• Half pitch with an additional 10yd channel inside opposing half
with goal at one end, as illustrated.
• 19 players (incl. GK) organised 8v8 plus GK, with
2 Target players beyond half way line in 10yd channel, supply of
balls in centre circle, with coach.
• Practice starts with: ball fed into practice area by coach to Attackers
or T who then feeds into A’s.
• A’s objective: build play & create goal-scoring opportunities.
• If Defenders gain possession: they try to play to feed T’s.
• Process continues for 5 minutes non-stop & is
then repeated.
• If ball goes dead: coach immediately feeds another into
practice area.
• Throw-ins are taken by either team as appropriate.
Detail
• Continuous un-interrupted defending for 5 minute period includes
defending when organised & when dis-organised.
• If possession is conceded as team plays towards
T’s & is intercepted: quick reorganisation is necessary.
• Concentration & communication between team mates in
defensive situation.
• Simple progressions for this practice are:
- On receiving possession: T may quickly carry ball forward as an
extra attacker & contribute to attacking build-up.
- A’s may use T’s as support from behind as outlet passes, to relieve
opponent’s defensive pressure.
• Movement & positioning of D’s in relation to location
& movement of ball.
• Distances between players, units & GK.
• Pressing & forcing opponents to play in a chosen direction.
• Tracking & marking opponents.
• Continuous positioning & changing defending roles &
responsibilities, whilst regaining & maintaining defensive
compactness.
in more ways than one
in more ways than one
Roughly a fifth of Premier League goals come from set pieces, and the gap between teams who plan their routines and teams who do not has never been wider. Here is how the modern set-piece specialists design attacking corners, free kicks, and throw-ins - and how you can apply their ideas at any level.
The next frontier in football coaching is not physical, it is mental. Cognitive load training - the deliberate use of perception, decision-making and dual-task demands inside football drills - is reshaping how the best academies develop players. Here is what it means and how to use it.
If the last decade taught us about pressing, this one is teaching us about what stands behind it. Rest defence is the shape your team holds while attacking, and it is the difference between dominating a game and getting picked off on the counter.