Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): General Practice - OP - Defend the Overload

Warm-Up (5 mins)

Warm-Up Activity

Set-Up

Players put into 20x20 box. The 6 blues each have a ball, the reds have two small gates to defend (1 yard apart), on the edge of the area.

How

The blues try to dribble their ball through the gates to gain a point (emphasis on the dribble, not kick through). The reds must stop the blues from getting through the gate.

Focus

Coaches will focus on the players defending, looking at overall position and also body position. 

When to engage and when to wait. 

Key Points

Rotate blue & red players every 2 minutes, to ensure all get to try the defending element.

Ensure blues are getting success with their dribbling through the gate, encourage the blues to work together to outnumber the reds.

The area size is adjustable.

Player numbers are adjustable.

Interventions

concurrent

terminal

walkthrough

2v1 Mini-Game (10 mins)

2v1 Mini-Game

Players placed into groups of three in areas of 10x8.

2 players attempt to get past the third player and stop the ball on the line. Each time it resets the defender changes with one of the attackers (Cycles round after every third go).

If the ball leaves the playing area (sides) then reset (defender has won).

Coaching Points

Defender body position - Block pass and prevent the dribble around, not flat-footed but on the half turn.

Press straight away.

Delay the play as long as possible.

Show them out wide. 

Coaching Interventions

Terminal 

Concurrent

SSG (25 mins)

SSG

Organisation

Pitch 90x50 divided into three thirds. Two full-sized goals, with Keepers. Each third has two reds and two blues. The blue team has one extra player, inducing the reds to be defending the overload continuously.

Explanation

The blue team (uncoached) try to utilise the additional player (who can move into each third) in each third to create and exploit the overload. Initially, not a set player, so any blue player can move from box to box, however, there must always be a minimum of two in each box.

Reds (coached) are to prevent the blues from having success, by hard pressing and blocking off their route to goal. When they win the ball back, try to get the ball up the pitch through the thirds to get themselves a goal as soon as possible, before the blues get their spare man back.

Conditions, Challenges & Targets

Initially, blues have an implicit overload. Potential to change a blue into a neutral player, allowing both teams, when in possession, to have the overload and hence both teams to have the potential to defend against the overload.

As the session progresses, reduce the rigidity of the boxes, allowing players to transfer into other areas with conditions (one in one out, only when the team in possession or when the coach has stated so.)

Considerations

Pitch size can be adjusted.

Player numbers can be adjusted.

Potential for players to be given numbers, on coaches command, players run around the edge of the playing area, leaving their team down one man for a period of time.

Interventions

concurrent

terminal

coaching process