Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Defending & Recovery

Defending & Recovering defensive position

Defending & Recovering Defensive Position

Practice Organisation

-Full pitch including goals, with 30x30yr area marked by cones in centre, as illustrated.

-15 layers (incl. 2GK’s), arranged 2v2 plus a floater in centre area, who players for the team in possession at all times; 1v1 at each end outside of penalty area & 2 flank players for each team, as shown.

-Practice starts with: Coach passes into central area, to Attacking team.

-A’s look to keep possession for 5 consecutive passes before playing forward into CF.

-Floater breaks from central area to attack penalty area.

-CF spreads play to flank player & spins to attack goal.

-Opposite flank D recovers to far post.

-2 Central A’s attack penalty area & one central D from the central area tracks/recovers to support defence.

-A’s have 12 seconds to strike on goal.

-Once attack is concluded: roles reverse & D’s become A’s, with practice moving in opposite direction.

Detail:

-D’s to defend realistically at all times, tracking runs & challenging.

-Good individual defending showing correct body position: looking to tackle off front or back foot.

-D evaluating when to make challenge & spoil, when to channel forward away from goal & delay.

-Recovering flank play assessing movement & threat of forward runs from CF & A’s MF’s

-Simple progressions for this practice are:

-- If recovering team regains possession; it can initiate its own counter-attak, through MD

-0 Expand central area & allow one flank player to move inside to support (creating 2v2, plus flanker n central area)

Key Coaching Points:

-Working rate, pressing & spoiling in 2v2

-Individual defending & maintaining position in 1v1

-Preventing CF from turning in 1v1 & pressing way from goal threatening areas.

-Communication with GK, challenging D & recovering D’s from flank & central MF.

-Blocking passes & shots, if A’s get turned.