Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Pressing in opposition defensive 1/3 rd & Breaking The Press (Start Time: 2021-01-30 16:10:00)

Screen 1 (40 mins)

Broad Focus: Winning the ball back in attacking 1/3rd & playing through a press

Narrow Focus: Don’t let your press be broken

Principles of Play:  Press / Delay / Cover and Balance / Emergency Defending

Technical Components: Pressing / Overloading / Covering / Intercepting / Passing / Tackling 

Notes:

•Give lots of encouragement to both sides

•5vs5 with 1 Goalkeeper. (Defending team has 4 outfield players).

•Defending team have 1 less outfield player

•Praise when defending team break the press just as much as you praise the attacking team when they win the ball back.

•If team pressing wins ball back, they can shoot and try to score.

•If team breaking the press are successful at getting out of their defensive 1/3rd, there are zones marked or mini goals outside the 1/3rd, where they can pass the ball to/into to receive points (goals). 

Objective: 

The objective is for the pressing team to win the ball back in the attacking 1/3rd to shoot and try to score. The defending team, their focus is on playing from the back and making the right choices, to break the press of the opposition.   

To begin with, the session will flow as explained above, so I can observe the session and see how much understanding both teams have of pressing & breaking a press. Once observed, I will use my coaching points for what I have seen/how I think the 2 teams can improve in their objectives.

Examples of coaching points that I would like to see: 

• Pressing team to stop the left back from playing a pass down the line and showing them inside only, this would be done through the attacking players body shape. 
• When the ball goes inside to the left centre back, this is the signal for my inside right midfielder to press the ball and for my wide players to move infield and close off the space and press the ball.

• Outfield players on the defending team to try and form a wide triangle as soon as they receive the ball from the GK. This gives them options on the ball straight away.

• The player at the top of the triangle needs to be very active with their movement, drop deep to give an option and play a 1-2 or move slightly to an angle in between 2 of the pressing players. Player at the top of the triangle I would also want them to try and receive the ball on the half turn to face away from their goal and play forward. This player must be checking their shoulder all the time. 

Technical: Speed, Angle of approach / Body Position / half turn

Psychological: Decision making / Speed of thought / Concentration / Positivity

Physical: Change of direction/Tackling

Social: Team Work / Communication/ Encouragement 

Screen 3 (40 mins)

Focusing on the pressing team (blue). 

• You can see how the inside right blue player has tucked behind the right winger to help force the left back to play inside. 
• Once the ball has been played back inside by the left back, the inverted right midfielder can now engage with the ball. 
• The wide right player who started the press can now also move inside to block the angle of a possible pass going back out to the left back. 

Screen 5 (40 mins)

Focusing on the pressing team (blue). 

• The blue team are now in possession and are aiming to score.
• Blue team have an extra player they should be overloading the box.
• The blue player on the ball should be driving into the space (arrow shows space) to get inside the 18yard box. He should be looking to shot or pass/cross. 
• The widest players should be aiming for their respective near posts anticipating a cross. 
• Inside players should be making a run between the gaps of the defenders.

Screen 7 (40 mins)

Focusing on the defending team/team in possession (red).

• The wide players, essentially the full backs, they need to occupy the blue teams wide players and attempt drag them out of their own defensive 1/3rd. Be high and wide. 
• I am looking for my centre backs to split and create width 
• Before ball is played from GK, I want my CB's to be square on, ready to receive the ball and turn away from their goal, this also allows the players to be aware of everything around them
• When the ball is played I am expecting the blues to go and press like explained in the previous slides/pages 
• 
  

Screen 9 (40 mins)

Focusing on the defending team/team in possession (red).

• Blue team were successful with the 1st stage of their press, so red team passed the ball inside 
• The player on the ball still has options to break the press. The blue team have become very narrow, so reds need to create width fast. 
• See new positioning of red team to create width to play out successfully 
• The left back has dropped back into a defensive position, holding the width. 
• The right back has moved in field to become central and a possible out ball, while being able to move left or right to receive the ball from either the wide centre back or left back

Screen 11 (40 mins)

Focusing on the defending team/team in possession (red).

• It is important for the red player now on the ball to have been scanning around and checking their shoulder before receiving the ball 
• They also need to be ready to receive the ball on the half turn and dribble out 
• player on the ball can now shot into the mini goal