Once your players understand the concept of zonal defending, this game allows you to put the system into context playing a game with lots of corners. The defending team is coached how to get into formation in a match when they have lost the ball and how to quickly assemble a zonal defence. After using our first session, run this and allow players to make decisions on where to defend at the corner.

 

 

Set up

Use a playing area of 40x40 yards. You need a coned off area of 20x20 yards in front of one of the goals. We’ve used 14 players. You need bibs, balls, cones and two goals.

 

 

How to play it

Play 7v7 including keepers. Each team takes turns to attack and defend the coned off area. The defending team must be in the box when they haven’t got the ball, and if they put it out of play anywhere it is a corner against them. The attacking team plays normally but can’t score from outside the box. If the attacking team put the ball out it goes dead and restart with their keeper. If the defending team wins the ball, they can break out and counterattack. At corners defenders should set up to zonal mark as shown in the previous session.

 

 

Technique

Players use zonal marking at corners and when defending the box, learning where to support and where to mark.