Counterattack Vs Dropping Back
There are defensive and offensive concepts which will be easy to practice in whole. A simple provoking rule will help your team practice these two concepts.
Defensive positioning
To defend in a coordinate way is key for the defensive success. With only a few simple references you will achieve right habits in your players such as defensive balance, a right distance between lines or the coordination to move forward or backwards.
Play pressed and switch zone
To include the goalkeepers in the building drills is key for them to then do it comfortably during the games. In the drill, we will start building the game to then advance in the game overcoming the opposition high press. The defenders practice the high press and to close passing lines.
Hexagonal rondo to work the switch of play, the players profiles and deciding before receiving the ball.
One of the constant aspects of the game is to play easy (the coach asks so many times for this) and be able to differentiate when to play with the farthest or with the intermediate players in order to overcome rivals (both attacking and defending).
Different heights on the field in order to break lines
When winning the ball back, we take it out of a pressing zone, we reorganize and we try to break a defensive line. All of this with the need for a a good body shape to advance on the field.
Extreme Transitions 2v2
To attack bearing in mind that we have to be ready to defend is one of the most difficult things to put in your players’ mind. If we do not practice it, they will not internalize it.
Support on the corners
A partial structure in which the player faces the ball when receiving is one of the best options to advance safely in the game representing a danger to the rivals.
Rondo Third Man
A rondo with a small numerical superiority which will make our players play with the third man. Every time this third man situation is done, it will generate an advantage in the drill which will reinforce the learning of this concept.
Possession + Finishing
For the team that has won the ball back, is key to give support, to make runs to lose the marker and to look for the free men. For the defenders, the key is to press the player on the ball, to defend the passing lines and to identify the free men.
Direct Attack: Final Minutes
Maybe your team just uses the direct style of play occasionally (e.g when losing in the last minutes of a game), but it is more than likely that your team will face teams that use it during most of the minutes. To practice it in the same proportion as it is played in your competition is both correct and necessary.