Football/Soccer Session (Advanced): Tom Morris - FAW/UEFA B - Specific Session - Defending the Switch of Play

Phase 1 - Specific (10 mins)

OA3 - Defending the Switch of Play

 Welsh Principles - Understanding how and when to stop a switch of play based on the pressure applied by the defending team. 

Organization/Area/Size

Playing area is just under half a field. Best way to replicate game model replicating 11v11 principles. Building team (red) builds in 1-3-4+1. The highest player for red team is locked into shaded zone shown on half way line. He can move freely within that zone. Defending team in blue defends in 4-2 - replicating midfield 4 and 2 strikers of a team defending in a 4-4-2. Two small goals in wide areas just beyond half way line are targets for red team to score into. Vertical lines on the field are for both attacking and defending team to have visual markers of areas they're looking to attack or defend within. 

Explanation

Balls start at blue cones next to red team goal. GK starts the game. Red team is looking to build and score in small goals. 3 pts if they can switch from one wide channel to another and score in small goal. 1 pt if they score in small goal without switching. Defensive team is trying to push, and keep the ball to one side, preventing the switch and applying pressure to the ball, looking to win it and score. The blue line shows the line of engagement. If the ball is behind that line in build then the blue team shifts and stays compact - switches in this area do not count as a switch of play. Once they advance past the blue line then defensive (blue) team is looking to defend more aggressively against the ball and stop switches. When blue team win it they are looking to go to goal ASAP - max of 10 seconds. Coach will give a bit of freedom in this so that the defending team has an opportunity to be in possession. 

Coaching Method/How

Coach focuses on details of stopping switch for the blue team.

Start session with framing. Be sure to explain rules, field markers, in and out of possession structures, point system, where balls start from etc

Walk-through - give guidance and specifics to blue team about how they can prevent switch. Show different players where they should be in different scenarios.  

Concurrent feedback during exercise and when ball is reset at times

Coaching process may be used at time to show a specific scenario

Terminal feedback may be given between specific and transition to SSG. 

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Target - Red team trying to score in small goals, blue team trying to win it and score vs GK

Challenges - Red team challenged to score a goal from a switch. Red team challenged to keep players in all 5 zones when in possession. Blue team challenged to prevent switches. Blue team challenged to score quickly when they win it. Blue team challenged to get all defenders into 3 zones closest to the ball. Central 3 if ball central, wide 3 if ball wide

Conditions - explain line of engagement. ACM of red team instructed to stay in shaded area

Key Points

In possession

- Make pitch big

- Must have width - 5 zones

- Look to switch play whenever possible

- Move ball quickly 

Out of possession 

- Deny central passes early in build - stay inside central 3 zones

- Then force to one side

- Then keep to one side 

- Make it predictable 

- Get pressure on the ball - get their head down

- Prevent ball being switched across 5 vertical channels

- Get all defenders in 2/3s of field - leave furthest attacker 

- When to defend space and when to defend man

- Negative and square pass triggers

- Effect all players 

- Man orientated vs defend space