close
LOGINDelay from the front
Small-sided gamesby Dave Clarke
When the ball is lost in attack, this shows forwards that they must immediately try to get the ball back by pressing high up the pitch.
When the ball is lost in attacking positions, this session will help players learn how to regain the ball by forcing mistakes and buy time so that the defence can sort itself out
Set up an area of 35x20 yards with a five-yard neutral zone across the centre. We’ve used 12 players in the session. You need balls, bibs, cones and two normal goals.
Split your players into two teams playing 6v6 including goalkeepers. In the outer zones, set up the teams with three attackers against two defenders.
A keeper starts the session by playing into the neutral zone where one of the attackers has dropped off to receive the ball. When the attacker touches the ball in the neutral zone, it releases an opposition attacker from the other side of the pitch to drop back and press in order to delay and deny space to the player on the ball.
This is a good session for coaching players to get back into their own half when they have lost the ball in attack and it teaches them to quickly respond to the player with the ball. The faster the released player moves, the more they can affect play.
Set up
Set up an area of 35x20 yards with a five-yard neutral zone across the centre. We’ve used 12 players in the session. You need balls, bibs, cones and two normal goals.
How to play it
Split your players into two teams playing 6v6 including goalkeepers. In the outer zones, set up the teams with three attackers against two defenders.
A keeper starts the session by playing into the neutral zone where one of the attackers has dropped off to receive the ball. When the attacker touches the ball in the neutral zone, it releases an opposition attacker from the other side of the pitch to drop back and press in order to delay and deny space to the player on the ball.
Technique
This is a good session for coaching players to get back into their own half when they have lost the ball in attack and it teaches them to quickly respond to the player with the ball. The faster the released player moves, the more they can affect play.
- 1. The session starts with a pass from one of the goalkeepers into the central zone
- 2. An attacker drops back to receive the ball in the zone and must control and turn quickly
Related Files
Vol-1-Issue-368-D-Clarke-delay-from-the-front.pdfPDF, 250 KB
- 3. When the attacker receives the ball in the zone it releases one of the opposition attackers to drop back and try to delay the attack
- 4. Here the player gets back quickly enough to force play wide where another defender can close down and stop the attack
- 5. Here the retreating attacker is too slow and the team breaks away to score a goal
Dave Clarke
Latest Issue
Subscribe Today
Small-sided games
Subscriber Testimonials
Gerald Kearney, Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club
Paul Butler, Florida, USA
Rick Shields, Springboro, USA
Tony Green, Pierrefonds Titans, Quebec, Canada
Subscribe Today
Coaches Testimonials
Gerald Kearney, Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club
Paul Butler, Florida, USA
Rick Shields, Springboro, USA
Tony Green, Pierrefonds Titans, Quebec, Canada
Latest Issue
Small-sided games
Discover the simple way to become a more effective, more successful soccer coach
In a recent survey 89% of subscribers said Soccer Coach Weekly makes them more confident, 91% said Soccer Coach Weekly makes them a more effective coach and 93% said Soccer Coach Weekly makes them more inspired.
*includes 3 coaching manuals
Get Weekly Inspiration
All the latest techniques and approaches
Soccer Coach Weekly offers proven and easy to use soccer drills, coaching sessions, practice plans, small-sided games, warm-ups, training tips and advice.
We've been at the cutting edge of soccer coaching since we launched in 2007, creating resources for the grassroots youth coach, following best practice from around the world and insights from the professional game.
