Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Back 4 Defensive Shape

Setup (15 mins)

FIFA 11 Warm up + Hip Mobility

Setup: 6x30 yards (25 min)

Instructions:

FIFA 11 Warm-Up - Each exercise is ran 2x

Activity Out | Activity Back

1) Jog | Back Pedal

2) 3 Squats at Each Cone | Side Shuffle

3) Linear Hops | Crossover Runs (Carioca)

4) Hip In | Hip Out

5) Plank (1 min.) & Sideways Plank (30 seconds each side)

6) Linear Hop Stick | Active Hamstring Stretch

7) Diagonal Hop Stick | Quad Stretch

8) Shuffle Around | Glute Heel Knee Up Stretch

9) Glute Bridges (3 sets of 10)

10) Header Jump | SL Toe Touch/Superman

11) 3 Step Diagonal Plant and Cut | Toy Soldiers

12) Skips for Height | 75%

13) Skips for Distance | 100%

14) Forward & Backwards | Light Skips

Hip Mobility Routine (8 min. max)

Back 4 Shape to Goal (35 mins)

Back 4 Defending: Narrow width x Half Field (45 min.)

- Back 4 defends the big goal

- Each attacking cone is numbered 1-4. Coach calls number to dictate which line starts the ball. 

- unlimited touches

- Can add a striker and defending 6 to progress, then attacking 10 and defending 8 and 10... final numbers are 8 v 6

Defenders: Garvey/Louie, Selway, Eddie, Max... Ozzie, AP/Adam, Nick/Devin/Jayden

Progressions:

A) Defenders score a point if they win the ball and connect 7 passes

B) Attackers get 3 points for combo goals

C) Defenders score by connecting with 6 (neutral)

Objectives:

1) Recognize the space to defend (scan for space!) and make that line as small as possible

2) Execute closing down with proper body position and distance (touch tight as 1st defender, proper distance to make dangerous space small as 2nd/3rd defenders)

Coaching Points:

- Maintain your relationship with each other above all else! ***Stop it often to coach this***

- Distance between you should never change from 10-15yds.

- Recognize the most dangerous space (scan for space constantly!!!!)

- Close down to get real ball pressure (distance needs to be touch tight!!!!)

- Communication

- Pressure, cover, balance

- Work rate to defend well

- Look at each other to adjust shape as a unit.

- Scan the weak side

- Angle of approach: Tactically what's your role?

- Distance of spacing vertically and horizontally

- How do we deal with player dribbling laterally across zones?

- Attackers try to create numbers up with ball movement, combinations, and movement to create gaps in opponent's back 4