Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defending in own half (Start Time: 2021-11-11 17:10:00)

Warm up (15 mins)

WHAT: 3  Team Warm up with the Ball

Who: whole team

Role Of Opposition: Maintain good possession

ORGANIZATION:

• Area 20 metres x 20 metres, flexible depending on the ability of the players
• 15 minutes broke into 3 reps of 4.5 minute with 30 seconds for a coaching point if required
  
• Plenty of football to maintain tempo
  
• team that looses possession presses
  
• Players can work on defending,pressing, communication, organization, transitions
  

• Tempo of the activity.
  
• Decision making. can i win it, can i delay it
• Defending principles
  

• Body shape when defending
  
• Communication between players
• also affect possession players.
  

NOTES

Look for quality from the start and take care with every pass and first touch

Technical Practice 2

WHAT: Functional practice 3 v 2 Defending with Transitions 

WHY: to improve our defending specifically from wide areas.

WHO: keeper and defensive pair

ROLE OF OPPOSITION: Build up, create chances from wide areas if possible

• Area: 30 metres x 20 metres, 2 games going can vary with players ability
• Time is 3 reps of 4 minutes with 1 minute break for coaching
  
• 3 Blue players v 2 red players + Goalkeeper
• Blue team start with emphasis on creating goal scoring opportunities. Blue team look to maintain shape and balance throughout attempting to pinch where possible.
  
• If the red team win possession they must quickly Transition to Attack and attempt to score by running through the cones in 10 seconds with the Blue team now Transitioning to Defend.
  
• If the ball goes out of play, game restarts with blue team, flat cones can be used to show starting positions
  

KEY FACTORS

• Team Shape – narrow and compact – make it difficult to play through
• Maintain shape and recognize when to press

• Communication between Defensive pair and keeper is key! – Goalkeeper role very important!
• Defending principles for crosses
  
• Opened body shape when Defending see ball and man
• Look for pressing triggers, i.e. quality of pass, body shape of opponent, shit touch

• When ball is won, look to play forward as quickly as possible through quality passing or dribbling you only have 10 seconds
  

NOTES

1 v 1 Defending is key – Delay, Deny, Destroy. Encourage freedom and focus in Transition to Attack

Game (20 mins)

WHAT: 6v6 game

Why: To improve our defensive qualities and communication

Who: Goalkeeper, centre back pair, the 6

ORGANISATION

• Area: 50 metres x 25/30 metres
• Time: 2 x 10 minutes coach in flow where possible
  
• 6 v 6 Game: Blue Team 1.2.1.2 v Red Team 1.2.1.2

• Supply of balls in each goal tempo tempo tempo
  
• Offside’s in the Thirds, marked by red line above
• Goalkeeper starts the play at all times with the ball in the middle of 6 yard box
• When Goalkeeper is restarting play only 1 opposition player is allowed to enter that third

KEY FACTORS

• Starting positions of Defenders – compact and high, open body shape, awareness for possible long ball
  
• Midfield with Holding Midfielder (6)  screening and 2 Advanced Midfielders (8 & 10) pressing making it difficult
  
• Can we make it predictable
  
• Awareness and communication
• Transition to attack  if ball is won  can they win it back as quickly as possible, if not delay