Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Defending 1 vs 1

Blocked (20 mins)

Organisation:

- 20 minute practice

- 12 players (5-11 years old)

- All players are set up in pairs as shown in the session diagram

- Each pair has a ball between them

Equipment:

- 6 balls

- 12 bibs (2 different colours, 6 of each)

- Cones/markers

Description:

- The player with the ball is the attacker, the player without the ball is the defender. The attacker should dribble from one end of the area to the other without beating the defender. The attacker should only shift the ball in different directions to force the defender to shift his/her body shape.

- The job of the defender is to keep the attacker and the ball in front of him/her, blocking the ball from getting past him/her. The defender should not be trying to tackle the attacker.

- When the attacker reaches the end of the area, their roles are now reversed.

Progressions:

- Challenge the attackers to dribble at the defender at a match tempo, which forces the defender to shift their body shape quicker than before. Defenders should still be passive rather than tackling the attacker at this stage.

- Can introduce a competition between the partners, every time the defender wins the ball from the attacker they win a point and vice versa. If the attacker reaches the end line without losing the ball then the attacker wins the point. Can do this for 1-2 minutes before moving on to the next practice.

Conditions:

- Defenders should remain passive until the last progression where they are allowed to tackle the attacker with the ball.

Challenges:

- Challenge the attackers to dribble at a match tempo, forcing the defenders to defend at a higher tempo and quality.

Coaching points:

- Keep your eyes on the ball.

- Close down the attacker quickly, slowing down as you approach him/her.

- Get low down when jockeying keeping the knees bent and remaining on toes.

- Wait for a poor touch before lunging in for a tackle.

Coaching interventions:

- Fly-by: give players tips and pointers on how to jockey an attacker. Give feedback to establish understanding of how to defend effectively.

- Drive-by: pull pairs out to work with them individually. Can show them demonstrations step by step on how to defend effectively when jockeying. Can allow them to rehearse slowly to further establish understanding of how to defend.

SSG (20 mins)

Organisation: - 20 minute practice- 12 players (5-11 years old) - 40 x 30 yard area - Two teams of six, no goalkeepers

Equipment:- Cones/markers- 1 ball in play - Other balls scattered around the outside- 12 bibs (6 blues, 6 reds)- 2 goals or poles to set up the goals

Description:- A small-sided game with normal football rules, however, both teams start without a goalkeeper. This emphasises to the players the importance to defend well. - Players should choose a partner from the opposite team before the game starts. This is the player they have been allocated to man-mark throughout the game for a certain period. - If a player scores a goal, that player's partner must touch at least two corner flags before returning to the game. This then gives the team who just scored a numerical advantage for a short period of time, emphasising the importance of defending well as a team and as individuals.  

Progressions: - Can progress to where players are now only allowed to score inside the penalty area. - Can progress to where players are only allowed to tackle their partners. - Can put the players in the Barcelona vs PSG scenario where the team who are PSG must discuss defensive tactics in order to see out a 3 goal advantage with 5 minutes to go. Barcelona must discuss their tactics to decide how they are going to break PSG down.

Conditions:- Players are only allowed to score inside the penalty area. - Players can only tackle their partners. - Can players think of their own conditions to put on the game?

Challenges:- How many 1 vs 1 battles can you win against your partner?

Targets:- Team target: after conceding a goal, can you prevent the other team from scoring again before your teammate returns back to the field of play.

Coaching interventions:- Fly-by: give players tips and pointers on how to jockey an attacker. Give feedback to establish understanding of how to defend effectively.- Drive-by: pull individual players out who are in pairs and may be struggling. Can demonstrate to them step by step the defending technique going through each coaching point thoroughly. Allow them to rehearse back to you to make sure they have taken everything in and understood it before allowing them to join back in with the practice. This will also give the other team a numerical advantage for a short period of time so it will be interesting to see how the team short in numbers responds tactically. - Coaching process: can step in and use this process when a team or an individual makes a wrong decision.