Football/Soccer Session (Difficult): Defending - Body Mechanics

Analytical (Body Mechanics) (20 mins)

Defensive BM - Infront

1. Players are split up evenly between the two red cones. Players near the two orange gates are defenders and players located at the red cone across from the gates are attackers.

2. Defenders start on their toes waiting for the initial movement from the first attacker ahead of them. As the attacker begins his/her run, the defenders approaches at an angle to apply pressure and is "touch tight" to the attacker.

3. The attacker tries to get a point by entering one of the two gates. Once he/she commits to one gate he/she must commit to entering that gate first (they are not permitted to change direction unless it is a progression to the activity).

4. As the attacker commits to entering one gate the defender must "snap" towards the same gate and prevent the attacker from entering the gate before them. Defenders earn a point if they can box the opposition out by denying their run and entering the gate first.

* Snap * refers to the movement of turning with the attacker but placing one's body in between the opposition and target. An analogy for this is "grab the rope". As the player turns he/she will look to extend their arm low and sliding in the path of the player first with their hips and then shoulders, as if he/she were grabbing a rope and pulling themselves over.

Defensive BM - Alongside

1. Two players will start side by side on either side of the first red cone.

2. A coach/resting player will call out 3-4 colors that the player must race to. As players wait for the next color to be called they must be on their toes (two footed bounce) and ready to adjust.

3. After 3-4 colors are called the coach/resting player will call out Right or Left, and the two players must race through that gate.

4. Players can not enter side by side, once a side has been called they must slide over, denying the oppositions run and then enter the gate.

Defensive BM - Across

1. Two players will start positioned facing each other, on either side of the red cone.

2. A coach/resting player will call out 3-4 colors that the player must race to. Once they've reached the cone, they must quickly return back to the middle red cone. Players waiting for the next color to be called must be on their toes (two footed bounce) ready to adjust.

3. After 3-4 colors are called the coach/resting player will use a trigger word to indicate that the two player race through that gate to their side.

4. Players can not enter side by side, once a side has been called they must slide over, denying the oppositions run and then enter the gate.

Defensive BM - Recovering

1. Individually players will work through the ladders until they reach the cone ahead of them.

2. Once at they reach that cone, a coach/resting player will call out "Right - or - Left", to which side that player must retreat to.

3. As players recover their body should still be facing forward but on a slight angle to allow them to retreat. If they are going to the Right his/her front foot (left) must cross over and lead the back foot, similar to karaoke without the back leg crossing forward. Opposite applies to the Left side, retreating players would want to use their right foot to lead their run.

4. Once players reach the Right/Left cone, they must "snap" their front foot and arm back to slide across denying the oppositions run and recover.

5. After executing this a couple of times, a coach may decide to have a player stationed at the Right/Left cone with a ball to replicate a game realistic scenario. Once the ball is added, defenders should looks to put their body in between the player and the ball.