Football/Soccer Session (Difficult): defending and counter attack

Defending and Counter-Attacking (20 mins)

Two-way practice - Defending & Counter-Attack Play

Practice Organisation

-Full pitch, restricted in length with appropriate size goal at one end & 4 small goals across pitch, as illustrated.

-21 Players (incl. GK), arrange 11v10 in teams structured 4-3-3 (Counter-attacking team) &

4-4-2 (Team attacking 4 goals), as shown.

-Practice starts with: GK rolls ball-out to Attacking team.

-A’s look to build-up play & sore in any of the 4 goals.

-D’s are looking to gain possession & quickly counter-attack to single goal with GK.

-After conclusion of an attack; practice restarts from GK

-Roles of teams can be reversed after a defined period of play or number or restarts.

Detail:

-D’s work ethic getting back behind ball to defend.

-D’s to defend realistically at all times, tracking runs & challenging.

-Quick reaction to adjust position & depth of defensive line in relation to ball movement.

-Engaging player on ball swiftly to delay & deny forward passing.

-Sliding across as a unit, remaining compact & leaving furthest attacker away from ball.

-Ensure a quicker tempo in passing & movement from team in possession

-Encourage creative & clever play in advance areas

-Emphasis on individual techniques & precise execution of passing, receiving dribbling & running with the ball skills.

-Simple progression for this practice are:

- Replace 4 goals with one & GK, to develop full game.

- Teams to develop own counter-attacking style in 4-4-2 & 40303 formations

Key coaching points

-Players ahead of ball to recover at pace to establish defensive block behind ball.

-Once goal-side; adjust from pressing to cover & balance in relation to ball & defensive line.

-Coordination for pressing & spoiling effort from D’s

-Engage player on ball (if possible) on recovery run.

-Early recognition of supporting strikers to “show” for ball on regains of possession.

-Quick reaction to movement of players to initiate counter-attack.

-Quick change of defending to attacking attitude from players (& vice versa).

-Looking for timely runs & well-placed passes to quickly penetrate oppositions on counter-attack

-Concentration & assessment of build-up play in advance positions to receive break-out passes from MF & counter-attack areas of the pitch.

U12 – The players should be able to complete the TransitionLearning outcomes in 2 v 2 functional practices.

U13 – The players should be able to complete the Transition Learning outcomes during 4 v 4 functional practice games.

U14 – The players should be able to complete the Transition Learning outcomes during Small Sided Games.

U15/16 – The players should be able to complete the TransitionLearning outcomes during 11 v 11 games.