Avoid in depth passes + Transitions
To press the player on the ball is a key aspect for having defensive success. If, we add the defensive vigilances, this drill will give your players a lot of defensive tactical concepts. A polarized tactical drill with plenty of offensive and defensive transitions.
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.
4 Squares – Positional Game – 4 Goals
A tactical polarized drill based on the rational occupancy of the field. This is a good introduction to the position game for different playing systems.
Penetrate lines, Improve offensive body orientation
Position game in order to advance on the field. You will practice the right movements in order to get the ball and progress on the field. At the same time, we will practice de defensive coordination and to get in shape defensively in the right way.
Double Box: Counterattack and pressure after losing possession
Either to advance in the game after winning the ball back or to avoid it are the objectives of a lot of styles of play. We will practice it in this intense drill in which we will make our players improve the transitions. The dimensions will be the double of the box.
Attract to switch the play
The creation of spaces is key in the offensive tactic. In this case, we will make the team to come and press us doing short passes in order to play to the deliberated side afterwards. This drill will make the players to give close, intermediate and far supports.
4 Squares – Positional Game – Small Sided Game
To practice the ball retention, the switch of the play, the speed of the game and the supports while we introduce different position game concepts will derive in a tactical learning for every player.
4 Goals: Engage rivals + Pressure after losing possession
It is really difficult to achieve an advantage when finishing a play. We will increase a little bit the difficulty in this game so your players, when competing, are able to find the advantage to finish the play easily.
Supports: Superiority/inferiority
Ball retention, body orientation (One of Guardiola’s biggest obsession) to receive the ball from the exterior neutral player who has advantage through the guided discovery learning method. The defensive anticipations will make the attackers be on the right body shape to retain the ball and switch the play.
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.