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10 Defending Soccer Drills

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1. DefendervsAttacker1v1defendingdrillSetup:

• 10yardsby15yardsarea• 3goals

Instructions:Thisisgoingtobe1v1phaseofplaywiththefocusondefending.TheDefenderwillstartinonecornerandtheattackerwillstartintheoppositecornerdiagonallyacrossfromtheattacker.Theobjectiveforthedefenderistodefendthegoalplaceinthecentreandiftheballiswontheymustscoreinthe2goalsplaceinthecornersoftheoppositeside.Thedefendingdrillstartsbythedefenderpassingtheballtotheattacker.Ifthedefenderwinstheballtheyget1point,iftheymanagetowintheballbackandscoretheyget3,Iftheattackerscoresthey2points.Coachingpoints:

• Pressuretheattackerquicklybutslowdownandstandthem,giveyourself2yardsofspace

• Sideonbodyposition• Showthemawayfromgoal,Don’tgivethemachancetocut

insideQuestionstoaskthatcanleadtocoachingpoints:

• Howquickshouldweapplypressure?• Whatshouldwedoasweapproachtheattacker?Howmuch

spaceshouldwegivethem?• Wheredoyouwanttoshowtheattacker?

Clickherethefulldefending1v1sessionplan

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2. Defendthecone1v1defendingsoccerdrillSetup:

• Setupanarea15yardsapart• atonesidecreatea1yardcirclewithaconeinthemiddle• 1ballperpair

Instructions:The2playerswillbesplitintoanattackerandadefender.Theaimforthedefenderistotryandstoptheattackerpassingtheballandknockingtheconeover,ifthedefenderwinstheballbacktheycandribblebacktothelinewheretheattackerstarted.Thedefenderwillstartwiththeballandpassittotheattacker.Assoonasthepassismadethedefendercanbegintopressuretheattacker.Coachingpoints:

• Standsideonwithkneesslightlybent• Bodypositionshouldbeshowingtheattackerawayfromgoal• Pressuretheattackerquickbutslowdown2yardsaway.

Questionstoaskthatcanleadtocoachingpoints:• Howshouldbestandingwhenwearedefending?• Whereshouldwebeshowingthedefendingtogo?• HowshouldIpressurethedefender?

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3. Forcetheattackerback1v1soccerdefendingdrill

Setup:

• Setupa15yardsapart• Putaconedownhalfwaybetweentheareatomarkthemiddle• 1ballperpair

Instructions:Thedefenderandtheattackerwillstartonthemiddleconebothfacingthesamewaywiththedefenderpositioningthemselvesbehindtheattacker.Thedefendermustforcetheattackerbacktothelinetheyarefacingandtheattackermusttryandgettotheoppositelinebehindthedefender.Ifthedefenderforcestheattackerbackbehindthelinetheyarefacingorstealstheballanddribblespastthelinetheywillget3points.Iftheballgoesoutofboundsthedefendergets1point.Alsoiftheattackermanagestodribblepastthelinethedefenderisdefendingthewillget1pointCoachingpoints:

• Sideonbodypositionwithattacker• Alwaysstayarmslengthaway• Maintainpressure

Questionstoaskthatcanleadtocoachingpoints:• Whatshouldourbodypositionbelike?• Howfarawayshouldbefromthedefenderatalltimes?• WhatcouldhappenifIamtoofaraway?

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4. Protectthesoccerball1v1defendingdrillSetup:

• Createacirclewitharadiusof4yards• 1ballperpair.

Therewillbe2playersinthecircle;Player1whowillbeprotectingtheballwillstandinthemiddlewiththesoccerattheirfeet.Player2willpositionthemselvesbehindplayer1.Onceintheirpositionplayer1willsay“Go”.Player2willthenstartcountingfrom1to10,inthattimeperiodplayer2mustknocktheballoutsideoftheareawhileplayer1istryingtoprotectit.Ifplayer1managedtokeepcontroloftheballfor10secondstheywillget3pointshoweverifplayer2managestokicktheballorstealittheyget1point.Playersswapeverytime.CoachingPoints:

• Standsideonwithyourfrontfootcontrollingtheball• Bendyourkneestogetlow,withweightonbackfootandstick

youbuttout• Useyourarmtohelpsensewherethedefenderis

Questionstoaskthatcanleadtocoachingpoints:• Whichfootshouldweuseifwewanttokeeptheballasfaraway

fromthedefenderaspossible?• Howshouldbestandtomakeitashardaspossibletoforthe

defendertowintheball?• Whatelsecanwedotohelpuskeeptheballawayfromthe

defender?

