Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Level 2 Defending

Pro-Club: Elite Football Club

Tony Mee

Profile Summary

Name:	Tony Mee
City:	Doncaster
Country:	United Kingdom
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Def-Technique

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Def-Technique

A basic 1v1 practice to improve defensive technique

The area is approx 8 yards wide by 15 yards long (depending on age and fitness of the players).

Red passes to blue, who is challlenged to try too take the ball, under control, through the coned goal behind red.

Red is challlenged to prevent this happening by defending effectively, but without tackling.

Coaching Points

Close the space down quickly, stay between the ball and the goal.

Slow down in the last few strides.

Balanced body position with knees bent, weight on the balls of the feet, sideways on.

Try to force the blue away from the goal.

Stay between the ball and the goal.

Progression

Progress to allowing the red to try to win the tackle & counter on the blue goal.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Variations

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Variations

Above Left

By moving the goals off to one side, the emphasis can be shifted to "forcing play in one direction".

Coaching Points

Bend the run to get between the goal and the ball.

All others as before.

Above Right

2 v 2 defending

Coaching Points

Nearest defender presses the ball.

2nd defender provides cover and communication.

Work in tandem, if the ball is transferred across, the 2nd defender presses the ball and the 1st defender provides cover.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Skill - Pressure, Cover, Balance

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Skill - Pressure, Cover, Balance

Set up as shown.

Players are lockedin to their vertical grids.

Red 1 has pressed the ball, which is then passed square.

Red 3 bends his run to prevent the forward pass, Red 2 & 4 narrow off as close to the lines as possible and Red 1 drops deep.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Game Related Practice

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Game Related Practice

The basic principles of the game should be reinforced at all times e.g. at least one player should be mindful of a counter attack when their team is attacking.

In this example, the Blue keeper rolls the ball to the wide defender, the Red attacker (nearest the ball), bends his run to prevent the forward pass, the other Red attacker positions himself to intercept/prevent a square pass and the 2 deep defenders mark the nearest attackers.

Coach ON the ball, AROUND the ball and AWAY from the ball. Use the coaching points from the previous screens, depending on what you OBSERVE in the practice.