Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Transition to Defend - Defending Out Of Balance

Transition To Defend - Warm Up (15 mins)

Set Up

• 12 players or more
• 2 balls
• 12 bibs
• discs or cones to mark pitch out
• Area 50x30

One Defender passes the ball out to two Attackers then defends the large goal. The two Attackers attempt to combine and score against the single Defenders. If the Defender wins possession they can counterattack over the line for a point. Rotate players so that all players are Defenders and Attackers.

Technical Coaching Points

Stop opposition playing forwards

In order to prevent attackers playing forward, defenders need to get goal side as early as possible with their body in between the ball, the man, and the goal to prevent direct penetration.

Use body position to delay

As a recovering defender, players should look to delay the opposition by jockying the attacker and not over-commit when tackling to wait for support from other defenders.

Show attackers away from goal

By applying pressure to the opposition, players should look to push the attackers away from goal by offering the player outside of the pitch rather than the inside towards goal.



Transition to Defend Game

• 16 players or more.
• 10 balls
• bibs
• flat discs
• Goals, 2 x mini goals
• half full pitch

Using Half of a field, divide the playing area into a 36 x 60 area and an 18 x 60 area. Mark out a funnel as shown in the practice image.

Split the players into two teams, here is a Defending team of 1-4-3 against a Attacking Team 3-2-3, with a neutral player or Coach positioned between the two mini-goals. The team defending the main goal will have a goalkeeper.

The two teams can be organised to replicate any playing system but the Defending team must be comprised of a Defensive and Midfield unit and the Attacking team must consist of an Attacking and midfield unit.

To start the practice, the coach will play a ball to the team attacking the two mini goals. The team in possession must build the play and find a pass to the Neutral player. The Neutral player must set the ball back for a two-touch finish into one of the mini-goals. As soon as a goal is scored or the ball goes dead the coach will feed a ball into the team Attacking towards the main goal. If the team Attacking towards the main goal wins possession they should look to attack as quickly as possible.

The team Attacking towards the mini-goals must get Four players into the attacking half of the field leaving them with three defenders in their own half to create an opportunity for transition from Attack to Defence.

The coach should vary the positions they feed the ball into the practice. By playing balls into different parts of the field they will give the players multiple situations to react to.

Recovery lines - Central Positions

Players in Central positions need to recover quickly to the middle of the pitch or goal depending on the position of the ball as this is the shortest route to the goal and will put them in a position between the ball and the goal.

Recovery lines - Wide Positions

Players in Wide positions need to recover quickly to the nearest post as this is the shortest route to the goal and will put them in a position between the ball and the goal.

Show out of the Funnel

Defenders must recover inside the Defensive funnel and force play wide and away from the goal. By forcing play out of the funnel they reduce the Attacking threat and can create areas where they can more easily win possession.

Pressure

Once the Defending has recovered inside of the Defensive funnel and forced play away from the goal they must look to get pressure on the ball and force a turnover or make the opposition play backwards.

• 4,8 & 10 - Provide cover for back 4, slide and screen. Can you delay attack to allow defenders to get into position. 
• Players must prioritise preventing forward play or shooting opportunities before pressing the ball. Once play has been forced out of the funnel or backward, the Defending team can look to press and win back possession.

• By recovering quickly and taking the shortest route to the goal, the Defending team can establish compactness quickly. This will enable them to limit time and space, forcing and keeping the Attacking team outside of the funnel.

• 2,3,6 & 5 - Defenders must react quickly to losing possession and recover towards their goal centrally or towards the nearest post, depending on their position. It is important that the player closest to the ball slows down the attack and buys time for teammates to get back into a Defensive shape. Defenders must look to get cover around the player engaging the ball to create Defensive layers and prevent the Attacking team from isolating Defenders.