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5. Soccer2v2defendingdrilltoforceattackerswide

Setup:

• Setupa15x20yardarea• Place2cones2.5yardsinfromthe20yardsidelineinwiththe

baselinetocreate3gates• 2smallgoalsplaceinthecorneroftheoppositebaseline• 2defendersand2attackers

Instructions:Thedefenderswillstartattheendwherethegatesareandattackerswillstartattheendwherethegoalsare.Thedefenderswillstartwiththeballandtheypassittotheattackers,theattackersmusttryanddribblethesoccerballthroughthemiddlegateiftheydothistheywillget2pointsandthedefenderwillget0points.Iftheattackerdribblesthroughthesmallergatetheywillget1pointhoweverthedefenderwillget2pointsIfthedefenderisabletogettheballoutofboundstheywillget1pointhoweveriftheystealtheballandscoreagoaltheywillget3points.Coachingpoints:

• Playerclosesttotheattackerwiththeballpressures• Theotherplayerprovidescover• Chestshouldfacingtheareayouwanttoforcetheattacker.

Questionstoaskthatcanleadtocoachingpoints:• Whichplayershouldpressuretheball?• Whatshouldtheotherplayerbeingdoingiftheirteammateis

pressuringtheball.• Howcanyoucontrolwheretheattackergoes?

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6. Defendersvsattackers2v2Setup:

• 10yardsby15yardsarea• 3goals• 1ballper4players

Instructions:Thisisgoingtobea2v2phaseofplaywiththefocusondefending.TheDefenderswillstartinbothcornerscornerandtheattackerwillstartontheoppositecornersdiagonallyTheobjectiveforthedefendersistodefendthegoalplaceinthecentreandiftheballiswontheymustscoreinthe2goalsplaceinthecornersoftheoppositeside.Thedefendingdrillstartsbythedefenderpassingtheballtotheattacker.Ifthedefenderwinstheballtheyget1point,iftheymanagetowintheballbackandscoretheyget3,Iftheattackerscoresthey2points.Coachingpoints:

• Playerclosesttotheballpressurestheattacker• Partnerstandsatdiagonallybehindtheirteammatetocover• Pressuretheattackerquicklybutslowdownandstandthem,give

yourself2yardsofspace• Showthemawayfromgoal,Don’tgivethemachancetocut

insideQuestionstoaskthatcanleadtocoachingpoints:

• Howquickshouldbeapplypressure?(Asquickaswecan)• Whoshouldbeapplyingpressure?(Thepersonclosesttotheball)• WhatshouldtheotherDefenderdothen?(Cover)• Wheredowewanttoshowtheattackers?(Awayfromgoal)

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7. Closethegaprondosoccerdrillwith2defenders

Setup:

• Createa6x6yardboxwith1yardcircleinthemiddle• 1ballper6players

Instructions:Therewillbe4playersaroundtheoutsideofthesquarewitheachplayerhavingtheirownline.Theseplayerscanmovefreelyupanddowntheirlineandmustworktogethertokeepballawayfromthedefenders.Therewillbe2defendersinthemiddle.Whenadefenderwinstheballtheywillswapwiththeattackerwholostit.Howeveriftheattackersareabletomakeacompletepassandtheballtravelsthroughthecirclethatactsasanextralifefortheattackeriftheylosetheball.Foreverypassthatiscompletedthatisalife.Coachingpoints:

• Theplayerclosesttotheballpressurestheattacker• Theotherplayerstandsdiagonallybehindtheirpartnertocover• Communicatewitheachother

Questionstoaskthatcanleadtocoachingpoints:• Dobothplayerswanttopressuretheball?• Ifoneplayerpressurestheballwhereshouldtheotherstand?• Whatcanyoudothatcanmakethiseasierthathasnothingtodo

withyoursoccerplayingability?

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8. Soccerdrillfordefendingagainstacounterattacker

Setup:

• 1biggoal3smallergoals• 4defenders,4attackersand1goalkeeper• 2soccerballs.

