Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Using the overload as a numerical advantage (Start Time: 2022-10-10 00:00:00)

Screen 1

WARM UP

Organisation and Pitch Geography: 

- Welsh way moves defending warm up, players are working in their groups in a box each.

- The drill will take place within two 10X10 boxes where the players will perform welsh way moves 

Adaptation of Rondos

Players begin by performing welsh way moves in their designated box, on coaches command he will call a number & first DF who sprints into the opposite box who wins the ball gets a point for their team. Players then go back to their original box.

Progressions:

1) DF remains in the opposite box after going to win the ball.

2) 2 DF's can go into the opposite box to press now.

3) Finish on a game of capture the flag.

Coaching Points:

- Get in to line with the ball or the player on the ball.

- Pressure on the ball, try to stop people from playing forward.

- Deceleration in last few steps to not dive in & sell yourself!

- Body position side on with knees bent to show them down the outside.

- Stay on balls of feet with hips open ready to turn quickly.

- Be patient & wait for right time to win the ball e.g bad touch or backward, side passes.

- Decision to be positive, if you go to press then must go all the way.

- Recovery runs in straight lines.

- Tracking players throughout until the ball is dead.

Screen 3

Small Sided GameOrganisation / Area Size

- Box to Box with full width for pitch Geography

- 8V8 + 1 magic man (including goalkeepers) (this will allow the team in possession to always have a numerical overload, allowing for there to be more defensive coaching points to be raised throughout the SSG). 

- Play 3 X 5 minute blocks (with 1 minute breaks between)

- All players can move around the practice as directed by the coachbased on the playing principles and the realistic demands of thegame.

Explanation

The aim of this SSG is to attempt to defend the attacking team inoverload situations when there is a numerical option, morespecifically how implement the most effective methods todefending an overload which can come from forcing play wide anddefending the central area with a compact block with little spacefor the opposition to play through/around/over you.

How

- I will continue to coach the out of possession principles when defending an overload which i have worked on with the players in theprevious drill leading into this SSG. The assistant coach will also be able to step in and provide his expertise if there is something tobe coached surrounding the topic area.

Challenges

- I will be working with the defending team which i have been working with throughout the session re-inforcing the defensiveelements. The challenge that i will give to them will be can they score within 8 seconds of retrieving the ball which will be worth 3goals, if not then it will be worth a single goal. This will encourage the team to either score a goal as soon as possible or lose the balltrying, either way the ball should go back to the opposition in around 8-10 seconds, after which we can go back to focusing on thedefensive elements. The assistant coach will be working with the opposite team enforcing slightly more attacking tactics.

In possession (In transition from defensive elements of the session)

- Play forward

- Use width

- Players off the ball to consider positioning to create overloads

Out of Possession

- Stay Narrow and Compact

- Apply quick pressure to the player in possession and defend the space

- Weight out defensive responsibilities with forcing the opposition to lose possession.

- Leave the further man when faced with a situation where the opposition have a numerical overload.

Interventions

1. Concurrent

2. Terminal

3. Coaching Process 

4. Walk Through