Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defending Triangles

Set Up

Equipment Required:

• 3 mini goals
• 2 large goals
• Cones (2 sets of colours)
• Bibs
• Balls

Jockey

Introduction of 3 zones.

Red bibs to go end yellow cones, blue bibs to end red zone.

Red bib to dribble or run with the ball and perform a 1-2 pass with blue bib.

Red bib to dribble slowly back to yellow cone and blue bib to sprint and get behind the ball to jockey.

Red bib to leave ball at start and next player repeats the above.

Swap teams after 2mins and repeat for 4 times in total.

Mechanics 

• Pressure on ball
• Deceleration
• Body Position (dropped shoulder and knee)
• Side on
• Stay on toes 
• Jockey 

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Progression

• Defending Player:  Force attacking player onto weaker foot
• Attacking Player:  Use all parts of foot when dribbling
• Attacking Player:  Can they attempt skills whilst a defender is in jockey mode
• Increase distance

• Reduce distance
• Reduce number of zones

3v3 Defending #1

Zones remain in place, but it's now 3 defenders vs 3 attackers.  All players are locked to their zones.

Aim is for the attacking team to beat a defender and score a goal

Aim is for the defenders to form a triangle shape when defending:

• If the ball is in zone 2, the defender from zone 2 should step up and defend.
• Defenders from zone 1 & 3 should remain behind the defender from zone 2 - forming a triangle.
• If the ball is switched to zone 3, the defender from zone 3 should step up and the defender from zone 2 should step back - forming a triangle.

Coach to play the ball into the feet of the attackers.

Defenders should work as a team and push high-up the pitch as soon as play has started - reducing the attackers space.  (If a ball is won higher up the pitch, it's less risk to concede and increases change of scoring a goal (real-match scenario))

Attacking players will start at the yellow cones.  Defenders will start in-front of their goal.

Attackers.can pass the ball between zones.

When the defending team wins the ball back, the game restarts.  Next wave of players then start.

Play for 5mins and swap teams around.

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Progression:  

• Reduce area size
• Limit number of touches for attackers
• Remove 1 or more goals
• Replace goals with cones to create an end-zone
• Add attackers

Regression:

• Increase area size
• Remove one of the attackers.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

• First time finishes
• Score count between players and teams.
• Attackers can gain a point if they nut-meg a defender.

3v3 Defending #3

Example to support 3v3 Defending.

Mini-Game

Free play with the introduction of goalkeepers.

Focus is for the defending team to retain the triangle shape and not to dive into tackles.

If a defensive line is broken, team should shuffle and provide cover.

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Progression:

• Limit the number of touches on the ball
• Decrease area size

• Introduce two lanes;  if a player receives the ball in a lane, they can carry the ball for 3 seconds.
• Remove goalkeepers and create an overload by resting a player.
• Remove large goals and replace with multiple mini goals.