Defending

1

• Defending
• Defending can sometimes be overlooked by coaches
  or when braved it can appear sterile,
  over-organised and/or where the defenders are
  perfectly positioned and favoured numerically
  (which may not be reflective of the game.)
• The sessions here seek to build the foundations
  of a syllabus as a development document, provide
  a 4 session programme (or longer dependent upon
  duration of sessions and progress made with your
  players) offering practices that create a variety
  of situations that defenders may face and
  encourage repetition of these scenarios that
  support players, of a variety of ages and
  abilities to equip themselves, with the coachs
  help, for defending and to look at situations
  where players can practice defending as an
  individual, as part of a unit and finally as part
  of a team the following situations are covered
• Defending against an opponent who is receiving
  the ball
• Defending an opponent who is running at you
• Defending when in balance including sliding
  screening
• Defending when out of balance/disorganised
• Defenders making recovery runs
• The transition from defending to attacking
• Goalkeepers role in defending the goal
• Whilst the document follows a progressive four
  session plan as previously suggested, identify
  where your players focus of work should be and
  then consider which challenges from the challenge
  list you want to focus your players play towards
  (remembering that not everyone has to be working
  on defending e.g. Session 2 pitch 1 try to
  support in an on-side position pitch 2 try to
  get a shot off early).
• In all of your work you may wish to consider
• Do the players Like the Games? Practices that
  are enjoyable and motivating often lead to a more
  sustained, focused practice ethic.
• Are the practices Like the Game? Do the
  sessions encourage the players to practise in a
  way that looks like it does in The Game of
  football.

2
Defending When Organised
Technique Practice 1.2 teams of 4 2 GKs 2. 3
balls placed at various places on each pitch.
Each ball designated a number 1, 2 and 3. GK
calls a number and two defenders on pitch react
to defend that ball. As they position
themselves GK calls next ball. 3. Three calls
per pair swap.
Pitch 1
Pitch 2

• Skill Practice
• Two blues play across and play into attackers who
  seek to attack and score in the goal.
• At conclusion attackers become servers and vice
  versa.
• If defender / goalkeeper re-gain play into red
  target player they give ball to blues and
  repeat. Swap target defenders for defenders.

• Game Related Practice
• 2 teams of 4 2 GKs
• GK starts practice

• Coaching Elements
• Deny space (starting position, line of approach,
• press? Not press?)
• 2. Decision (Steal, spoil, prevent turning)
• 3. Support/Cover (angles, distances)
• 4. Mark players/Cover space

3
Defending Variety of Situations

• Individual Defending Repetition Circuit
• Pitch 1 - Server plays into attacker who attempts
  to beat red and score in goal server becomes
  attacker and attacker retrieves their ball and
  joins end of other pitch.
• Pitch 2 Blue attacker runs ball onto pitch
  defender deals with attacker running at them
  attacker retrieves ball and joins end of other
  pitch
• On pitch 1 - If attacker scores without using
  support players (yellows), 3 goals. If attacker
  uses support to score, 1 goal is scored.

Pitch 1
Pitch 2

• Defending in Twos
• Pitch 1 Blue server plays in to blues who
  attack to score past GK
• If Reds regain, score by playing into the blue
  server who then dribbles onto pitch to make a 3
  vs. 2
• Pitch 2 Blue dribbles ball onto pitch to make 2
  vs. 2. As blue enters the pitch, red at back of
  servers box recovers onto pitch. Reds score by
  regaining and dribbling into servers box.

Pitch 1
Pitch 2

• Back Four
• Four vs. three GK in defensive third of the
  pitch 3 vs. 2 in midfield
• Reds trying to defend goal . If they regain,
  break into middle area and score into goal
• Try to keep at least one of your team in midfield
  area
• Encourage general flow of game to allow realistic
  situations to occur

4
Defending Outnumbered Skills Practice into 8
vs. 8

• Coaching Elements
• Deny regain from
• poor touch/pass dont
• track poor runs (offside)
• 2. Delay drop
• Narrow
• 3. Deflect prioritise risk
• allow play into less
• dangerous areas (wide)
• 4. Defend area of
• zero tolerance commit
• to prevent shots/block
• shots

• 1st Illustration
• Two practices running concurrently. GK 3
  defenders vs. 4 attackers on each pitch. Teams
  defending the goal start with the ball and work
  ball out to target player in central zone.
• Target player can either pass onto pitch and join
  in or run onto pitch. Attacking team seek to
  score within 4 passes (realism)

2nd Illustration 3. Game 8 vs. 8 encourage
free flow to allow realism in outnumbered
situations 4. Work ball into central channel.
Central channel player runs or passes ball into
opposition half and joins in opposing central
channel player makes recovery run. Upon regain of
possession one player from each team recovers
into middle area
5
Sliding Screening Defending as a Team
Pitch 1

• Two pitches playing Skill practice concurrently.
  3 vs. 3 with GK starting practice. Defending team
  on each pitch seek to prevent attacking team
  working ball to target player in central channel
• If defenders win ball try to score in goal

Pitch 2

• 8 vs. 8 defending team playing 3-3-1 (GK).
  Attacking team playing 3-2-2
• 1st line of pressure at halfway line

• Coaching Elements
• Line of pressure
• If we cant pressure?
• Directing play
• Marking positions distances
• 5. Movement in relation to ball
• 6. Preventing penetrative
• passes
• 7. Securing space ahead of behind back line

6
Challenges Coaching Points to help your Players

• Notes for Coaches
• Try to use the challenges to help the players to
  decide the best thing to do for the situation
• Try to select challenges that fit the area of
  work
• Try to recognise which player(s) needs a
  new/different challenge (recognise when to stop
  the whole group and when you can speak to an
  individual
• Allow players to choose their own challenges
  (even if it doesnt link directly to the theme
  (so its their own syllabus)