Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defending Principles

1v1 semi opposed (delay, deny, deflect) (15 mins)

Organization:

Same grids as fencing warm up.

4 group of 3 players.

Instructions:

Defender passes the ball to the attacker. Attacker receives and then must look to cross the central coned line within 15 seconds(1pt) (end defending players can count aloud), defensive aim is to stop the attacker crossing the line(1pt). Once both defenders have been a certain number of times swap roles, either end game one team wins and start again with new roles or scores carry over.

Coaching Points:

Speed of approach, if the goal is to stop the player crossing the line then the defender must get beyond that line and close the attackers space down as quickly as possible.

Angle of approach, can you with your body shape and angle of run, force attacking player wide to cut off their options and make play predictable(force them one way, weaker foot?)

Big strides to get to the ball as quickly as possible then slow down (smaller steps to a jockey position) low down (as with fencing, lower centre of gravity, balls of feet/toes ready to react /change direction).

Stay on your feet and force the attacker where you want them, move your feet quickly with smaller steps to readjust, dont dive in/sell yourself remain calm and wait/force the attacker to make a mistake or time runs out. Watch the ball not the attackers feet, can we aim our initial closing down run directly at the ball.

conditioned game (cover/balance) (20 mins)

Organization:

Same set up as fully opposed only 1 ball per 6

Instructions:

Defender starts as per previous games by passing to attacker. This time its a 3v3 however only 1 attacker and defender per channel. Only the defender who has the ball in his channel may cross the halfway line (A) (marked by cones).Attackers may pass the ball from one channel to the other however they must not cross channels. Once the ball travels into the next channel, th previous live defender now must retreat into his half and the defender in that channel now comes alive.

Defenders that are not live must be in a ready position ready to win the ball should it come into their channel, this would be as near to the earliest entry point into their channel if play is furthest away from them (X)(balance/cover/slide),then as the ball gets nearer to their channel they must then be in position to see both ball and attacker in their area (Y)(balance/cover/slide). Although at this point the defenders cannot change boxes if their team mate is beaten 1v1 it gets them into the habit of the correct position to cover and balance.

Scrimmage (15 mins)

Free play 3v3 tournement ,hopefully will see some of the defensive principles practiced during the session, can reinforce some of the actions (cover/balance/slide/delay/deny/deflect/low down slow down).