Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Session Example (Improve Defending

Redbird Warm up -  (15 mins)

Redbird Warm up - 

Phase 1 (Dynamic Warm up No Ball) All of these activities involve the players going from their outside cone to inside circle of cones.  

Scoops, Newspaper readers, lunges, Straight leg kicks-forward/backwards, Hop on one foot 3 times forward then sprint in and jog out (2 times each foot) 

Phase 2 (Game like Movements) 

Skips, jogs, side shuffles, skip swings, sprint, headers and pumps. 

Phase 3 (get the ball involved) 

Dribble in and out, 

Touches, 

Passing 

Volleys 

Headers  

Phase 4 (Rondo) 

3 defenders 1 touch passing

6v5 Pressing the opposition goal-kick (30 mins)

Objective: Trap and overload opponent when they are attempting to build out from goal keeper.

Instructions: 6 players building out form Goal-kick (#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,) 5 players defending/pressing (#11,#9,#7,#10,). Allow the opponent to play to one side and progress up the field until around the top of the 18yd box. Our Striker will begin to cut the field and half and start taking away the opponents ability to switch the field. Our wingers will stay compact and entice the opposition to play to their fullbacks. As soon as the opposition plays to their fullbacks we will press and attempt to trap them in that wide channel. If we win possession of the ball we will try and create a goalscoring opportunity as quickly as possible.

Progression: 1) Add more players (#10,11,#9 and/or, #7 for buildout team) and (#6,#3 and/or #2) 

Coaching Points: Angle of pressing run, vision/scanning/awareness, making play predictable, communication, baiting opposition, overload and trapping.

Positional Play Introduction - Defending Ex2 (20 mins)

Positional Play Introduction - Defending

Objective - Improve Defending (As a group)

In this activity, it is a 6v7 - Blue (1-4-2) Red (4-2) The red is the attacking team and the blue is the defending team(focus team) Each team is locked in their channels. forcing players to play 1v1 battles that are connected to the full game function. The defending team scores by passing into the target goals and the attacking team scores by scoring on the goal. 

Key Terms - Pressure, Cover & Balance / Positional Play( Understanding your roles) / Get compact & Stay Compact / Team Defending / Expected Tasks   

Position movement restrictions -

 Blue 8 & 6 Can not go in the wide channels but can move into any of the central channels 

Blue 4&5 Can not go into the middle-upper channel. But can go assist in the wide lower channel 

Blue 2&3 - Can go up and down the wide areas but can not come into the central channels 

Blue All but the 8 can go into the bock when a ball is played into their wide bottom channel. 

Red - 9&10 can do anywhere in the final 2 channels central and wide. but can not go into any of their lower channels

Red 8&6 Can go any were in the lower channels wide and central, in the upper channels they can only go into the central channels. 

Red 11 & 7 can go up and down the wide channel and wide channel only. 

Red 9,10,7,11,8 can all go into the box when ball is played into a wide bottom channel.