Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defending Final Third

Defending the Final Third

Defending the Fina Third - Box Defending - Teaching 3-1 Structure

Focus - Defending the Final Third - Minimize space, Deal with Crosses and Protect Space Centrally. 

Area/Organization

Double Box

3 teams of 4 - 2 coaches on outside crossing 

3 x 4 min games 

Explanation 

- Walk Through Box Def Structure, roles and responsibilities

- Objective is to not give up any goals when you are defending box

- Attacking team is trying to score from a cross 

- 4 defenders inside box defending - always acting as CB, CB and weak side FB + CM (imagine strong side FB is out trying to stop the cross)

- Coach blows whistle to indicate which side cross will come from - 1 whistle - R side, 2 whistle - L side

- Red team defend box vs Black team attacking - ball live until it is cleared out

- Straight away Red team then attacks Blue team who defend box

- Then Blue team attack Black team who are defending the box 

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Challenges - can you get 1st contact on every cross?

- Can you give up no shots?

- Can you keep a clean sheet? 

Conditions - 

- Back line cannot drop until whistle is blown - reset to line for each cross

- Crosses have max 3 touches to cross

Targets

(-2 pts) for a goal against 

Progression (-1 pt) for shot against 

Key Points

- 1st CB MUST get to defensive position ASAP - "Corridor of uncertainty" - just ahead of the near post 

- 2nd defender a yard above him 

- 3rd defender - level or slightly higher - ready for pull back or clip to the far post 

- Get to position and then actively defend man - don't be static 

- Body on line - but with balance 

- Counter clearances - focus on contact and distance - don't swing at things 

- CM connected for pull back 

- CM ready to block shots top of the box 

- GK very vocal - demand defenders to get into position 

- GK ready to defend corridor of uncertainty 

Interventions

- Walk through at the start

- Concurrent - positive feedback or adjustments if needed 

- Terminal - between sets - make any adjustments if not executing perfectly