INPARTNERSHIPWITH
www.elitesoccercoaching.net13AUGUST2019
SET-UPAREAThreequarters of pitchEQUIPMENT
Balls, bibs, cones, 1 full size goalNUMBEROFPLAYERS
16playersSESSIONTIME
Timingsdependon requiredoutcomes
BURTONALBION
Nigel CloughAttacking&defending
OverviewThis session focuseson thetechniquesof attackinganddefending inandaround thepenalty area, givingplayers theopportunity to rehearsenot onlycounter-attackingsituations,but toattackanddefendcrossesfromdeepand fromtheby-line.It is ahigh intensity sessionthat involvesplenty of runningand lots of accelerationsanddecelerations.It requiresall players tobothdefendandattackas theywould inagame.Whenout
of possession, theplayersmustworkasaunit to recover,delay, tackle, blockandcleartheball fromcrosses.When inpossession, theplayers try tocreate scoringchancesandgettheopportunity to runwith theball, passandmove, dribble,andmake runsoff theball, aswell asattack crosses in thepenalty area.This sessionallows for plentyof repetition, it offers a senseof competitionbetween teams,and itwill improve thebasicsof attackinganddefending in
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1aATTACKING&DEFENDING
Acoachon thetouchlineenforcesthe offside rule
Theblues are thedefending teamandthey startwith fiveplayers passing aball around in theirpossessionbox.They are limited toone-touchpassingin the box
The reds are theattacking teamandthey also startwithfiveplayers one-touchpassingaroundtheir possessionbox
When the coachpasses intothemainarea, threeattackersand threedefenders breakout to compete for the ball.The aim for the attackers is toscore in thegoal
BallmovementPlayermovementDribble
KEY
INPARTNERSHIPWITH
www.elitesoccercoaching.net14AUGUST2019
NIGELCLOUGH: ATTACKING&DEFENDING
situations that replicate thegame.Wewill often run this inpre-season.The lengthof the sessionand thespaceand intensitywill change,dependingon the timeof theweekand thestateof theplayers, but theamount and typeof running involvedmeans that it is agoodsession togettheplayersmatchfit.
BallmovementPlayermovementDribble
KEY
What do I get the players to do?Attacking&defendingWesetupon threequartersof apitchwithagoal andgoalkeeperat oneend.A taperedwide zone is conedoff oneachside, funnelling towardsthepenalty area, and two10x10-yardpossessionboxesareset up justover thehalfway line.We’reusing
16outfieldplayers, split into a redattacking teamof eight andabluedefending teamof eight. Each teamstartswithfiveplayers in its ownpossessionboxon thehalfway lineand threeplayers in itswide zoneontheoppositewing to their box.Both teamsbeginbypassingaballaround in their ownpossession
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“It’s a high intensity session thatinvolves plenty of runningand lots ofaccelerations anddecelerations”
1b
In thefirst attack, thethree reds attack throughthemiddle. To create scoringopportunities, they canpassandmoveor dribble
The threebluedefenders should recoverand try to get themselvesbetween theball and thegoal to delay the attack
INPARTNERSHIPWITH
www.elitesoccercoaching.net15AUGUST2019
boxusingone-touchpassingon themove. Theypassunopposeduntiltriggered to start thefirst attackbythecoach,whoplaysaball fromthecentre circle into themidfield, asshown [1a]. Threemembersof theredattacking teambreakout of theirboxand raceonto theball,while threebluedefendersbreakout of their boxtodefend thegoal.Theplayersattack through themiddleof thepitch, either runningwith theball, passingandmoving, ordribbling, andmaking runsoff theball to createopportunities to score,
NIGELCLOUGH: ATTACKING&DEFENDING
BallmovementPlayermovementDribble
KEY
asshown [1b]. Thedefending teamtry to recover so theyarebetween theball and thegoal andareable todelaytheattack.When theattack is dead, both teamsshould reset on theedgeof thepenalty area, ready toattack (ordefend) thegoal fromacross.Oneofthe redattackersmoves towards thecentre circle to receiveasecondballfromthecoachand thenplaysapasstohis teammates in thewide zone, asshown [1c]. Thewideplayers receivethe longdiagonal passandcombine,with all threeof thewideplayers
touching theball beforeone is freeto cross into thepenalty area, eitherdelivering theball fromdeep, or fromtheby-line, or bypulling theball backfor theattackers to runonto.Theattackers should threatendifferent areasof thepenalty box.Onerunsacross thekeeper to the frontpost, anotherarrivesat thebackpostand the thirdholdsadeeperpositionon theedgeof thebox.For their part, the threedefendersshouldattempt toblock thecrossandclear theball out of thearea.When thesecondattack is dead,
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1c
After thefirst attack isdead, the three attackers andthe threedefenders reset onthe edgeof the penalty area,ready for thenext attack
The redsmake runs to attackthe cross. One runs to the frontpost, one to thebackpost andthe third holds a deeper positionon the edgeon thepenalty area
Anattacker dropsdeep to receive asecondball from thecoach andplays a longdiagonal pass to a teammate in thewide zone
Thewideplayerscombine,with allthreehaving to touchthe ball before a crosscanbedelivered intothe penalty area
Thebluedefendersmustattempt to blockthe cross andclear the ball
INPARTNERSHIPWITH
www.elitesoccercoaching.net16AUGUST2019
NIGELCLOUGH: ATTACKING&DEFENDING
the threeattackersand the threedefendersmust switchstartingpositionswith their respectivewideplayers,whosprint fromthewidezonesback to their possessionboxeson thehalfway line, as shown [1d].The two teams thenswap roles,withthe redsbecoming thedefendersandthebluesbecoming theattackers forthesubsequent pair of attacks.
Howdo I progress the session?As thesessiondevelops,we lookfor improvements in thequality andtempoof theattackingplay, and thedecisions thedefendersmakeand
theeffectivenessof thedefending.After this activity,wewill progressthesessionbyplayingasmall-sidedgame, keeping thesame teams.Wewouldexpect to see thedefendingandattackingprinciples fromthesessiondisplayed in thegame,withtheattackingplayersmaking runsinto thearea, attackingcrossesandattackingat pace. Thedefendersshouldbemaking recovery runsandclearing theball.
What are the key things to look for?Thekey is tokeep thesessionand thedemandson theplayersassimplistic
aspossible. Theplayersare thenableto focuson thebasic principlesofattackinganddefending in counter-attackingsituations, in andaroundthepenalty area.Repeating thesebasicswill build goodhabits ingamesituations.
What are the typicalmistakesplayersmightmakeandhowdo Iavoid them?Playerswill switchoff andmisplacepassesbut thekey is to reinforce thebasic principlesof the sessionso thattheybecomeengrained in the team’sperformances.
BallmovementPlayermovementDribble
KEY
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1d
When the secondattackis dead, the attackers anddefendersswitchpositionswith their respective teammates in thewide zone
Thewideplayers for each teamsprint to join the two resting playersin the possessionbox andprepareto start thefirst attack again,withthe redsdefending this time
