Defend off the player: Time your run to swipe the ball
In this session we work on defending off the player - this is the art of man-marking and holding the space at the same time (the best of both defending worlds).
To use this system your defenders will need to keep an eye not only on the person they're marking but also where the ball is, constantly moving to ensure they're between the player and the ball. By being on their toes and alert to everything that's happening around them your defenders improve their ability to read the game.
What's in the Session?
To introduce your players to this type of defence we start with a few cut out the pass exercises, where your players will have to track their player to intercept the pass. Once your defenders are nicely warmed up we then look to develop the defence with two mini-games, working in pairs and teams of 3, before finishing off with a full team conditioned game!
By the end of this session your players should have improved their spatial awareness, being able to track the defender's movements while at the same time positioning themselves between their man and the ball.