Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Defending - Pressure & cover
Reseller-Club: Premier Users' Club
Derek Evans
Profile Summary
| Name: | Derek Evans |
|---|---|
| City: | Cardiff |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Membership: | Adult Member |
| Sport: | Football/Soccer |
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
2v2 live to dribble past line
Skill -
2v2 variable demonstrating pressure and cover - Form 4 equal groups, ideally 4 in each, stationed as above in teams A-D.
Coach stands at the side with numerous balls. Coach feeds them in randomly and it becomes a 2v2 game, where the aim is to coach the defensive principles of pressure and cover and stop the opposition team from dribbling past you to the end line.
Each 2v2 game lasts only 10-20 seconds to get maximum repetition of this skill.
Once each group of 4 players (2v2) have had a turn they go to the back of their line.
Key points:
Communication
Nearest player closes down / 'presses' the opponent with the ball
Stay on your feet
'Close down - slow down - low down'
Covering player has awareness of distance from their team mate and opponents
In the above illustration, C has the ball and dribbles it but is closed down by player A. Player D has made a run into space to recieve the ball from player C and is covered by Player B, who is in a position to cover his team mate (player A) and move if need be to pressure Player D if the ball is passed to him.
Session should be 20-25 minutes with regular breaks and coaching.
'%3E%3Cpath id='path4169' d='M 11.4375,70.25 C 11.457031,38.394531 37.277344,13.242188 68.253906,13.050781 99.78125,12.855469 125.73047,38.351563 125.8125,70.078125 125.89844,101.62109 100.43359,127.14063 69.148438,127.42188 37.582031,127.70703 11.464844,102.23438 11.4375,70.25 m 6.425781,-0.08984 c 0.03516,28.421871 23.027344,50.69922 50.519532,50.82031 C 96.433594,121.10156 119.30469,98.367188 119.38281,70.359375 119.45313,42.878906 97.382813,19.714844 69.015625,19.496094 40.75,19.277344 17.964844,42.035156 17.863281,70.160156' style='clip-rule:nonzero;fill:%23333f48;fill-opacity:1;fill-rule:nonzero;stroke:none' /%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%23333f48;fill-opacity:1;fill-rule:nonzero;stroke:none' d='m 39.789063,108.62109 c 0.28125,0.14454 0.550781,0.32032 0.839843,0.4336 2.734375,1.05469 5.554688,1.78125 8.453125,2.23047 2.734375,0.42578 5.484375,0.64453 8.25,0.54297 3.988282,-0.15625 7.832032,-0.94922 11.445313,-2.69532 1.683594,-0.8164 3.246094,-1.82422 4.640625,-3.07422 3.265625,-2.92578 5.171875,-6.582027 5.796875,-10.906246 0.546875,-3.761719 0.04687,-7.425781 -1.09375,-11.019531 -1.4375,-4.523438 -3.730469,-8.582032 -6.703125,-12.265625 -1.03125,-1.277344 -2.082031,-2.535157 -3.113281,-3.808594 C 66.789063,66.1875 65.332031,64.269531 64.0625,62.21875 c -1.601562,-2.582031 -2.835937,-5.316406 -3.613281,-8.261719 -0.683594,-2.574218 -0.902344,-5.1875 -0.6875,-7.828125 0.214844,-2.617187 0.910156,-5.117187 2.152344,-7.441406 2.164062,-4.050781 5.503906,-6.710937 9.816406,-8.179687 1.890625,-0.640625 3.835937,-1.058594 5.832031,-1.195313 1.121094,-0.07813 2.242188,-0.152344 3.363281,-0.164062 4.28125,-0.02734 8.4375,0.734375 12.453125,2.175781 1.871094,0.671875 3.6875,1.496094 5.523438,2.257812 0.226562,0.09375 0.4375,0.230469 0.664062,0.351563 -0.164062,0.25 -0.371093,0.160156 -0.539062,0.164062 -2.824219,0.101563 -5.535156,0.703125 -8.132813,1.804688 -1.335937,0.570312 -2.570312,1.316406 -3.648437,2.296875 -2.527344,2.296875 -3.605469,5.15625 -3.34375,8.550781 0.140625,1.855469 0.722656,3.574219 1.550781,5.222656 0.648438,1.296875 1.414063,2.523438 2.292969,3.675782 0.953125,1.25 1.929687,2.484375 2.929687,3.699218 2.085938,2.523438 4.164063,5.054688 6.050782,7.738282 2.203125,3.136718 4.140627,6.417968 5.589847,9.980468 1.16406,2.867188 2.01562,5.820313 2.39843,8.894532 0.25,2.011718 0.30079,4.03125 0.11719,6.058593 -0.24219,2.640625 -0.79297,5.195313 -1.74609,7.667969 -1.29688,3.36328 -3.300784,6.22656 -5.972659,8.63281 -2.429687,2.19141 -5.171875,3.90625 -8.109375,5.3125 -2.695312,1.29297 -5.464843,2.40235 -8.34375,3.20313 -1.953125,0.54687 -3.945312,0.8789 -5.949218,1.15625 -3.035157,0.41797 -6.085938,0.48828 -9.132813,0.3125 -5.328125,-0.3125 -10.476562,-1.46094 -15.410156,-3.52344 -3.449219,-1.44141 -6.691406,-3.25781 -9.757813,-5.39453 -0.183593,-0.12891 -0.378906,-0.25 -0.53125,-0.41016 -0.07031,-0.0703 -0.05859,-0.22656 -0.08203,-0.34375 z m 0,0' id='path4175' /%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%23333f48;fill-opacity:1;fill-rule:nonzero;stroke:none' d='M 94.699219,29.390625 C 94.089844,29.21875 93.476563,29.054688 92.867188,28.875 90.183594,28.085938 87.46875,27.441406 84.703125,27.046875 c -3.976562,-0.566406 -7.945312,-0.59375 -11.863281,0.402344 -7.535156,1.914062 -12.386719,6.71875 -14.878906,13.996094 -0.894532,2.617187 -1.179688,5.328125 -0.953125,8.078125 0.203125,2.484375 0.867187,4.859375 1.816406,7.160156 0.933594,2.261719 2.117187,4.390625 3.4375,6.449219 1.4375,2.25 3.050781,4.371093 4.640625,6.511718 1.4375,1.933594 2.867187,3.871094 4.261719,5.835938 1.230468,1.730469 2.316406,3.546875 3.273437,5.445312 1.324219,2.625 2.265625,5.378907 2.703125,8.292969 0.433594,2.902344 0.292969,5.765625 -0.660156,8.5625 -0.9375,2.74609 -2.574219,5.00781 -4.777344,6.875 -2.417969,2.04688 -5.203125,3.39844 -8.246094,4.22266 -1.835937,0.5 -3.703125,0.75781 -5.609375,0.82031 -3.886718,0.13281 -7.679687,-0.47266 -11.421875,-1.46094 -2.261718,-0.59765 -4.488281,-1.33203 -6.695312,-2.11328 -0.207031,-0.0742 -0.40625,-0.16797 -0.597656,-0.25 -0.02344,-0.24609 0.148437,-0.19141 0.25,-0.20703 1.96875,-0.30469 3.921875,-0.67969 5.804687,-1.34766 1.367188,-0.48437 2.671875,-1.10156 3.855469,-1.94922 2.25,-1.61328 3.65625,-3.765621 4.0625,-6.515621 0.273437,-1.867188 0.09375,-3.710938 -0.429688,-5.527344 -0.472656,-1.648437 -1.171875,-3.199219 -2.109375,-4.628906 -0.792968,-1.207031 -1.636718,-2.382813 -2.523437,-3.519531 -0.921875,-1.195313 -1.921875,-2.328125 -2.890625,-3.484375 -2.753906,-3.273438 -5.351563,-6.660157 -7.523438,-10.355469 -2.042968,-3.480469 -3.667968,-7.136719 -4.597656,-11.078125 -0.640625,-2.699219 -0.980469,-5.4375 -0.832031,-8.214844 0.238281,-4.53125 1.476562,-8.78125 3.824219,-12.6875 1.082031,-1.800781 2.445312,-3.375 3.988281,-4.800781 2.742187,-2.527344 5.863281,-4.480469 9.257812,-5.992188 3.746094,-1.667968 7.652344,-2.769531 11.707032,-3.394531 3.152343,-0.488281 6.324218,-0.671875 9.507812,-0.519531 8.632813,0.410156 16.671875,2.792969 24,7.433594 0.08203,0.05078 0.152344,0.109375 0.230469,0.167968 -0.0039,0.04297 -0.0078,0.08984 -0.01563,0.136719' id='path4177' /%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%23333f48;fill-opacity:1;fill-rule:nonzero;stroke:none' d='m 31.699219,38.75 c -0.07813,0.238281 -0.152344,0.476563 -0.238281,0.710938 -1.460938,4.074218 -2.066407,8.28125 -1.808594,12.59375 0.4375,7.304687 2.808594,13.925781 7.277344,19.753906 3.714843,4.84375 7.441406,9.671875 11.167968,14.503906 1.113282,1.441406 1.953125,3.007813 2.414063,4.777344 0.332031,1.257812 0.425781,2.539062 0.273437,3.820312 -0.214843,1.832032 -1.070312,3.34375 -2.464843,4.546875 -0.984375,0.851559 -2.113282,1.449219 -3.316407,1.925779 -1.378906,0.54297 -2.8125,0.89063 -4.273437,1.1211 -2.226563,0.35547 -4.46875,0.46093 -6.722656,0.41015 -0.589844,-0.0156 -1.046875,-0.18359 -1.433594,-0.625 -0.636719,-0.72265 -1.335938,-1.39062 -1.9375,-2.14062 C 25.574219,93.800781 22.300781,86.621094 20.84375,78.636719 20.152344,74.835938 19.917969,71 20.15625,67.128906 20.796875,56.773438 24.390625,47.574219 30.859375,39.480469 c 0.21875,-0.273438 0.453125,-0.53125 0.679688,-0.796875 0.05469,0.02344 0.109375,0.04297 0.160156,0.06641' id='path4179' /%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%23333f48;fill-opacity:1;fill-rule:nonzero;stroke:none' d='m 105.41016,101.30078 c -0.13282,-0.3125 0.0234,-0.5039 0.0977,-0.69922 1.38672,-3.749997 1.98047,-7.628904 1.89844,-11.621091 -0.14453,-6.84375 -2.08594,-13.144531 -5.73437,-18.925781 C 99.890625,67.226563 97.917969,64.53125 95.835938,61.917969 94.4375,60.160156 92.988281,58.4375 91.582031,56.6875 90.632813,55.511719 89.6875,54.335938 88.792969,53.121094 c -0.835938,-1.144531 -1.488281,-2.398438 -1.953125,-3.742188 -0.523438,-1.515625 -0.695313,-3.070312 -0.511719,-4.652343 0.21875,-1.839844 1.082031,-3.339844 2.476563,-4.542969 1.039062,-0.890625 2.230468,-1.507813 3.503906,-1.980469 1.632812,-0.609375 3.320312,-0.960937 5.046875,-1.175781 1.917969,-0.238281 3.839841,-0.269531 5.769531,-0.230469 0.52734,0.01172 0.89453,0.203125 1.23828,0.585938 5.50391,6.113281 9.26172,13.144531 11.21875,21.132812 1.11719,4.554688 1.5625,9.179688 1.30469,13.855469 -0.58203,10.625 -4.23438,20.082031 -10.96094,28.339846 -0.15625,0.1914 -0.32812,0.375 -0.51562,0.58984' id='path4181' /%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%23333f48;fill-opacity:1;fill-rule:nonzero;stroke:none' d='m 39.796875,108.63281 c -0.05859,0.0117 -0.117187,0.0234 -0.175781,0.0352 0.05469,-0.0156 0.113281,-0.0312 0.167969,-0.0469 z m 0,0' id='path4183' /%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Play animation
Play step-by-step
Repeat (toggle)
Full Screen
Pause
Stop
Pressure/cover
4 players, 1 ball, cones 7-8 yards apart
Technical: Introduce concept of pressure and cover.
One pair pass the ball back and forth (illustrated in red), but do 5 toe taps or shuffles between passes to allow defensive players (illustrated in blue) to regain their positions. Blue players take turns to recognise who is meant to apply pressure to the red player and who is to cover the space. Switch roles 2-3 times.
Demonstrate the concept then allow players to work out what their defensive role is.
Key points:
Nearest defensive player closes down / 'presses' the opponent with the ball
No diving in to tackle.
Stay on your feet
'Close down - slow down - low down'
Communication between defensive team
Awareness of where to position yourself to cover your team mate and space.