Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defending the middle third

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Pro-Club: RBNY Academy Inc

Juan Figueira

Profile Summary

Juan Figueira
Name: Juan Figueira
City: Hillsborough
Country: United States of America
Membership: Adult Member
Sport: Football/Soccer
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Description

The objective of this session is to hold the lines compact and tight in defensive positions.


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Warm Up

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Warm Up
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Warm Up (15 mins)

Organization:

- 3 rectangular grids, 8x5 yards, parallel to each other (sharing edge), but can change size according to age group.

- 3 or 4 players per grid: in the above example there are 3 teams of 3.

Instructions:

- Teams on end grids (top and bottom) play together and try to pass the ball through to the other end.

- Players in the center try to avoid being split and try to steal ball.

Coaching Points:

- Coach middle grid: stay compact and shift to point of where ball travels.

- COMMUNICATION

- Pressure, cover, balance: what if scenarios.

Progressions/Regressions:

- If middle grid gets split, that's an extra point for attacking teams


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Main Activity

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Main Activity
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Main Activity (25 mins)

Organization:

- Same organization as before with the addition of a grid.

Instructions:

- Grid A still with teaming with Grid C, but now grid B recovers and can play with D.

- For any transfer from grid to grid, those two teams get a point. If a pass splits opponents, that's two points.

Coaching Points:

- When to Pressure, when to cover, when to balance.

- What if scenarios: who pressures, who covers, who balances?

- Compactness: avoid being broken.

- When ball is recovered, can we split the opponents right away since they are 'broken'. Try to pass forward right away and get a point, other team lost ball they are disorganized.


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Conditioned Activity

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Conditioned Activity
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Conditioned Activity (30 mins)

Organization:

- Same set up as before with the addition of mini goals at the very end on both sides (as shown above).

Instructions:

- Same activity as before, but now one defender can join opponent's grid and try to steal the ball away. If defender from grid B joins grid A and steals the ball, he/she can score on mini goals or pass back to teammates in grid B. Also, grids B and C can also try to score and split A and D respectively.


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Scrimmage

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Scrimmage
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Scrimmage (15 mins)

Organization:

- Full size field. 9v9 game.

Instructions:

- Free flowing game. Players have to cross entire half for goal to count.

Coaching Points:

- Defensive compactness


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Optional Unopposed

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Optional Unopposed
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Optional Unopposed (10 mins)

The warm up of this session is a combination of several defensive activities (unopposed): anticipating and recovering.

Organization:

- Each set up should be a pole facing a cone 10 yards away, and an extra cone 3 yards behind each pole.

- 2-3 players per cone (Depending on progression); 1 ball per pole.

Instructions:

- Set up A: Blue player (at distant cone) passes to pole; Red player (at cone behind pole) anticipates pole and passes back to blue.

- Set up B: Blue player passes to blue player; red player anticipates and wins ball and goes 1v1 with blue player who had passed the ball.

- Set up C: Red player anticipates and shields the ball, blue player (who was anticipated) tries to regain possession.

Coaching Points:

- Anticipate ahead (in front) of pole/defender.

- When shielding, bend knee and use back to 'push' back.


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