Warm-up: Defending early

WHY USE IT

This three-part session works on defending early, being on the front foot to regain possession by being compact, and working within a unit. The warm-up provides a lot of repetition and builds on 1v1 defending attributes.

Set-up

Mark out a series of equal rectangles alongside each other, relative to the age and ability of your players. You’ll need one rectangle per pair of players. Start with two players – one defender and one attacker – in each rectangle. The rectangles have gates at either end, or you can use mini goals if available.

HOW TO play

The defender starts by playing a firm, punched pass into the attacker. As soon as the attacker touches the ball, the game is live and the defender can press. 

The attacker scores by dribbling the ball through the gates at the opposite end. If the defender wins the ball, they can counter-attack into the opposite gates.

progressions & ADAPTATIONS

• Progress into a 2v2 by merging two adjacent rectangles. Start the game with two 1v1s; then, as soon as one 1v1 is over, the two groups merge. Once the 2v2 is complete, revert back to 1v1s.

COACHING POINTS

• The defender should adopt a side-on body position, with their feet shoulder-width apart, arms’ length from the attacker, and their knees bent.

   

• The defender should shut down the space quickly and then slow down when reaching the attacker. They should stay low, with knees bent, and show the attacker on the outside, to use the touchline as an additional defender.