Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Zonal Defending (Diamond)

Warm up - Travelling with the ball (10 mins)

Organisation

Split players into pairs.

Create an area 15m x 15m.

Instructions

Players play 1v1. To score a goal, a player must dribble past his opponent - avoiding players from the other games going on at the same time - and cross the half way line. Once he has done this, he attempts to come back over the half way line to score again.

Coaching Factors

Can players use the sole of their foot to evade their opponent whilst travelling over the line?

When travelling, players should keep the ball as close to their body as possible.

Work on when to run with the ball and when to dribble.

Progressions

Adapt the size of the area to increase or decrease the challenge accordingly.

Links to Football

This game works on ball mastery with contextual interference

Players must be comfortable when isolated in possession in tight areas.

Wingers must beat opponents in tight areas to gain territory,

Defending as a Zonal Diamond (1) (15 mins)

Organisation

Play in a square of 20m x 20m - or across half a court.

Split players into 4 red defenders and 5 yellow players.

The 4 defenders work together to attempt to win the ball back from an overload of attackers (5+).

The attackers score goals by playing passes in between, or through, the defensive players. To prevent this from happening, the 4 defenders must defend in a tight diamond shape.

Coaching Factors

Defenders must uncerstand that wherever the ball is, the first defender is the top of the diamond.

The next two defenders are the wingers. They protect the middle of the diamond and stop passes coming through.

The player furthest away from the ball is the back man. He screens the ball through the diamond and communicates to the three other players.

The defending team should always be in a diamond shape in relation to the ball. The distances between players will depend on the defensive pressure on the ball.

When defending, the role of the top man is to force the ball down one side to half the court. This makes the attacker's area smaller to play in.

Winger's must press the ball in wide areas and cover when the ball is on the other side.

The role of the back man is to screen the play and be the last line of defence.

Progressions

1. Defender's score points by regaining possession within a certain number of passes by the attacking team i.e within 10 passes.

2. If the defender's get played through, they lose a goal.

Links to Football

The game of football is played in diamond's. This can be used as a defensive exercise or a midfield 4 or a midfield playing with a love striker.

Preventing passes being made through a defensive unit forces opponents to play in wider, more isolated areas of play for longer, incerasing the chances of regaining possession.

This exercise encourages defenders to shut off passing lines and can be adapted to work on a pressing as a unit. Both are key factors in football.

Alternatively, teh attackers, who are playing with an overload, need to have patience during possession. This mirrors a team playing against an opponent who has had a player sent off.

Defending as a Zonal Diamond (3) - Advancing to Press (15 mins)

Organisation

Split players into two teams - 5 players in each team to include GK.

Objective is to transition from a defensive diamond shape to a more pressured form of defence, such as a 1-1-3 (kite) formation.

Both teams must drop off into a defensive diamond if they lose possession. Once stable in their diamond, a team may advance and begin to press their opponents.

Coaching Points

Recover quickly into diamond shape upon losing possession.

Players should press and try to win the ball back on triggers. Triggers indicate that a team is uncomfortable in possession and that the ball can be regained. They include the following: slow play, a negative pass, a bad first touch, and when the opposition is disorganised. At first, a coach may verbally aid the defenders so that they can recognise triggers.

Defenders should be encouraged to win the ball in wide areas whenever possible.

Defenders should cut off passing options.

The defensive diamond should never be played through.

The player closest to the ball decides when to press.

Once this player decides to press, the rest of the team msut act accordingly. Usually, they will also have to press.

Progressions

Play with three teams. If you concede, you must leave the pitch.

Limit attackers to two touches. This should encourage them to move the ball quicker, testing the defence more thoroughly.

Links to Football

This is a great way to work on elite and developing footballers' recognition of triggers.

As a futsal travels up to seven times quicker it is harder to spot and execute an action depending on those triggers.

When pressing, it is imperative that defenders recognise triggers so taht they can pressure their opponents accordingly.

This exercise also works on pressing as a unit. Once one player presses, the rest must also press. This makes it harder for an opponent to retain possession.

When a player goes back to playing football, the ball travels slower, therefore making it easier to read triggers.

Recognising and acting upon triggers is vital when counter pressing. This is a system which relies on swift counter-attacks upon regaining the ball. To regain the ball the whole team presses collectively, pressing aggressively on triggers.

Often in football, the striker presses the goalkeeper. If his teammates do not press with him, the opponents are able to pass their way out of the pressure and attack with a one man advantage. If players understand the importance of pressing as a unit, it makes it harder for the opponents to retain possession.