Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Advanced National Diploma, Design a training Session

Main Them 1, Match Related

Setup: 30x40 to start. Size to fit skill / number of players. Note the red cones on the midline - this is our Line of Confrontation.

Organization: Green team attempts to work ball into the green 9 (or play to goal). Black team attempts to deny pass, force green into mistake, regain possession, and pass back to black server, S. Start with 9 "locked" to a small range of motion. S can move the entire width of play area. Black cannot pressure past line of confrontation unless they have possession. Anytime ball is out of play, server plays in a new ball. 

Teaching Points: For our configuration, I want our MFs & Wings to maintain 3 defensive lines behind the line of confrontation. Our top priority is to deny the central and half-space zones and 2nd priority is to deny the wide zones. This requires communication and organization between lines - some positions will need to back / moving forward depending on the situation. 

Cues / Options / What-ifs: If ball is played wide to G10, B11 should press, G10. B10->Cover, B7-Balance. B6 deny pass to 9, B8 provides intermediate cover or balance to strong side. On our half of field, behind line of confrontation, press ball to outside. If ball is central, with G6, B10->Press, B7 and B11 cover. B6 denies pass to 9. B8 reads first attacker and provides intermediate balance to strong side.

Coaching Points: Ball must have goalside pressure in central corridors (Zones 2,3,4) behind Line of Confrontation. Team must be clear who has pressure. Pressure must have at least 1 cover. Central target must be denied.

Tweaks. Add / remove Black / Green players to ease / increase difficulty for defending team. Reposition Green players. 

Progressions (optional): If green player behind line of confrontation takes poor 1st touch, receives on nearest foot, is facing own endline, counter-press and enter end-zone.

Main Theme 2, Match Conditions

Setup: Play 2 thirds of field. Add Defending line.  Note the red cones on the midline - this is our Line of Confrontation.

Organization: Black team is 1-4-3. Green team is 3-3. 3 servers / targets (purple). Black team is constrained to their half (line of confrontation). A server, S, plays ball into W6 to start the game. Green works to score a goal. Black plays pressure/cover/balance until opportunity to counter-press / dispossess. Have different servers play ball in to create different situations for defense to react to. 

Teaching Points / Cues: The Green team is "building" into middle third / defensive third. Because the 6 has NO pressure, the black team is organized into Pressure / Cover / Balance until an opportunity to counter-press presents itself or the attacking team "gives us the ball".

Simple scoring: Green scores point on goal, Black scores point on pass back to servers (targets).

Optional scoring: Green scores 3 points on goal, 1 point on completed pass to any teammate inside 18 (optional). Black scores 1 point if they push ball back behind Line of confrontation and 3 points on pass to targets.

Coaching Points: Midfielders & wings must keep central shape (3 lines) as much as possible as before.  Defenders must be ready for direct play (over / through) - read 1st attacker body shape, get side on before they pass. Wing backs and Center backs need to stay connected when ball is wide. Wing Backs should not go past center of field when on weak side. 7/11 need to try to be in press over wide defenders so they are not exposed creating wide crossing opportunities. 

Tweaks. Add / remove Black / Green players to ease / increase difficulty for defending team. Reposition Green players. 

Progressions: If green player behind line of confrontation takes poor 1st touch, receives on nearest foot, is facing own endline, counter-press and enter end-zone. Have GK (B1) play ball out to Green team to start play to simulate a clearing pass from a defender going to the opponent.