Create and Defend Passing Lanes
To defend in a staggered way, is going to make your players not only practice coverages and defensive support but also, offensively, you are going to make your players go through passing lines. This is a big formative challenge that you will be able to achieve.
Defensive support and Shifting
To attack a team that has already came back in shape and uses the counterattack as their way of attacking. High level of learning in vigilances and in offensive and defensive transitions.
Double Rondo
In this drill you will work on the change of pace, on passing the ball to attract de rivals and switching the play to the deliberated side and on choosing which the best moment for intercepting the ball is. All of these in a rondo that you can implement in U10 groups and older.
Double Box: Fast Transitions
To be fast but not rushing! This is a provocation rule which will improve the decision making in order to adapt the pace and the game speed.
Conditioned Game: Defending in middle block
For a slow defender, the body orientation when facing a through ball is key in order to beat a faster forward. Your player’s mental quickness when making the right decision about the body shape will them improve against the through balls.
Conditioned Game: High or Mid Pressure
To get in the right shape to defend a through ball it is what is going to make our defenders to reach the ball before the forwards do. In this tactical defensive drill, we will face real game situations so the defenders learn how to get in the right shape. All of this in a press drill.
Transitions: Narrow down the spaces
The following situations are basic tactical and repeated situations in the game: The team that loses the ball has to close spaces, the team winning the ball back has to start winning width, opening up the field. You can practice this drill continuously.
Switching the play and changing the pace
The inside-outside alternation in the game is key. With this tactical drill we will first play the ball inside by passing the ball into the middle to then pass the ball outside, attracting the defenders and switch the play finding the free space in the other side.
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.
Conditioned Game: Gives and Goes and changing pace
To play at a different pace depending on the zone of the field where we are at that moment, is a good way for making right decisions and read the game in a right way.