Fall 2020 GOAL: Improve preventing the opponent from scoring goals - 2

PLAYER ACTIONS Protect the goal, Pressure, Cover & Balance, Outnumber the opponent 13+
KEY QUALITIES Make decisions, Be proactive, Focus 11V11
MOMENT DEFENDING DURATION 60 minutes PLAYERS 18
SKILL ACQUISITION: Pressure: Angle and Speed of approach, Distance, Body position, Tackle choice (poke or block) – Cover:
Distance, body position.
1 st P L AY P H A SE (In ten tio n a l F ree P la y) DURATION: 20 min -- INTERVALS: 3 --ACTIVITY: 5 min --REST: 1.5 min
OBJECTIVE: Deny Scoring chances.
PLAYER ACTIONS: Protect the goal, Pressure, Cover & Balance and Outnumber the opponent.
ORGANIZATION: In our own half set up two or more 33Wx38L fields with a small goal at each
end. Play 1v1, 2v1, 2v2, 3v2 up to 4v4 or 5v5. Play for 20 minutes with two 1.5 minute breaks.
Play with kick-ins or dribble-ins when the ball goes out of bounds.
SKILL ACQUISITION: Speed and Angle of Approach, Distance of Approach, Footwork, Body
Shape and Types of Tackles - Poke or Block.
KEY WORDS: Block the shot, Hassle, Help.
GUIDED QUESTIONS: 1. What do we need to do to block the shot? 2. How can we hassle the
opponent with the ball? 3. Where should the other defenders help?
ANSWERS: 1. Get a defender in front of the ball to protect the goal - 2. Pressure the attacker - 3.
They should be providing cover behind the pressing defender.
Note – First break, the coach asks questions to the players, players do not answer them but play to
discover the answers. Second break, the coach asks questions and players will answer them.
CO RE ACTIV ITY : 7v6 to Reg u la r g o a ls DURATION: 20 min -- INTERVALS: 3 --ACTIVITY: 5 min --REST: 1.5 min
OBJECTIVE: Deny Scoring chances.
PLAYER ACTIONS: Protect the goal, Pressure, Cover & Balance and Outnumber the opponent.
ORGANIZATION: In a 11v11 field, set up a 70Wx40L playing area with regular goals. The 7 Blue
players: 1 GK, 4 defenders and 2 midfielders against 6 Red players: 1 GK, 1 midfielder, 2 wingers
and 2 strikers. Both teams score in the opponent’s goal. If a team scores, the other team gets a
goal-kick to restart the game. Rotate players every interval.
SKILL ACQUISITION: Speed and Angle of Approach, Distance of Approach, Footwork, Body
Shape and Types of Tackles - Poke or Block.
KEY WORDS: Block the shot, Hassle, Help and Double.
GUIDED QUESTIONS: 1. How can a defender block the shot to goal? 2. Who will hassle the player
with the ball? 3. How can the other defenders help the pressing defender? 4. When should we
double team?
ANSWERS: 1. Protect the goal by getting in between the ball and goal - 2. The closest defender will
pressure the ball - 3. They provide cover and balance - 4. When we outnumber the attacker with the
ball.
Note: Switch to the Less Challenging activity if it is too difficult or to the More Challenging if it is too easy.
L E SS CH AL L E NG ING : 5v4 to g o a l DURATION: 20 min -- INTERVALS: 4 --ACTIVITY: 4 min --REST: 1 min
OBJECTIVE: Deny Scoring chances.
PLAYER ACTIONS: Protect the goal, Pressure, Cover & Balance and Outnumber the opponent.
ORGANIZATION: In a 11v11 field, set up two 33Wx38L fields with a goal and two dribbling gates.
The Blue players will try to score by dribbling through one of the two gates. The Red players will
score in the goal. Play with kick-ins or dribble-ins when the ball goes out of bounds. Rotate players
every interval.
SKILL ACQUISITION: Speed and Angle of Approach, Distance of Approach, Footwork, Body
Shape and Types of Tackles - Poke or Block.
KEY WORDS: Block the shot, Hassle, Help and Double.
GUIDED QUESTIONS: 1. What do we need to do to block the shot? 2. How can we hassle the
opponent with the ball? 3. Where should the other defenders help?
ANSWERS: 1. Get a defender in front of the ball to protect the goal - 2. Pressure the attacker - 3.
They should be providing cover behind the pressing defender.
Note: Switch to this activity if the Core is too difficult for the players.
M O RE CH L L E NG ING : 7v7 to Reg u la r g o a ls DURATION: 20 min -- INTERVALS: 3 --ACTIVITY: 5 min --REST: 1.5 min
OBJECTIVE: Deny Scoring chances.
PLAYER ACTIONS: Protect the goal, Pressure, Cover & Balance and Outnumber the opponent.
ORGANIZATION: In a 11v11 field, set up a 70Wx40L playing area with regular goals. The 7 Blue
players: 1 GK, 4 defenders and 2 midfielders against 7 Red players: 1 GK, 2 midfielders 2 wingers
and 2 strikers. Both teams score in the opponent’s goal. If a team scores, the other team gets a
goal-kick to restart the game. Rotate players every interval.
SKILL ACQUISITION: Speed and Angle of Approach, Distance of Approach, Footwork, Body
Shape and Types of Tackles - Poke or Block.
KEY WORDS: Block the shot, Hassle, Help and Double.
GUIDED QUESTIONS: 1. How can a defender block the shot to goal? 2. Who will hassle the player
with the ball? 3. How can the other defenders help the pressing defender? 4. When should we
double team?
ANSWERS: 1. Protect the goal by getting in between the ball and goal - 2. The closest defender will
pressure the ball - 3. They provide cover and balance - 4. When we outnumber the attacker with the
ball.
Note: Switch to this activity if the Core is too easy for the players.
2 n d . P L AY P H ASE : Th e G a m e – 9V9 DURATION: 20 min -- INTERVALS: 2 --ACTIVITY: 8 min --REST: 2 min
OBJECTIVE: Deny Scoring chances.
PLAYER ACTIONS: Protect the goal, Pressure, Cover & Balance and Outnumber the opponent.
ORGANIZATION: In a 11v11 field set up a 50Wx90L playing area for a 9v9. The Blue team will
play 1-4-3-1 formation and the Red team will play 1-2-4-2 formation.
SKILL ACQUISITION: Speed and Angle of Approach, Distance of Approach, Footwork, Body
Shape and Types of Tackles - Poke or Block.
KEY WORDS: Block the shot, Hassle, Help and Double.
GUIDED QUESTIONS: 1. Why do we want to block the shot? 2.When should we hassle the
attacker with the ball? 2. When should we hassle the attacker with the ball? 3. How can the other
defender help the pressing defender? 4. What should we do to double team the attacker with the
ball?
ANSWERS: 1. To protect the goal - 2. We put pressure as soon as he is about to receive the ball -
3. By providing cover and balance - 4. Outnumber the attacker with the ball.

Note: All Laws of the game and US Soccer Player Development Initiatives (PDI) are in effect.

FIVE ELEMENTS of TRAINING EXERCISE TRAINING SESSION SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Organized: Is the exercise organized in the right way? 1. How did you achieve your goals in the training session?

2. Game like: Is the exercise game like?

2. What did you do well?
3. Repetitions: Are there repetitions when looking at the overall goal of
the session?
3. What could you do better?
4. Challenging: Are the players being challenged? (Is there the right balance
between being successful and unsuccessful?)

5. Coaching: Is there the proper coaching based on the age/level of the players?