Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defending units: 4v4, 6v6, 7v7+GK, pressing, tracking movements, positioning, covering

4v4 defending unit game (2 mini goals) (25 mins)

4v4 attack vs defense. Match up different combinations of player units against each other as above. 

Each rep begins with Blue and players positioned as above.

Blue attack mini goals.  Red defend and try to progress ball into end zone and/or pass through either white mini gate.  

2 x 2-3 min blocks, then swap red and blue ends.

20-25 mins

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Allow attacking team to play outside of width of red cones to further stretch defending team.  Defending team can engage if they do.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Impose X touch rule on attacking team to encourage passing, movement, tempo to challenge defending team.

Fewest goals conceded by defending team.  How long can they deny a goal?

7v7+GK near 1/2 field game (35 mins)

7v7+GK

Big goal and 3 mini goals, the latter positioned close to half way line.

Red defending the big goal, trying to win the ball and find passes into either mini goal

Blue to attack big goal.

5-7 min games.

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Impose attacking behavior to challenge defending team.  

Behavior 1: Look to switch play to stretch (bonus point for blue if they connect passes from 11 to 7 or vice versa and create scoring opportunity in same sequence.

Behavior 2: Look to recycle through 6 or 4 every possession.

Behavior 3:  Look to play into the 9 every opportunity

Behavior 4:  Look to combine and connect for scoring opportunity inside penalty box (1 pt, 2 pts if score).

Attacking behavior to challenge defending team with their organization and how they position/press/deny

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

1 pt if Red find pass into either mini goal

+2 pts if Red connect X passes in same possession

+5 pts if clean sheet for duration of game