Pressed into action – practice
in Defending
Apply pressure, regain possession and then use the ball in this three-part session. By MICHAEL PHILP MORE
Lost the ball? Win it back!
Anyone who watched the World Cup saw teams pressing opponents intensely to try and win back possession as quickly as possible. This session teaches your players this effective method of defending.
What this session is about
- Reacting to losing possession.
- Working together to win the ball.
What to think about
- Apply immediate pressure to the ball if they are the nearest defender to slow down the opponent, force an error, or win possession.
- Provide cover to the first defender, being close enough to pressure the ball if the first defender is beaten.
- Be aggressive.
Set-up
| Warm up | Session | Developments | Game Situation | Warm Down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | 10-15 minutes | 15 minutes | 10-15 minutes | 10 minutes |
What you get your players to do
Set up a 10-yard circle. Place eight players around the circle and two defenders inside it. Playing two-touch keepaway, the attackers look to pass the ball into the circle to a team mate while the defenders aim to win possession.
Any defender who gets a touch on the ball or wins it switches places with the player who passed it in. The first pass is always unchallenged.
- To progress, repeat the drill but split players into four teams of two plus two defenders. When the defender touches the ball, he and his team mate switch places with the attacking team that lost the ball.
The eight attackers play the ball through the circle where the two defenders try and get the ball back.
Development
Have three teams of two in a 10-yard square. Play 4v2 playing two touch with two defending. The attackers look to keep possession while defenders dribble the ball out of the square if they win it then switch places with the team of two who gave the ball away. However, if those attackers get the ball back before it leaves the square, play carries on. If an attacking team kicks the ball out of play, they switch roles with the defenders.
Three teams of two. One team defends and looks to dribble the ball out of the square then switch roles with the pair who gave it away.
Game situation
Play 5v5 on a 30-yard square with two manned goals. The player receiving the ball must take three touches before passing to allow defenders the chance to press and regain possession.
To progress, remove the three-touch rule but if a team is able to win the ball back (that includes, for example, forcing a throw-in) within a time limit, say six seconds, they win a bonus point.
Play 5v5: Players must take three touches before passing to a team mate.
