Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): FRONT 3 DEFENDING

Screen 1

Defensive principles. (20 mins)

Specific 25 mins

Coaching points

Technical 3 d's, open body position

Tactical- Recognise key defensive points (18 yard line and 30 yards from goal), pass on runner, squeeze a yard if play is forced backwards,

Psycho Social- communicate triggers of pressing & balance

Physical- acceleration/decelleration during press & recover run's

Organisation

Areas as previous screen.

All play starts with the deepest Blue player.

Use the 18 yard line as an offside line.

How to Play

Blue team objective is to score.

White team defend the goal and can clear to a target player (outside grid) if they are unpressured.

Focus is on the White team but Blues need to be managed, to make realistic combinations to create scoring opportunities.

White outside players rotate after receiving pass

Block 1 Specific

Explanation

Players aren't able to exit their zoned area. Focus for coached team is to stay compact within their zones, making play predictable, preventing splits and working as a unit to force play wide out of danger. 

*9 to force direction of play for CB's, preventing COD/ball played back to GK. 

* 8 & *10 to stay narrow avoiding split & apply pressure

*6 to stop split, screen play & protect space in behind (avoid ball into opposition *9)

*4 & *5 high pressure on *9, show away from goal, control space behind midfield 3 & prevent opposition playing over. 

*1 high line initially, communication on distances particularly to CB's & MF Screen. 

Managed team to encourage to play through in particular. This can be done through making pitch as big as possible and variations of runs to receive, move around and split opposition. Implementation of challenges- if Red's complete 5 passes before goal, 3 points awarded. If Red's split yellow's centrally in middle channel before scoring, 3 goals. 

SSG

Specific Practice - Breaking Lines - Out of Possession

Welsh Way principle - Understand when and how to stop the opposition playing through, around or over.

15 minutes ( 8 v 8 & GK's- 18 players)

Organisation

Remove the flat discs and cones marking out the specific practice pitch. Introduce 2 tapered lines of cones on red final third (see picture, to cater for Red team playing without 3 & 4 and Yellow team without 7 & 11)

Introduce addition 2 players per team - Yellow (FB's), Red (WG's). 9v9 (inc GK's) 

Explanation Importance to manage distances in units due to full width & additional WG's.

Play will begin from Red goalkeeper. Principle remains the same as Specific practice, Reds must look to play through the middle of the pitch as often as possible. The addition of Wingers & end of narrowed pitch (excluding tapered section) means REDs can now make the pitch even bigger, trying to pull yellow players out of position and create gaps to exploit through the middle. Importance to manage distances in units due to full width & additional WG's.

Yellow are again trying to remain as narrow and compact as possible to prevent split passes. 

*9 apply pressure to force mistake, force directional of play.

*10 & *8 narrow and compact, body position to show wide & prevent split, pressure on ball. 

*6 manage unit for compactness, protect space in behind (avoid ball into 9), prevent split. 

*2 & *3 narrow and compact, opposite FB narrows off (2/3rds of pitch, leave opposite WG), manage space to nearside CB.

*4 & *5 manage space between unit & MF 3, avoid ball played into 9, manage space and distances in unit. 

*1 high line initially, communicate on distances between lines and compactness for back 4 & MF screen.  

On attacking transition for sub principle, *9 stays high & pin's CB, 10/ 8 provide supporting run's, 6  offer angle of pass, manage balance in transition. 3/4 nearside offers supporting run, opposite narrows off for balance. 4/5 high line to manage space between lines. Awareness of when to drop of for space in behind. 1 high line to manage space. Offer angle for back pass where required.  

Players are able to move around the pitch freely and are not restricted to any zones. 

If a goal is scored play resumes from GK of team conceding

Challenge, Conditions & Targets

 Limit REDs to 2/3 touches 

If the ball is passed through the middle of the pitch (split pass), the 3 points will be awarded if a goal is scored

When the Yellow regains possession, the same principles apply (breaking lines), However they have a 15 second time limit to take a shot to simulate a fast counter attack

Possible progressions for additional challenge:

• Encourage Red CB to drive with ball (overload in MF)
• Rotation of MF 3  (Red's)

• Types of Run's from Red wingers to drag FB's out of position/split CB through link play with 9

If a RED CB decides to push up into the central area to create an additional passing option or to drive with ball, the Red 10 or 8 will need to push forward to close them down, show wide and block passing lane of left MF Red. Importance would then be on reaction of 3 in the unit and how they can apply pressure together through the underload or if broken using defensive principles and protecting space behind.

Interventions

Coaching process

Concurrent

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