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i have a test to coach a group of 8 yr olds on pressure defending, does anyone have any good drills and advice on how best to conduct this test? i am new to coaching
Depending on the numbers you have , why not have two juniors defending the goal with 4 juniors attacking. Then increase defenders to 3 and explain to the central defender to co-ordinate the left and right back. This would teach the pressure of defending and the power of teamwork.
Any overload drill will be a good test on your players' ability to deal with pressure. As David said I would recommend starting with more strikers than defenders, trying to keep possession, and slowly increasing the number of defenders, making it harder for the attackers to keep possession. Have a look in the possession drills and modify them for your players' age.
I suggest that you wait with focusing on pressure - it will come automatically when 1v1 challenges occurr. The most basic thing to teach in defending is making sure that everyone in the team moves to the defending side of their opponent when they loose possession. Play a Dutch 4v4 on 20x40 metres where the goal is to dribble the ball across the 40m line. Fun and excellent technique practice!
in more ways than one
Possession without purpose is pointless. These drills combine ball retention with physical conditioning to create teams that dominate and outlast opponents.
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