MARK, COVER, PRESS
In the following drills, the defenders work shall simulate 3 center backs to press, mark and cover.
The playing zone is divided into 4 boxes, 3 defenders, 3 forwards, 2 neutral players send a ball back in if goes out.
The play starts, 1 defender follows the player with the ball and applies pressuer on him. The 2 other mates follow the other forwards, mark and cover their areas.
The defender who is pressing the forward with the ball is allowed to press trying to block his directions.
The defender who is marking the forward closer to the ball holder should mark his man trying to keep him behind him and control his shoulders. The one who is marking the forward far from play must cover the area, meanwhile keeping an eye on the forward at his zone.
The forwards must hold on the ball for set of seconds as the aim in this drill is to educate defenders and expose them to enouh time of defensive work.
PROGRESSION 2
THIS DRILL IS A PROGRESSION OF THE PREVIOUS.
When the coach sees his players understood the process, the goal on the other side is added. The 2 neutrals also help to get the ball back in quickly.
The defenders win a point when they successfully send the ball outside to the sidelines. While forwards have to score to get one point. However, as the aim of this drill is to educate defenders, forwards have always to pass the ball wide to their mates, whenever the ball is in the middle of the playing zone, mates have to go to both sides to receive a pass.
PROGRESSION 1
This drill we created channels. This should help the players to repeat the process with more understanding.
The 2 neutral players at the sides support to help get the ball back in quickly when the defender succeeds taking the ball to the sidelines. When he does that, they send it back to the defender who should manage to take the ball back to the coach also under similar defending by the player who lost the ball.
SEND WIDE
In this drill, the defenders are asked to press the player with the ball forcing him to go wide. This kind of pressure simulates a game situation where defenders press the players attacking their wing.
In a small field with 2 teams each side, the players start the run on the whistle to the other side pole. They turn and the coach sends the ball. The one who gets the ball first is the one in possession while the other applies the pressuer trying to send him as wide as possible and prevent the next move. No blocking nor tackling is successful unless the ball is sent out to the throw in side.
AFTER DEEP POSSESSION
Sometimes the counter attack could be while your team are in possession.
Simulation:
A game situation when the team are in build up phase under high pressure by the forwards of the opponents.
Rules:
4 neutral defenders, 2 on each side, 2 full backs restricted to the side zones. Possession area just out side the box.
3 forwards allowed inside the possession zone to pressure the team with the ball. Game starts with the ball sent to the full back at the side who decided the team to start possession. The team in possession now allowed to keep the ball for several set of passes. The mates outside the play watch and get ready.
Once the ball sent outside the counter attack starts. Notice the player behind the forwards maintaining balance and providing option behind his mates when needed. Set some secondsfor the attack to be finish. Then re organize and the next team to start.
POSSES, FINISH.
This could be a small sided game with 2 different types of attack.
Simulates a game situation when the team won the ball in their area and have a chance to cout er attack.
Rules:
3 players of the team in possession allowed into the first zone to finish and 3 defenders applying medium pressuer. Notice that if the objective of the drill eas to help defenders to stop the counter attack, the players would be asked for higher pressure to apply. The 2 mates at the back have to keep the balance by staying close to the side of play.
Once the team in possession finishes in the first goal another ball sent to the next zone with the players running forward and changing sides as the coach requests. Once their attack is finished, both teams re organize and prepare for the new team to possess.
BOX TO BOX
Teams with good counter attacks are highly capable of finishing their opponents. If I could specify the main elements of one counter attack, they could be in this order: mental focus and awareness, physical, technical, tactical.
Team mates who are assigned to perform a counter attack have to be watching and waiting for the moment to hit. Their team could be under pressuer, defending corner kick, free kick, or even in possession trying to pull the opponents into their areas and create the right moment to hit with a counter attack. Once they counter, the players have to be physically ready to sprint while controlling the ball. They have also to be able to control the weight of their pass, shot, or sending the ball further to beat a closely marking defender with their speed, or even dribble with maximum control of the ball... Players must be knowing what could be the next move. A clear tactical pattern if I might say, must be determind by the coach without restricting the possible creative decision by the players.
Objective:
Counter attack after th finish of the play in the penalty box.
Simulation:
This situation simulates the counter attack of teams under pressure in their box and hit once they win the ball.
Rules:
5 players each team. The dotted lines determine the players who allowed participate in and an end line for the ones outside.
Phase 1: coach starts the play by passing the ball behind the goal line to one team’s player. Now this player has to move up and make a pass to 2 assigned players into the box. 2 of each team only allowed in. The others wait outside the dotted line watching waiting for this phase to end. This phase ends either by the team in possession scoring, or the team in defense winning the ball back.
Phase 2: when the ball is scored, or won by the defenders, the mates outside the dotted line create the right space to receive a pass. They sprint with the ball up to the next field where they have to finish into one of the goals. The players counter attacking can not send the ball into the other side box to finish unless several number of passes made between them. That is without slowing the counter attack down at any cost. The last player with the counter attacking team stays in a distance keeping the balance. He also has to move to the sides required to create an option for his mates in case they need him. That if the defending team could outspeed them and cover their areas. Coach can set time for each counter attack producing more pressure on both sides.
Progression:
The drill could be introduced with no defensive pressure upon forwards. Then defnders added, set some time for the attack to be finished, add manniquine in the middle which the 2 players in the middle have to change sides after...
ANIMATION 3
In this drill, 1 team in possession, 1 team in defense, one team in the wait. Game starts with a pass made to the team who are to become in possession. Each team allowed 3 players in the area of possession, and 1 player in each adjacent area. The players outside the area of play are obliged to create a chance for a pass while being marked by a defender. While moving to the next zone, eqch player follows the roles given to himby the coach. Once th ball successfully delivered to the target player on the other side, the team in possession become defenders, the team who recieved the ball become now the team in possession, while the lost defenders go back to their zone and wait for the current flow to end.
ADVANCED SMALL SIDED 2
This is a more advanced drill with 3 teams competing and transitioning.
The blue team now start as target players. The red team are in possession while the yellow are in defense.
Team in possession: they possess the ball for set number of passes in the first box. They transfer the play and send the ball to the next area, possess for set number of passes and finish by passing the ball to a target player. They transfer the play to the next area. The next target player gets the ball and transfers it to a mate in a diagonal pass. Now the teams change roles.
Team in defense: as a start, begin with medium to low pressuer, and try to block the passes towards target players.
Teams at the sides: their main role is to keep 2 players as target players in where the play is on. The nearest moves to the free target.
ADVANCED SMALL SIDED GAME 1
Small sided games are usually multipurpose drills. In this drill, 2 target players on both ends, 2 neutral defenders helping the team in defense phase, and 5 players each team in the fields. The 2 targets in the middle are for the passes to the next field go through.
Team in possession: 3 players of each team start in the opponents’ half. Number 9 in the field and 2 side players. The coach sends the ball inside to on player to start the build up, and both teams start mini transitions. The role is to build up, get through the gates to the next field and finish by passing the ball to the next end target player. The next team now start transition with the forwards of the opponent’s apply high pressure at their field.
Team in defense: their role is to start the pressuer early at the phase of build up. The defenders at the back must try to block passes tothe next field by covering the gates. In their half of the field they have to press higher on ball holders, cut passing lanes and cover at the back trying to block the ball from reaching the target player.
