Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): GU11&U12 High Pressure Defense

Technical Warm-up (15 mins)

Technical Warm-up: 30 sec-1 min

Half Players with ball, half without

1) pass and move; 5 yard sprint after you pass it

2) receive and dribble 5 yards before passing

3) half stay with ball and perform wall-passes for 30 seconds.

4) every pass is 15+ yards

Defensive progression: 3X1 min intervals

1) on command, player without ball needs to close down a player with a ball and stay with them for 5 seconds. Attacker don't run away but try to beat defender.

Coaching Points: Defender close down quickly, don't dive in, stay low and staggered, do not defend flat footed!

6v3 (15 mins)

2 teams vs 1 team. 30 x 30 yards.

Progression:

1) 2 min games: one team defends the whole time. Count how many times they disrupt the play. Switch defending team after two minutes. Two losing teams have fitness.

2) 2 min games: if defending team regains the ball. Every two passes they connect is one point. Switch teams after two minutes.

3) 7 min games: team that loses the ball, is now in the middle. If team connects 8 passes, then defending team has to sprint to endline and back.

Variation:

- If defending team gets more than 8 passes played against them, they have to sprint to end and back.

- if you get ten passes against you, you lose the game.

Coaching points: If one or two go 100% and the other players for 50% or 80% it won't work. Prevent long ball.

-The team in the middle needs to press high but also stay compact. Nothing gets played through the middle.

Optional: 5v3 (10 mins)

5v3 Progression:

1) Shape & Pressure: 5 attackers try to keep the ball, 3 defenders work on shape and closing down quickly, closing gaps.

2) Progress to Line: attackers get one point if they dribble or cross the 18 yard line

3) Progress to goal: attackers get one point if they score on goal

Coaching Points: Stay connected, step ball hard, cover angle hard, sprint hard, stay compact