Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Pressing From The Front (Start Time: 2019-10-01 19:35:00)

Technical Warm Up (5 mins)

Technical warm up (Knee Boxing)- 5 mins

Aim of the game:

Touch your oppoents knee to win the point and prevent them from touching your knee.

3 points to win

Key Coaching Points:

Get low

Defend side on

Stay on your toes

Jockey in different directions to defend and make attacking moves

Pivot when changing direction to stay facing your opponent at all times

Be patient and wait for the right opportunity to pounce and attack to win a point

Be cautious and be able to react in a defensivse situation to prevent losing a point

(These coaching points represent defensive positioning in a 1v1 situation during the presseing stage)

Skill Practice advanced (20 mins)

Pressing as a unit (15 mins)

Aim of the Game:

Make 5 passes before transferring the ball through the middle third to the team waiting to recieve ball

Defenders must try to win the ball back by tackling in the end third or intercpeting the ball in the middle third during the switch of play

Key Coaching Points:

Nearest player presses the opponent who has possession of the ball to limit their time on the ball

Defender must press with an angle of approach to either show the opponent down the line or back inside to trigger the second phase of the press from their team mate

Communicate with each other to get an understanding of who is pressing and when so the other defenders can keep their shape in the middle third to provide cover and balance

Demonstarte the individual pressing technique the players learn earlier in the 1v1 practice

Cut off the passing lanes for the opponent with the angle of approach on the press to limit the space the oppoent has to work in

Press with intensity to panic the opposition and try to force errors and also try to win the ball

The second defender waiting to press must stay goal side of the ball until the ball is played to keep the team shape and prevent the ball being played through the lines

Press whilst the ball is travelling to put the opponent under pressure

Progressions:

1. send 2 defenders in at once to press in numbers

2. allow passes overhead height when transferring the play to make defenders press with more urgency to stop a lofted pass beingd pass being able to be played

3. No limit on the number of defenders pressing at once so the defending team needs to make their own decisions depending on the situation wether it is best to press together or provide more cover and balance whlst one or two players press the ball