Use this practice to encourage your wide defenders to make supporting runs up field and get attempts on goal
Full-backs these days don’t just defend – they can also be used as extra attackers, either to pull a defence wide open with quick passing play or to run at the opposition and shoot at goal. Often this will be supporting play in a counter-attack or playing off a central attacker.
Set up an area of a size appropriate to the age, ability and number of your players, with a goal and goalkeeper at one end. At the other end you need pairs of players ready to be attacking defenders, shown here in white. In front of the goal, put one defender and one attacker, and at the other end, six defenders stand at the sides numbered one to six. You need bibs, cones, balls and a goal.
The pairs of players in white must attack with the ball, working out the best way to combine with the lone attacker to create a goal. On your call of a number, a red defender must join in to pressure them.
This activity encourages runs from defenders who have broken into the space behind the opposition and helps them take advantage of it. Attacking defenders can go wide to open up the opposition defence or go straight for the penalty area.
1. The waiting attacker should move the defender around as they would in a match – don’t allow them to just stand there
2. On the coach’s call, one or more defenders must try and recover and get goalside of the ball
3. Attacking defender has options when approaching the goal. You should encourage running and shooting, but here they set up a support player
4. Supporting players can go wide to offer options for the player with the ball
5. If the coach calls the numbers of two or more recovering defenders, the attacking side must play quickly or be outnumbered
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