Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defending in wide areas

Warm up activity

Practice Organisation

- 3 teams of 5

- 2 red players press ball while blues look to maintain possession and look to play across to blacks

- Blues can send one player to play in middle section while 3 reds look to screen pass and win ball

- If ball is transferred to blacks, reds send two new players to press and blacks can send a player into middle zone

- If defending team wins ball they look to play out and transition with team that lost possession

Key Coaching Factors

- Delay and deflect attacks

- Deny penetration

- Closing down players quickly

- Screening forward passes

- Make play predictable

Incorporate FIFA 11+

Phase

Practice Organisation

- Area: 2/3 pitch and full width

- 9 reds plus GK vs 9 blues

* Red 11 over hits pass to red 9 and blue 5 plays out

* Red 8 plays out to red 7 with blue 3 intercepting pass and playing

- Reds look to score with good possession in either target area. Player scoring must immeadiately look to play to blue 5 to begin practice again

Key Coaching Factors

*Early Decision:

- Delay the attack through early pressure OR recover and regroup

- Deny forward passess

- 1v1 Defending in wide areas

* Pressing the ball

- When? - Why? - How?

* Supporting the press

- Marking spaces

- Marking opponents

- Who? - How?

* Tracking and marking opponents