Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defending The Switch of Play

FAW Coach Ed

Sam Fitchett-May

Profile Summary

Name:	Sam Fitchett-May
City:	Oswestry
Country:	United Kingdom
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Description

Topic: Switching Play

Learnings: Understand when and how to switch thepoint of an attack based on the pressureapplied from the opposition.

Pitch Layout: Half Pitch

Equipment: Balls, Bibs, 2 Mini Goals Player Count/Layout: 14 Players, 7 Red (1 Keeper, 4 Defenders , 2 Holding Midfielders). 7 Blue (1 Centre Back, 2 Holding midfielder (Double Pivot), 1 Attacking Midfielder, 2 Wingers and 1 Striker)

Technical: Weight of pass, Vision, Control, dribbling

Tactical: Understanding the switch of play, when is the correct time to switch play, off-ball movement, Switching route;

Session Walkthrough:

In Possession - The team must look to switch the play in order to create space and gaps in opposition positioning to creating a scoring opportunity.

Out of Possession - The team must look to cut off passing lanes and press, looking to force a turnover of possession and look to counter

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): General Practice

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General Practice

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): In Possession

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In Possession

Coaching Points,

Using the Middle -- Make sure that the players are using all of the space, looking to exploit any space they can find. Players should not be stationary, always looking to give the player on the ball on option.

If the ball is on the right side of the field with 11, make sure the left winger 7 is not standing idly waiting for the ball to get to them. Encourage them to try and get in the channels between CB and the FB, they could also take up the 10, if the 10 looks to go short to create a passing option. Encouraging one of your midfields to look for an overlap to make sure width is maintained.

Maintaining width -- Instruct Wingers 7/11 to maintain width making the pitch as wide as possible in order to stretch the defence. and look to use quick passes to switch the play. The defenders will look to shuffle across the pitch to protect their goal. This means if you can switch the play quick enough, either the full back looks to get out wide as quick as possible creating a 1v1 Scenario with a recovering full back, or the full back remains tucked in giving the winger space to drive into acquiring free space for the In possession team

Inviting a press -- If a switch of play isn't on instruct the players to remain patient and look force an opposition press, in order to create holes in the defending shape that team mates can look to exploit the space given.

Challenges:

If we are not on the ball can we look to create space or passing lanes for team mates

Can we look to play quick 2 touch passes

Conditions

Ball will always start with in possession 4, If the ball goes out of play we reset back to starting positions.

Targets:

Look to switch play as quickly as possible, rewarding the team with an additional point if they are able to switch the play in under a set number of passes. (Making sure they don't look to try the long pass every time to gain points)

Can they look to score in under a set time from once the ball is live.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Defending the Switch of Play

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Defending the Switch of Play

Coaching Points:

The ball always starts with the CB (4).

The ball will be played out to a player as the ball is played the nearest player goes and presses. As the others will then move into a shape that best supports the formation they're in.

Encourage a quick and hard press from the nearest player so that they can't beat them 1v1 (prefeably).

If and when the ball is recycled, the red team must stay narrow, compact, force play one way and stop the switch.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

IF the attacking team (blue) can switch the ball in 2 passes or quicker they get a point, once the ball has been switched in less than two, they then have 10 seconds to attack the goal as directly as possible. If this happens, they score another point.

However, if the defending team (reds), win the ball back they have the ability to counter into the small goals either side. They have 10 seconds to do this.

FIRSt thing to address, where should be players. width and depth, add ref points be spec. open body position, use ref points again, goal side and ball side etc etc. who deals with players, pass the 9/10 on verbally

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