Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Defending the Switch of play (out of possession)

General practice (10 mins)

Specific - Defending the Switch of Play

Out of Possession Team – Red (Coached)Set up in a (GK) 1-4-2- formation (representative of a 1-4-2-3-1) 

In Possession Team – Blues (Managed)Set up in a 1-3-3 formation (representative of a 1-4-3-3) 

How: The coach is to work with ONE team only, out of possession, in this case the reds on how they stop the switch of play. When the reds have possession they wont be coached but will look to break lines on the counter attack by passing into common player or score by passing into one of the mini nets. The coach will manage the opposition to switch play and ensure realism for both teams for the duration of the session. 

Explanation: The opposition in possession have to switch play after getting the ball into a wide zone before they score. This will give the coach the opportunity to work on the defensive principles of stopping the switch of play/ dealing with a switch of play. The red team here are illustrated as occupying two out of the three zones to limit the space and time of the players in possession. If the red team win the ball they must then counter attack by breaking lines under a managed countdown by the coach before getting the ball into the shaded area. 

Teams can 'score' by:1. The blue team switching play from a wide zone to the opposite wide zone and scoring against the GK / reds will be a goal. Twoswitches of play would get you 3 goals.2. The reds on gaining the ball will get three goals if they score from a counter attack and break lines into yellow common player ortwo goals by passing into one of the mini nets. 

Challenges, Conditions & Targets: 

The conditions are half pitch practice with tapered lines from half wayline as shown. The targets for the blues are the wide zoneseither side of the practice and the fixed goal. For the red team it's the mini nets or into the yellow common player. The challenges arethe blue team MUST switch play before scoring.The red team out of possession MUST fill 2 out of the three zones when defending leaving the furthest player/s. The reds are alsochallenged with scoring from a counter attack.The two blue wingers MUST be on two touch or three seconds in possession. This gives you the problem as the coach that you wantbut keeps things realistic also.

Key Points:

In possession:

Play through, around or over the opposition

Ball speed  

Weight of pass

Use of width and depth

Direction of pass

Movement to receive

Out of possession:

Force direction of play

Defend narrow

Leave the furthest player/s

Stop the switch

Interventions:

Walk Through

Coaching Process