Football/Soccer Session (Difficult): Defending as a Team (Making play Predictable final 1/3rd)

Warm Up/Technical Practice

Area Size: 3/4 Field

Equipment: 8 Balls, 10 Cones, 16 pinnies (8 each color), x2 GK shirts, 18 players

Key Coaching Points:

- As Starting player takes a touch out of their feet, protect the forward pass by angling your approach and encourage the pass to be played outside or back to a deeper player.

-Arrive on touch if possible to effect the decision of the recieving player and step in and win if opportunity allows.

-Be balanced and ready to press second pass if you can't win ball or isolate the recieving player and repeat above. If you can't effect the second recieving player, recover in to a position where you can try and prevent the forward pass again.

Set Up: Rules and organisation of the session

-Ball starts from central point and players pass from cone to come ad progress to opposite end.

-Play is only played down the right side for the first x10 rotations and then play is swapped to the left side for x10 rotations. Continually practice.

-Defenders rotate between every new ball and swap with another player after 5 balls have progressed past them.

-When the ball is two lines of cones in front, the next player can follow in the same seqence.

-The Defenders (Blue) start from a goalside position of the most central player and only become active after the starting player takes a touch out of their feet.

-Initially the pass can't skip a line of cones and players follow pass.

-Initially it is just shadow play for the defenders at a lesser intensity prior to dynamic stretching

-If Defender wins ball they play quickly to a red player at the starting point of the practice.

Progression

-Ball can skip a line of cones and be bounced back to a deeper player. If the ball gest bounced back the next pass must go forward.

-Players progress from line to line after playing pass

Progression 2

-Player from the back of each starting point puts on a blue Pinnie and creates a situation where two defenders are in the practice per restrat.

-Only One defender at a time is allowed in adavnce of each line of cones

Detail:

-If Defenders can isolate a player in possesion show inside and cut out safety pass along line, If not show line and try and protect forward pass inside.

-Can the defender do a half-half job of both preventing forward pass and/or winning the ball and making play predictable

-Second Defender read angle of press and provide cover while being close enough to effect direct opponent should they recieve ball

-Second Defender adjust movement bassed on 1st Defender, ball movement

Conditional Game

Area Size: 3/4 Field, Progressing to Full Field

Equipment: List how many balls, bibs and cones required for each practice. 9v9 (two teams of pinnies, including x2 Gs). 10 balls either side of Goal. 10 Cones.

Key Coaching Points:

-Defending Team exercise patience, prevent forward pass and isolate/overload team in possesion as high up the field as possible

-If outnumbered in final third without ball show line to prevent switch of play. Cut passing lane between centre backs if small gap between defensive line or press and win ball

-If big gap between lines keep play infront and allow opposing centre backs possesion across field or to GK

Set Up: Rules and organisation of the session

-GK starts with ball. Blue team can't enter their attacking third until pass is played (from restart)

-If ball is won, Blue team has 10 seconds to get a shot on goal. After that point play restarts.

-Objective is to score goals

-Teams must play through the thirds

-3 passes minimum in deffensive third and 5 in midfield third before progressing

Progression:

Free movement (no zone restrictions) and teams can play over (missout thirds). No pass limmit, no time restriction.

Detail:

If teams try to play Direct over pressing line drop back and cover