Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Under 10's - Defending as a Unit.

Intro to session (5 mins)

Organisation - Defending as a Unit.

Open discussion - Whats the first things you think of when defending ? What's the difference between defending 1v1 and as a unit ?

We will only look at 4 of the 5 Defending principles as only working in 2's.

Delay - Slow down the attacker, stopping them entering goal scoring positions.

Depth ( Cover ) - Reduce opportunites for attackers to share the ball or penetrate behind

Compactness - Players between the ball and goal positioned to prevent penetration

Control - Be composed & patient in winning the ball back.

3v2 / 2 v1 - Transition (30 mins)

Organisation - Attackers in blue, Defenders in red. Attackers work as a 3 to score in the goal opposite, they can only shoot once they get into the reds half. The blue player who has the shot or loses the ball becomes the defender against the 2 red defenders. If the shot goes wide a red player or GK needs to feed one of the red attackers as quickly as possible.

- Make into a competition - First team to 5 goals.

What I want to get from the session

- First decison do you press the ball or drop & deny space in behind?

- Who you going to mark & who you going to leave ? Prioritise risk allow passes out wide.

- Distances between 2D's when being attacked by the 3 A's, Centrally & wide.

- GK working as a sweeper & covering space behind

- Deflecting attacks away from the central goal-scoring areas.

- 1v1 defending skills

- Blocking shots

Manage the attackers

Attackers where can you hurt them ?

Try not to run in straight lines and move the defenders around.