Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): 1-3-4-3 Defensive Responsibilities

3-4-3 Positions and their defensive responsibilities (30 mins)

1-3-4-3 Positions

GK - Goalkeeper - must play high line and comfortable playing a sweeper role. Good communicator with back line and vision to anticipate any breakdowns

RB - Right back - great 1v1 defender, aggressive and understands how to provide cover and balance

CB- Center back - The most important player in the back three. Doesn't have to be the most athletic but has to know how to read the game and communicate with entire team. #1 most important characteristic is communication!

LB - Left back - great 1v1 defender, aggressive and understands how to provide cover and balance

RM- Right mid - great 1v1 defender and must always provide balance with "fishhook" for weakside outside back. Good positional understanding

HM - Holding mid - imust play in line between the ball and the goal or else the whole line collapses. : Only way opposing team can split us is if you’re not in position. Need to be in line between the ball and the goal. Against a 2 front HM is 10 yards off of the three, against a 3 front you’re 7 yards off the 3 backs. HM can go sideline to sideline, tackling everything you can.

AM- Attacking mid : this person must have a high work rate. And will be required to double down in all areas of the field. Doesn't have to be the quickest but an extremely hard worker.

LM - Left mid: reat 1v1 defender and must always provide balance with "fishhook" for weakside outside back. Good positional understanding

RF- Right forward: has to understand the balance position and be ready to double down with anything in their area. Extremely hard worker as well.

CF/ST - Center forward / Striker - Must understand how to cover their respective forward who's providing pressure. Must also understand to double down with AM if any ball comes in centrally.

LF - Left forward - has to understand the balance position and be ready to double down with anything in their area. Extremely hard worker as well.

Defensive shape when Opoosing Center Back in possession (30 mins)

Defense Continued.

- Can see the three lines of Pressure - Cover - Balance

I. Midfield line - most radical line

II. Defense line - least radical

III. Forward line - in between the two

RUSH Doubling Down Philosophy (30 mins)

The RUSH Doubling Down Philosophy

1.Every player is required to double against the line underneath her. So the left forward doubles against the left midfielder. The left midfielder doubles against the left back.

2.The attacking center half and the holding midfielder can double in all directions and are only restricted by work rate

3.The left and right mid can double forward if they think they can close the ball and win it

Front Line doubles down to Midfield line. Hunt the Ball!

Back Three (30 mins)

I. How to Coach the Back Three

A.Draw your line on the highest front runner

oGK has to have aggressive high starting position

B.You can leave your shape when:

1.You know you can win it

2.When the player you are tracking can’t turn and has no support

3.When you can bring your entire line with you. “step!”

C.When there is no pressure on the ball or when the other team can serve behind your flat 3, the three backs have to:

1.Get side on. “side on!”

2.Sprint back as a group just before service. “drop!”

II. How to coach the Back Three (CONT)

A.If there is pressure on the ball this allows you to:

1.Compact space (move forward north/south) “step!”

2.Concentrate (get tighter east/west) in your later shift “shift!”

B.So, if your opponent plays the ball square or back:

1.“Back 3” steps forward and bites off 3-7 yards to compact the game and make it hard for opponents to play possessional soccer in front of the back line in midfield. “step!

oWhy? Need to keep midfielders and front runners legs fresh. If we don’t play compact they have to run more.

2. But, be prepared to sprint back “side on!” if they can serve long or in case of 1st time ball over the top. “drop!”

C.Outside of defensive penalty box, always play the ball, not the player. In our system we hunt the ball; we don’t chase players. Inside the penalty box defenders should track attacking players and fight for the space ball-side goal-side.

III. If your opponent has faced your back line and is running at it:

1.Delay by dropping at the speed of the penetrating dribbler while side-on to be ready to sprint if split

2.Pinch to support the player who is being dribbled at 1v1 to provide cover if the attacking player attempts to get in off the dribble…

3.Also pinch to not get split with a pass:

a.Force them to go over the top or…

b.Force them to play the ball wide (you offer a less dangerous angle wide than split).