Defending crosses

 

What this session is about

1. Clearing the ball from the penalty box by getting height and distance.
2. Reorganising after stopping the danger.

 

What to think about

Defenders must:

• Be goal side of the opponent they are marking (nearer to their own goal) and be able to see the attacker and ball.
• Attack the ball.
• Clear the danger from the penalty area – width, distance, height – and try again if unsuccessful first time. Clear behind the goal if necessary, but not across it.
• Use the correct header/volley techniques.
•  Step up after the clearance so the offside rule favours the defending team and help regain the team’s shape.

 

Set-up

Warm up	Session	Development	Game Situation	Warm Down
10 minutes	10 minutes	15 minutes	15 minutes	10 minutes

 

What you get your players to do

Set up an area with a goal at one end, as shown in the top picture. Using one end of your regular pitch is ideal but reduce the playing area width.

You will need to use at least eight players – two defenders and a keeper face four attackers and a server.

The server stands at the opposite end from the goal. Two defenders stand just inside the penalty box, ready to defend against two attackers who will make runs into the box. Two wingers, one on each side of the pitch, are not allowed to enter the penalty box.

Play begins with the server passing to either winger. The winger then dribbles up the side of the pitch before crossing for the attackers arriving in the box, who attempt to score.

Defenders aim to clear the ball out of the penalty area. Tell wingers to vary their crosses – high, low, near post, far post etc., from the goal line, inswinging, outswinging, etc.

Make sure defenders swap roles with two other players regularly until everyone has been a defender.

To progress, the other winger can make an attacking run into the penalty box at the far post to make a 3v2 inside the penalty area.