Practice 2: Setting the traps

WHY USE IT

Prepare your team to overload and set traps in wide areas.

SET UP

Set up with 7v8+2 (one of these two will act as a recovering defender). Mark out a playing area relative to the age and ability of the players with two wide channels and a full-size goal.

HOW TO PLAY

The attacking team (Red) must initiate the attack centrally. If they do not get a shot on goal from inside the penalty area within 30 seconds, they must continue the attack from the wide areas only. The defending team’s objective is to defend the goal and set traps in the wide areas. A defensive recovering player (Blue) may join the defending team to create numerical overloads in the wide areas after 30 seconds of play. If the defending team wins the ball they must combine to eventually dribble the ball across the halfway line within 10 seconds.

COACHING POINTS

• Communication

• Collective defensive principles and movements

• Timing of defensive actions

• Players move across the field to create numerical overloads and lock the ball into the wide areas

• Compact defending

• Dictate play and use the sideline to make the play predictable and initiate traps when numerical superiority is in favour of defence