutting off a through ball, ball side of the other attacker)

3) How does the Balancing defender change the shape of the back line?

4) How does a back line keep shape and compactness?

Common Language:

Pressure/Step To - Closing down the space between a defender and an attacker. Stepping towards an attacker to engage them defensively.

Cover - The defender behind the pressure. Covering the Pressure's back, covering the goal, covering other attackers and covering the through ball.

Through Pass/Split - A penetrating pass between two defenders.

Ball side - Being on the side of the attacker that is closest to he ball. Being between the extra attacker and the ball.

Slide - To move in a lateral direction as the ball has been passed. Sliding over to keep a good small group defending shape.

Drop in - Dropping back and into the middle to provide good covering depth.

Recover - After being beat, a high intensity run to get back into a covering positon.

Delay - To slow the attacker, waiting for cover, waiting for the attacker to make a mistake to then attack.

Balance - Keeping the compactness and balance of the back line. Shifting as a unit, not becoming stretched.


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Technical Warm-up

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Technical Warm-up
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Learning Objectives

Technical Technical
Player will be able to demonstrate and describe proper defending techniques and body mechanics
Technical Tactical
Player will be able to understand role of covering defender and how that role changes in relation to evolving situations. Understand the shape of the back line and how the balancing defender helps to hold shape.

Technical Warm-up (5 mins)

All at half speed, passive defending with no challenges. Working on movement from stepping to pressure and dropping in to cover.

Team is split into pairs. A pair with the ball will pass the ball between each other, holding for a 3 count after recieving, giving the defending pair time to rotate into pressure and cover. After three passes, defending pair release the pair with the ball. Pair with the ball dribble to find a pair with out a ball, send them the ball and close space to defend as pressure and cover.

Important the pair with the ball hold it for 3 seconds to allow defenders to work on the rotation from pressure to cover and cover to pressure

Coaching Points: CP:

- Individual principles for the pressuring defender.

- Cover will deny space behind pressure

- Cover is ready to become pressuring if teammate is beat

- If beat, Pressuring defender recovers into space to become coverind defender

- Stay compact (don't become too stretched)


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Phase 2

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Phase 2
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Phase 2 (20 mins)

Play starts with player 1 checking to the ball. Player 2 can enter the field when they see 1 check to the ball. Player 3 passes the ball when 1 askes for the ball with voice and movement and has a pass returned. Upon 3 recieving the pass back, 4 enters the field and makes a recovery run, while player 2 is delaying the 2v1 attack.

If defenders win the ball they can attack the opposite direction.

Player 2 and 4 switch lines. Player 3 becomes 1 and 1 goes to the end of the line.

CP:

- Individual principles for the pressuring defender. DELAY AND WAIT FOR HELP

- Recovery hard run to help pressuring defender

- Cover will deny space behind pressure

- Cover is ready to become pressuring if teammate is beat

-If beat, Pressuring defender recovers into space to become coverind defender

- Stay compact (don't become too stretched)


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Phase 2 Progression

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Phase 2 Progression
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Phase 2 Progression (20 mins)

Progression 1: 3v2

Everything starts the same, but now when 3 recieves the pass, player 4 and player 5 can enter the field to create a 3v2 to goal.

Progression 2: 3v3 Player 6 can enter at the same time Player 2 does, when Player 1 checks to the ball. Defending team will be numbers down until the recovery run is back.

CP:

- Individual principles for the pressuring defender. DELAY AND WAIT FOR HELP

- Recovery hard run to help pressuring defender

- Cover will deny space behind pressure

- Cover is ready to become pressuring if teammate is beat

-If beat, Pressuring defender recovers into space to become coverind defender

- Stay compact (don't become too stretched)


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Phase 3 (Balance)

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Phase 3 (Balance)
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Phase 3 (Balance) (20 mins)

5v5 + 1

Each team has a GK, 3 players in their half and a striker that must stay in their attacking half. The striker may not cross the half way like. Defenders may only get forward when in possesion. When defending, All defenders must return to their defending half. A neutral player can go in either half.

GK starts with the ball and starts play with a pass to a teammate. Outside players can get forward when in possesion.

The defending team will work on pressure cover while adding the balancing defender. Balancing defender stays compact with team keeping the back like in balance, closing big gaps while keeping an eye on other attackers.

CP:

- Individual principles for the pressuring defender. DELAY AND WAIT FOR HELP

- Cover will deny space behind pressure

- Cover is ready to become pressuring if teammate is beat

- Balancing defender keeps a good shape to the backline

- Stay compact (don't become too stretched close split passing lanes)

- Communicate movements bewteen defending players


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Scrimmage 20-25 minutes

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Scrimmage 20-25 minutes
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Scrimmage 20-25 minutes (25 mins)

Scrimmage: 6v6 - 7v7 - 8v8 - 9v9

Depending on numbers. Adjust the size accoring to skill and number.

Dictate different formations for both teams during scrimmages. Example 1-3-2-1 vs 1-3-1-2

Praising players with focus on pressure, cover and balance. Looking at the shape of the back line


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