Football/Soccer Session (Advanced): Defensive Principles: Control and Restraint

1 v 1 Skill Practice (10 mins)

16 Players 2 x groups of 8.

To start, the Target player passes to their teammate in the middle who must turn and look to play to the opposite side with the Defender in the middle looking to prevent them from turning.

If successful, the Attacker then becomes the Defender, and vice versa for the other player. The players play for 2 minutes, as the practice is intensive. Swap players from the outside after 2 minutes.

Control & Restraint

• Defenders need to be in the habit of preventing the Attacker from turning as well as controlling the play and not diving in. Too tight they may get rolled - too far away, they allow the Attacker to turn.

• Players need to prevent the opposition from turning by pressing quickly.

• If the Attacker turns, Defenders need to recover into a position to get in front of the ball and stop forward passes.

Cues

• Defenders need to be in a position to see the ball and be in a position to intercept.
• The first Defender needs to prevent the Attack from turning by being close, at arm's length, to be able to be close enough to intercept or tackle.
  
• Defenders need to adjust their position depending on where the Attacker takes the ball. This needs to be with short footwork patterns to be able to move quickly.

9v7 +2GK Conditioned Game (20 mins)

16 Players 9 blues 7 Reds plus GK's.

The Blues start with the ball and look to attack the Red team to score a goal.

For the Blue team (Attackers) - the Full Backs are on two touches, the rest of the team have as many touches as they wish.

Keep score of the game, normal football rules.

Control & Restraint

• As a team, players need to stay central and control the spaces of the opposition, denying forward options and preventing them from turning in centre midfield. They need to also push them out wide by being compact in the middle.

• The team has to recognise when to press and when not to depending on the distance the first player is from the ball.
  

• If the team is beaten, players need to recover into shape and towards the goal to prevent the opposition from moving forward.

• As much as possible, units and the team needs to stay compact and deny forward options to the opposition.

• As the team moves, supporting Defenders need to provide cover and balance for the team and be in a position to press or recover if the first Defender is beaten.

• When the ball is played out wide, Full Backs need to cut down the distance they have to travel by anticipating the pass. This allows them to stay close and be in a position to intercept/tackle as well as block any crosses. The opposite Full Back needs to come in line with the post to stay compact and control the opposition.

• Centre Backs have to be aware of protecting the front and middle of the goal. Also, the need to recognise when to drop and when to step to control the line.

• Centre Midfielders need to force the opposition backwards by either preventing them from turning or allowing the opposition to play in front of them. Also Centre Midfielders need to change roles to a Centre Back if the gaps appear in the team.

• Attacking Centre Midfielders need to slide across and be a screen for the Centre Midfielders, preventing the ball from being played forward as well as keeping the ball in front of the team.