Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Pressing.

Warm-up

Organization:

Set up as shown.

Description:

Players pair up as shown and pass the ball to each other on the side of the pitch for 20 seconds. On the whistle, they jogg/sprint across to the other side of the pitch within 10 seconds and repeat. Some other technical work / ball mastery are added to add some variations into the passing and receiving part of the warm up. Players complete 8-10 repetitions.

Coaching points:

1. Stay focussed during your rest periods by passing the ball with accuracy.

2. When we are tired and fatigued, we should continue to work as this is where games are won and lost.

3. When our backs are against the wall, we don't pull out great performances we revert back to our attitude and our basic level.

4. Make your basic level high by competing with a great attitude.

Progressions:

1. Increase workload (reps, distance).

2. Increase intensity (time to cross pitch).

3. Have to do a set number of passes during rest period.

4. Increasing amount of touches before each pass, to increase focus e.g. 1 touch pass, 1 touch then pass, 2 touches before pass.

Skill Practice

Organization:

Set up as shown.

At the start of the exercise, players to write down pressing triggers. i.e. poor touch, bad pass, back to play. facing own goal, poor body orientation, defensive overload, nervousness, proximity to touchline e.t.c.

Description:

The players are divided into 3 teams of four i.e. blue, red and yellow. At the beginig of the exercise, one team starts as the pressing/defending team (yellows) from the outside of the area, they are heavily underloaded. They are looking to get all 8 balls out of play as quickly as possible from the red and blue teams. The blue and red team can look to work together in keeping the ball away from the pressuring / defending team once one ball is played out of the area by the yellow team. Pressing team (yellows) score extra 3 points for every goal scored if they win the ball inside the area and score in any of the goals from distance.

Once all the balls are out of the play, the pressing team switches roles with one of the possession team and the exercise starts again till all the teams plays as the pressing team. At the end of the third round, the team with the quickest time to get 8 balls out of play and with the most points are the winners.

Coaching points:

1. Nearest player triggers the press.

2. Press together as a group, not as lone defenders.

3. Provide cover and support with your positioning. Consider distance of support and communication of support (be concise).

4. Make play predictable, trap your opponents by using defensive support, angle of pressure, body shape/position and the touchline as an extra defender.

5. Freshness makes small group pressing possible (share the workload).

6. Communicate with each other, if you see someone tiring, tell them to swap out.

Progression:

1. Only balls that are scored in the goals counts as points.

2. Pressing team has to take the ball out of the area to before attempting to score in any of the large goals..

3. Pressing team is only allowed to score in a specific goal.