Soccer coaching session to brush up defending skills
Every season there are matches where your team is under constant pressure, due to your players not being on top of their game or the opposition being stronger. The ideal way to practise for this is to run sessions that can recreate the situation.
In this soccer coaching session, players are defending as a team against a number of attacking situations, such as:
- Defending when outnumbered.
As the session develops from one attack into three attacks in a short period of time, the pressure on the defenders increases. This is replicating situations in a game when your team is under pressure from constant attacks.
The players must be able to work together, concentrate and communicate to be successful.
Soccer drill set up
Use a 30 yards by 50 yards area (only the width of the 18-yard box is used for opposed play).
How to play it
The goalkeeper throws the ball out to the two attackers, immediately a 2v2 game commences. Progress the soccer coaching drill so that after the first ball leaves play, there is a cross from the right and a cross from the left to deal with.
Finally, create a situation so that after the initial attack there is one cross and an additional player joins the pitch to make a 3v2.
Advance the drill
Allow the attacking players to decide in which order the different attacks take place. This gives the defenders a chance to adjust to different scenarios.
Play a small-sided game
Encourage players to take pride in their defending skills and enjoy stopping the attackers.
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Click the link for another 2v2 defending drill.
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