There's nothing worse than a defender who dives in willy nilly, without thinking about whether it's the right thing to do or not. To help prevent this sort of reckless defending in this session we look at ways you can get your players to hold up their man, forcing them wide, away from the danger area, and holding up the attacker until the cavalry arrives!
Of course, speaking as a defender myself, I know from experience that facing down an oncoming attacker is no easy feat. However, if you know how it needn't be quite so intimidating.
To deal with these tricky situations we go mano-a-mano, starting with a drill which sees your defenders shadowing their man as they run laterally, standing with bent knees so that they're ready to change direction at any given moment! After this your players will progress through a number of increasingly difficult one vs one drills which will test their ability to defend against an oncoming player when it matters the most - just like in a real match your players will be penalised if they dive in and don't get the ball too - so the stakes are raised!
in more ways than one
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in more ways than one
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The FA's FutureFit framework lands this season, bringing a 3v3 entry format at Under-7s. Here is what actually changes on a Saturday morning, and how to coach it well.
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Pre-season is your one window to build a real engine. This July, ditch the endless laps and learn how to condition your players with a ball at their feet.
