High and low pressure soccer coaching session

How to run defending as a unit drill

• The goalkeeper and defenders try to play out of defence and score in one of the two mini goals.
• The three attackers must try to stop them by putting pressure on the defenders. Can the attackers win possession and score a goal?

How to progress the drill

• Progress the initial soccer drill by splitting the pitch into two zones. The attackers now wait in the second zone and allow the defending team out of defence free from pressure.
• Once the ball is inside the second zone, the attackers quickly pressure to win the ball. Their aim is to block passes or shots into the two goals.

How to turn it into a game The game is played in two 10-minute halves. One team plays a high-pressure defence. When they do not have the ball, all their players squeeze into the first two zones to make the pitch compact. The other team are playing a low pressure, counter-attacking tactic. When they lose possession, they drop back to the bottom two zones, leaving the opponent’s defenders free from pressure at the back. Each team plays one half using each tactic.

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