Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defending

Arrival Activity/ Warm Up (15 mins)

Session Objective: 

Understand the concept of defending as an individual to stop an opposition player with the ball from moving forward

Key Coaching Points:

- Slow down as approach the attacker

- Side on, front foot facing attacker

- Stab at the ball – quick small movement

Warm Up Set Up: 

Dynamic Warm-up - Various warm-up exercises. With Ball - Coach calls out various ball skills while dribbling with their heads up, being aware of their space. Changes of Speed, changes of direction, various ball skills performed in the space.

Key Outcomes:

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Introduce finding space mini game to encourage players to make use of the entire playing area. 

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

- use different surfaces of the foot to dribble the ball

- right/left foot

Skill part - Opposed (20 mins)

Skill Part Outcomes: 

In a 1v1 teach players how to: 

- react quickly when losing the ball in transition encourage players to be side on and low down this will ensure that they can change direction quickly if beaten

- adopt a half-turned body position so they can react quickly to changes of direction from the attacker.

- prevent the attacker from turning if they're facing their own goal

Set Up: 

30x30 area, balls, 2 groups of players. 

Coach assigns numbers to players on either team

- Coach triggers the start. Coach calls out numbers (1v1 or 2v2 etc) and passes into the space.

- Players need to sprint around before getting to the ball.  

- First team to the ball become attackers, other team to defend. If defenders win the ball, they can attack opposite goal.

- Play restarts after ball goes out of bounds.   

Key Points: 

- Immediate pressure on the ball from first defender.

- Second defender balance.

- Patience, avoid diving in without communication from the attacker.

- Communication to partner defender.

- Bent knees, side on, arms length away

Focus on technical breakdowns. 

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

As a progression:

- If the red player regains possession, can score into their attacking goal.

If the cyan player scores, must turn and defend against the next red player in the queue - the previous defender collects their ball and joins the end of their queue. 

- 2v1 or 2v2 

As a regression:

- 1v1 

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

- if one of the players dominates in defending in the game, allow the opponent to score goals in both ways

- If players don't communicate in 2v1 situation, they have to begin again 

- if one team loses 5 goals down, they do1. physical exercises, e.g. jumping jacks, squats or one lap moderate running 2. ball manipulation exercises, e.g. tap toes, juggling, football feints.

Unconditioned Game (15 mins)

UCG Outcomes:

Players to have the freedom of a game and be able to make some successful decision about how to defend, they will have realistic match practice to repeat their learning on the technical elements of defending.

Set Up:

- 3v3 set up normal rules games

Recap/Plenary, Questions to ask:

How to you apply pressure to the attacker if you are the closet player to the ball?

- How to cover or to block passing channels?

- How to recognise cues when the attacker is not in control of the ball?