Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defending the red zone

General

Area: 

Width: 24 metres

Length: 24 metres 

2 full size goals at one end

2 mini goals at the other end

Play: 

Start as 1v1 then progress into 2v1 and progress into 3v2 and 4v3, coaching points below.  

Targets: 

1 point per goal for blues

3 points if red score (motivate them to want to progress forward and hence challenge their defensive transition) 

Challenges: to maintain realism, challenge the attackers to get a shot off in no more than 3 - 5 seconds.

Time and interventions: 

20 mins, i.e. 5 blocks of 3 minutes with 1 min break

Provide concurrent feedback during blocks and terminal feedback during breaks.

Start by coaching basic defending technique in a 1v1:

• Get in line with the ball
• Fast pressure on ball, run quickly toward the ball
• Decelerate when near to the ball
• Weight on toes
• Knees bent, chest up
• Side on body position
• Force away from goal
• Be patient, buy time
• Balance risk and reward when trying to win the ball

When these points are being done well, start the overloads with a 2v1.  

To challenge the defending team, encourage the attackers to exploit their numerical advantage by:  

• find the spare player
• positive movement to give defenders decisions to make and or to create overload and to isolate 1 defender in a 2v1, e.g. 
  • overlaps; 
  • underlaps
  • interchange /  rotate positions 
• commit the opponent
• fast ball speed
• width and depth

 

 

• Don't commit 
• Force play away from goal and try to put spare player in your shadow
• Be prepared to have to move quickly if pass is made to space player

In the 3v2, introduce tactical principles: 

• Nearest playere to apply fast pressure on the ball
• Force away from goal
• Leave the furthest player
• Support the defender nearest the ball
  • Position: able to intercept attacker if he beats defender on the goal side
  • Body position: open and able to quickly close down opponent if a pass is made
• Defend the middle - be narrow, no split passes

In the 4v3, coach these points: 

• Fast pressure on the ball
• Force away from goa
• Leave the furthest player
• Support the defender nearest the ball
• Defend the middle - be narrow
• Defend the lines - be compact
• Prevent passes into our ‘red zone’

Progressions:

Make area wider

Add an extra blue so that it becomes 3v1; 4v2; 5v3.  

Regressions: 

make area narrower

Small sided game

Quick and effective defensive transitions to defend the red zone

Purpose: Add in the importance of a fast defensive transition to a narrow and compact shape, specifically, as soon as possession is lost, 

Nearest player: Fast pressure on the ball

All: Prevent forward passes (buy time)

All: Quickly recover to defensive shape

Pitch 40 m wide x 45 metres long

Red zone marked out: 12 metres from goal line and 3 metres wider than goals both ends

Players:

2 teams of  GK+ 6/7

2 / 3 neutral players

Targets: 

1 point for any goal

1 point for possession in the red zone, i.e.

- pass played into red zone and received by team mate

- ball dribbled into red zone

3 points for a goal scored in the red zone

Timing: 15 - 20 minutes.   

Challenge the defending team by encouraging attacking team to create and exploit their overload:

• width and depth
• fast ball speed
• positive movement to create overloads in good areas (e.g. overlaps; underlaps) and give defenders decisions to make
• interchange positions
• seek to isolate 1 defender in a 2v1
• commit the defender, then play
• find the spare player

Coach the defending team:

• Fast pressure on the ball
• Force away from goal
• Support the defender nearest the ball
• Defend the middle - be narrow
• Defend the lines - be compact
• Leave the furthest player
• Prevent passes into our ‘red zone’

As noted above, stress the importance of the defensive transition (points noted above) to buy time to recover to defensive shape.