Use this plan to teach your young team the basics of defending, including how to adopt a strong defensive position, pressing the ball and being patient - resisting the temptation to dive in.
What's in the session?
With games including Fish Tank and Bib Tag you can tell this isn't your standard defending session. That's because it's been specifically designed for younger players, teaching them the basics of defending through fun games and practice.
Five drills in this session is all it will take to help improve your team's ability to defend with structure, while teaching them basics such as body position, timing tackles and being aware of attackers' movement.
This session has been built to get players competent at defending and while enjoying the activities at hand, so they will leave training with a smile!
in more ways than one
in more ways than one
Deliberate heading is now out of U11 grassroots matches. Here is how to coach chest, thigh and foot control so your players still win the ball in the air.
Long-range goals doubled at the 2026 World Cup as teams sat deep. Here is how to coach when to shoot from distance, the technique, and the follow-up.
Under FutureFit, your Under-9s stay at 5v5, your Under-11s stay at 7v7 and your Under-13s stay at 9v9. Same pitch, same numbers, one more year. Here is how to make sure that year feels like a step forward rather than a repeat.