Instructions:Thegoalkeeperwillbeinthebiggoaland3thegoalswillbesetuponthehalfwayline,oneinthemiddleand2eithersidewherethesidelinemeetsthehalfwayline.Thiswillbeadefendingdrillthathas2phasesofplay,thefirstphasewillbea2v2.bothattackerswillstartatthehalfwaylineandtheywilltryandscoreagoal,ifthedefenderswintheballbacktheycanscoreineitherofthe3smallergoals.Whenthephaseofplayendseitherthroughagoalbeingscoredortheballgoingoutofplayandanewphaseofplaywillbeginwithanewsoccerballwith2moreattackerscomingintoplay.2defenderswillstart5yardsbackbehindthenewattackersandcanpressureassoonasthefirstphaseofplayends.Thiswillnowcreatea4v4thatrepresentsacounterattackwiththesamegoals.Coachingpoints:

• Slowdowntheattacktoallowplayerstogetbackinposition• Organizeasquickaspossible

Questionstoaskthatcanleadtocoachingpoints:• Howdoyoupreventateamfromcounterattacking?

• Whatcanwedotoslowdowntheattack?

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9. SoccerdrillfordefendersstayingcompactSetup:

• Createa30x20yardarea• Dividetheareainto3verticalsections• Splityourteamin3teamsof5• 1soccerball

Instructions:Therewillbe3teamsof5playersineachsectionwiththeteaminthemiddlesectionbeingthedefenders.Thetwopossessionteamswillbeintheoutsidesectionsandtheyhavetotryandpasstheballtoeachotherthroughthemiddlesectionaftercompleting5passesintheirownsection.Whenapossessionteamistryingtomake5passesintheirsectionthedefendingteamwillsend2playersintotryandwintheballbackwiththeremaining3stayinginthemiddlesection.Ifthedefendingteamwinstheballbacktheywillbecomethepossessionteamandtheteamthatlosttheballwillbecomethedefendingteam.Coachingpoints:

• Staycompactwhendefending• Playerclosesttotheballpressures,otherplayerscutoffpassing

lines• Pressurequickandcontainopposingteamtogether• Controlopposingteamspassingwithdefensivepositioning

Questionstoaskthatcanleadtocoachingpoints:• Whenwearedefendingdowewanttobespreadoutorclose

together?• Whoshouldbepressuretheball?whatshouldtheother

defendersbeingdoing?

• Howcanweforcetheopponentsintoamistake?

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10. Gamerealisticattackersvsdefenderssoccerdrill

Setup:

• 30yardsby20yardsarea• 1ballper11players.

Instructions:Thisisgoingtobesoccergamescenariousingalltheprevioussoccerdefendingdrillscanbeutilizedinthisdrill.Thedrillcanbeadaptedforhowmanyplayersyouplayinyourbacklineandhowmanycentredefensivemidfieldersyouplaywithtoo.ForthisdrillIamgoingtoplayerwith4defendersand1centredefensivemidfielder.Agoalkeepercanbeincludedinthisfordrill,theattackerswillbetryingtoscoreinthegoalthekeeperisin.Thedefendersmustpreventtheattackersfromscoringandmusttryandscorein3goalsplacedontheoppositeside.Normalrulesofsoccerappliesincludingthrowinsandcornerkicks.Iftheballgoesoutforagoalkicktheattackerswillstartwiththeballatthegoalstheyaredefending.Coachingpoints:

• Playerclosesttotheballpressurestheattacker• Iftheleftbackispressuringtheball,therightbackshouldbethe

furthestplayerbackandviceversa• Pressuretheattackerquicklybutslowdownandstandthem,give

yourself2yardsofspace

• Showthemawayfromgoal,Don’tgivethemachancetocutinside

• CommunicationQuestionstoaskthatcanleadtocoachingpoints:

• Whoshouldbepressuringtheball?• Ifmyleftback/rightbackispressuringtheballwhoshouldbemy

lastplayerback?• Howcanbedefendmoreeffectivelyasabackline?• Wheredowewanttoshowtheplayers?

Questionsthatleadtocoachingpoints:

• Whereshouldyoubeshowingtheattackers?• Whopressuretheattackerwiththeball?• Howcanyoueffectivelystayorganized?