Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Specific into SSG defending switch of play (Start Time: 2022-02-15 17:00:00)

Specific (10 mins)

Specific Practice / Defending the Switch of Play Specific

Welsh Way Principles 

Understand when and how to stop the switch of play by forcing thedirection of play, defending narrow, leaving the furthest player/s. 

 Organisation / Area Size

60m x 50m  Play 8v7 GK on the red team with 8 in a GK-4-2-1Play 1CM, 2 full backs, 10 / 9 and two wide players on theopposition blue teamPlay 2x4 minute periods with 2 min break.

 The Coach 

The coach is to work with ONE team only, out of possession, in thiscase the reds on how they stop the switch of play. When the reds havepossession they wont be coached but will look to break lines on thecounter attack. The coach will manage the opposition to switch playand ensure realism for both teams for the duration of the session1-4 Defend tighter, deeper, narrow4-8 Defend the source, get pressure on earlier, defend the 2v1. 

Explanation

The opposition in possession have to switch play after getting the ball into a wide zone before they score. This will give the coach theopportunity to work on the defensive principles of stopping the swtich of play/ dealing with a switch of play. The red team here areillustrated as occupying two out of the three zones to limit the space and time of the players in possession. If the red team win the ballthey must then counter attack by breaking lines under a managed countdown by the coach before getting the ball into the shaded area.Teams can 'score' by

1. The blue team switching play from a wide zone to the opposite wide zone and scoring against the GK / reds will be a goal. Twoswitches of play would get you 3 goals 

2. The reds on gaining the ball will get three goals if they score from a counter attack and break lines. 

Challenges, Conditions & Targets

•  The conditions are full width and up to the goal and yellow cones. The targets for the blues are the wide zones either side of the practiceand the fixed goal. For the red team it's the shaded zone. The challenges are the blue team MUST switch play before scoring. The redteam out of possession MUST fill 2 out of the three zones when defending leaving the furthest player/s. The reds are also challenged withscoring from a counter attack by breaking lines.The two full backs on the blue team we've put in yellow bibs to highlight them MUST be on two touch or two seconds in possession. Thisgives you the problem as the coach that you want but keeps things realistic also. They're key to the problems you want to give yourself asthe coach. Initially manage them to support from behind (minute 1-4) then encourage them to give you the problems of a 2v1 against your full back either side.