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Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Session: 1v1 and Group Defending Basics

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Trevor Woodward

Profile Summary

Trevor Woodward
Name: Trevor Woodward
City: Baltimore
Country: United States of America
Membership: Adult Member
Sport: Football/Soccer
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Description

Purpose:

  • Session for covering the basics of 1v1 defending and pressure cover tactics for group defending

Competition:

  • Split into teams and keep score for each activity.
Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 1v1 Defending

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 1v1 Defending
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1v1 Defending

Setup:

  • 3 even lanes, with goals at each end of each lane.
  • Suggest 15-20 yards long and 5-7 wide each, but adjust for your players needs
  • Soccer balls on the sides

Activity:

  • Constant 1v1s to goal in the outside lanes (or run all 3 lanes if you can to limit waiting)
  • Ball is played in by coach, and the 1v1 is played until someone scores or ball goes out. 
  • Same two players stay in and another ball is played in by coach. Several balls can be played in on each round, so there is a high density of reps back to back, with chance to frequently work on the defensive principles, and from several different angles.
    • This is just an alternative way to run a 1v1, as opposed to just having one chance to defend then getting back in line and waiting for next turn.
  • Keep track of scores

Coaching Points:

  • Not focused on attacking principles here, but the same activity can be used for that if you wanted
  • 1v1 Defending Principles
    • Get out and down: Close down quickly, then slow down and get low and shuffle
      • If dribbler turns toward their goal, get low and touch tight, don't let her turn.
    • Keep feet moving/shuffle (don't dive): "Keep her in front"
    • Drive: dictate which direction you're going to push the dribbler
    • Tackle on their touch: Wait for the moment to dispossess by stepping body between dribbler and ball when they take a big touch.
Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 3 Man See Saw (animated)

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 3 Man See Saw (animated)
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3 Man See Saw (animated)

Setup:

  • 3 lanes with dots or markers and goals set up as shown
  • Suggest about 15-20 yards long and about 5-7 wide each. Adjust size as needed.
  • The key to the size is ensuring that it's not too long or wide to make it too difficult to defend the angles to the goal

Activity:

  • 3v3 
  • Players must stay in their lanes initially
  • All 3 goals can be scored on
  • Initially, just have one team circulating the ball across the lanes back and forth, without trying to advance the ball, and instruct defenders not to steal but just work on applying the pressure/cover/balance concepts.
  • After giving all players a chance to work on the pressure/cover/balance principles without real attacking or tackling, move to full attacking/defending progression as described below.

Progressions:

  • Move to real attacking and defending. Players must still stay in their own lanes.
  • After doing that for a while, then add in freedom of movement (for mobility in attack like overlaps and for cover/balance in defense)
  • Eventually if you want you can remove the dots/cones and play free 3v3

Coaching Points:

  • Pressure / Cover
    • Pressure: 
      • 1st defender (in the lane of the ball): get out and down, drive them outside
      •  Keep feet moving/shuffle (don't dive)
    • Cover & Balance:
      • 2nd and 3rd defenders: drop back and in and centrally quickly, getting compact to deny the pass/shot to the other goals and deny the through ball to your man. Be close enough to be able to quickly pressure if ball is played to your lane

      • Slide toward the ballside if ball goes wide, for proper balance
      • Cover into the lane of the ball if 1st defender is beaten on the dribble.
Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Progression

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Progression
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Progression

Same activity as above, just showing the progression to playing the 3v3 game with full attacking and defending.

 

 

Keep the coaching points / feedback focused on the defensive basics covered above in 1v1 and pressure-cover.

 

 

Play several rounds of this game for plenty of repetition and ensure you check for understanding and success, then can move onto a larger scrimmage to finish the session.

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per year
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