U-10/12 Girls Coordinator: Mina Reihani U-10/12 Boys Coordinator: Sean Ndebele
Coaching Points – Fast to Slow, Sideways and Low
Video: Fast to Slow, Sideways and Low (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsHs4dW4pNY)
Video: Second defender (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qus_tRw43A
- Immediate Pressure
- “Goal Side” Stay between the ball and the goal
- Defensive Stance: Stay low, staggered stance (one foot forward, one back)
- Don’t dive in (or over commit) for the ball: Wait until you know you can win it (bad touch, attacking player’s head is down or s/he turns away from goal)
- Definitions of terms related to defending:
http://www.soccercoachingnotes.com/coaching/tactical/team-defending-in-soccer.pdf.
Talking points:
- How do you show teamwork at practices and games?
- How is teamwork used at home?
- What other "teams” are you on that are not sports teams?
- Reminder to work as a team today.
6-6:10 p.m. OR 7:15 - 7:25 p.m.
1. Warm Up: Knee Touches / Age group coordinators will demonstrate proper defending stance: one foot in front of the other, low to the ground, knees bent, and basic positioning (defender between ball and goal always, GOAL SIDE) / Activity: everyone has a partner. Standing in your defensive stance, try to tap your partners FRONT knee for a point. Focusing on defensive stance and not chasing each other. Moving your feet backward, forward, and side to side. Play first to five touches, get a new partner and play first to five again. / Emphasize coaching points (above).
During warm-up activities, the age group coordinators and trainers will demonstrate
Fast to Slow, Sideways and Low
6:10-6:20 p.m. OR 7:25-7:35 p.m.
2. 1v1 defending / · Set up a few grids 10 yards long à
· The players start at opposite ends of the grid with the defender having the ball.
· The defender passes the ball to the dribbler and then goes to defend.
· The dribbler tries to get to the opposite end of the grid with the ball under control.
· Switch roles after each turn.
· Encourage the defender to try to gain possession of the ball and not merely kick the ball away from the dribbler. /
10
Yards
/ Coaching Points: Emphasize defense
· Defender puts immediate pressure on the attacker after passing the ball
· Defender should stay “goal side” between the goal and the ball
· Move fast to defend, take proper sideways stance, wait for the mistake to win the ball.
· Go after the ball when
o Attacker takes a bad touch
o Attacker’s back is to you
o Attacker’s head is down
6:20-6:30 p.m. OR 7:35-7:45 p.m.
3. Pressure
& Cover Mirror / · Have one team with the ball (white stars). These players will pass the ball back and forth to each other.
· The red stars are the defenders.
· When player A has the ball, player C should pressure it (fast, then slow, sideways & low).
· A then passes to B. Player D pressures the ball and C goes back to the yellow cone.
· As the ball moves back and forth between A & B, C and D alternate providing pressure. / This exercise will teach players to work together instead of two defenders rushing to the ball.
Limit the field to 10-15 yards. / · Helps with spacing on the field so two players don’t go to the ball.
· Give everyone a chance to play the team defending role.
· For this exercise, we do not want the players to steal the ball, we just want them to get used to the movement of pressuring the ball or covering for their teammate and working together.
· Emphasize communication. It’s helpful when the player says things like “I’m going to the ball” or “my ball” but not when they say “yours.”
6:30-6:40 p.m. OR 7:45-7:55 p.m.
4. Pressure & Cover
(2 vs. 2) / · Split team into four even groups
· Setup like the diagram à
· Team A /B plays against Team C/D
· Player A passes ball to player C and provides immediate pressure.
· If C passes the ball to D, then player B becomes first defender and player A provides cover.
· Team A/B work together to win the ball, but MUST stay in their half of the grid (in other words, they can’t cross the middle dotted line.)
· If Team A/B wins the ball they can try to score on C/D’s goal.
· Score by dribbling across the line. /
Switch roles after several rounds. / · Emphasize good individual defending techniques, such as the first defender applying immediate pressure, staying “goal side” and not diving in or stabbing at the ball
· Good team defending requires the defenders to talk to each other (for example: I’ll go to the ball) AND deciding how and when to provide “cover”
· “Cover” is when the second defender covers the space behind the behind the first defender.
6:40-6:50 p.m. OR 7:55-8:05 p.m.
5. Team Defending (2 vs. 2) / · Use the goal end of your field. (In this exercise, attackers should start about 30 yards from the goal)
· Defending team passes ball to attackers to start.
· Explain the importance of team defending: defending as a unit.
· After several rounds, switch roles /
/ Coaching Points: Same as above.
Closest player goes to the ball, the second player provides “cover” in the following ways:
o if the attacker dribbles past the first defender, the second defender steps to the ball
o If the attacker passes to another player, the second defender steps to the player who received the pass.
6:50-7 p.m. OR 8:05-8:15 p.m.
6. Scrimmage / Divide group into even teams (no subs) and play on the width of each field.
** Please use this time to talk about
what to do in a game. ** / Discuss game situations during the scrimmage. “Freeze” play to make your point to the team. / · Reinforce lessons from training during the scrimmage.
· Do not place all players in one full field game. We want the players to get a lot of touches on the ball.
Homework: Who can keep the ball in the air longest using only their feet and thighs? Please announce Cutters Juggling Club to players.