Soccer coaching session focusing on compact defending
Use this small-sided game and warm-up drill to coach compact defending with your young soccer players. The aim is to get your players moving to cover each other when they haven't got the ball.
Call me strange but I like watching my team when we haven't got the ball. In one of the matches we played, my U10 team was attacking – all the players were in advanced positions. The opposition defence won the ball and were moving quickly to counter attack.
What was great to see was my players moving to cover the space they had left. The nearest player went to the ball and the others moved to cover. It was a great example of getting into a good defensive position and it stopped the counter attack immediately.
By moving into this defensive block, they were playing a compact game making the pitch smaller for the opposition by covering the space behind them.
This is a great tactic for young soccer teams, they can work hard and win the ball back when they have lost it – but remember it is hard work and needs committed players!
To practise the skills necessary for this, I use a soccer warm-up drill and a small-sided game with my players:
Soccer warm up drill
- Lay out several rows of two cones, about six yards apart.
- Split your squad into pairs.
- Players pass to their partner, then follow behind the pass and try to slow the advancing player using a jockeying technique – blocking the player's movement without contact.
Small-sided game
- Play a small-sided game on a pitch 30 yards long by 20 yards wide. I've shown a 4v4 in the picture but depending on the size of your squad you can use 3v3 or 5v5.
- The player with the ball takes three touches on the move before they can pass. Players cannot kick the ball three times quickly when they are stationary.
- No tackling at first, only jockeying. Allow tackling once the game has been played a few times. Opponents must close down quickly before the three touches are taken.
- Play first to five goals or time it for 10 to 15 minutes.
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Click the link for some competitive team games to make defending fun.
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