Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Defending (Start Time: 2014-02-01 17:00:00)

Warm up (15 mins)

Organization:

10x10 square. All players with ball.

Instructions:

Progression of touches:

1) 50 touches, any foot and any part of the foot.

2) 50 touches, outside right than 50 touches outside left.

3) 50 touches, inside/out right / 50 touches inside/out left

4) Every player has 3 lives, you lose a life by (a) dribbling out of the area, (b) running into somebody or somebody runs into you, and (c) walking or stopping the ball for a long period of time.

You can vary this warm up any way you want, basically getting the players to get as many touches on the ball as possible, and in a close/tight area for control.

Coaching Points:

Small touches on the ball, close control, using the proper part of the foot to dribble with, dribbling with you head up, recognizing space and players around you.

Progressions:

Make the space smaller or larger depending on the ability level of your players.

Make the touch limit more or less.

Limit the parts of the foot to dribble with (only outside, inside, etc)

Lots of ways to adapt this simple warm up to fit your players ability level.

technical 2 (15 mins)

Organization:

10x10 grid, two players with one ball. (grids do not have to be side by side as shown)

Instructions:

Player passes the ball through their partner legs.

The partner runs after the ball and has to try and turn and beat the player to the endline and stop it.

Swtich after every stoppage of play.

Coaching Points:

You can focus on many things in the activity.

Attacking: change of speed and direction. Accelerate after the move and close the gate.

Defending: The speed of closing out on the player with the ball. The closer you get, slow down and get into a good defensive stance (knees bent, one foot forward, one foot back = side on).

Use the sideline as another defender.

Two tackles, poke check with the front foot or block tackle with the back.

DO NOT DIVE! If you dive the player will simply touch and go around you. Be PATIENT on defense, being aggresive is great, but being overly aggressive will either lead to you fouling or the player on the ball using that aggressiveness against you and again simly letting you dive in and touching and going around you.

Main focus on this one is not to let the player with the ball turn. Don't get too close to the player's back, because the player will feel where you are and simply turn you and go the opposite way. Stay within an arms length of the player with the ball and as soon as the player tries to turn, use the block tackle to take the ball away. OR if the player on the ball isn't shielding correctly use the poke check to get the ball out of their feet.

Progressions: