Practice 1: Delay for support

WHY USE IT

Puts players in situations where they will initially be outnumbered. They must delay opponents until a team-mate can provide support.

SET UP

Set up an area relevant for your players. Mark two gates on halfway and put a small goal at one end. Split players into two groups, with goalkeepers acting as servers. Both attackers and defenders work in pairs. The attackers start at the opposite end to the goal; one defender starts between the two gates. The other defender waits just off the pitch by the halfway line.

HOW TO PLAY

A server passes to an attacker. Both attackers try to get into the other half by dribbling through one of the gates. The defender tries to stop them by tackling the ball carrier or tagging them. After a set period (say, five seconds) the other defender enters to help out. Both may now only tackle, not tag. If the attackers get through a gate, they try to score. If an attacker is tagged or tackled, the defenders win a point, the practice ends and new players enter.

COACHING POINTS

• Decision making: when to engage the player on the ball and when to delay; body shape and position to dictate attackers’ movements; when the second defender enters; distance and angles between defenders.