09 Dec 2016
Defending – Multi Goal Game
This is a conditioned, fast moving, intense, multi goal game, designed to encourage players to co – operate, organise and communicate to defend. The nature of the game means there will be lots of turnovers and players will have to react quickly, defensively on these transitions. There are a number of progressions.
Organisation
- Play 1 v 1 in 3 zones with goals at each end of all the zones. These players are conditioned to stay in their zones
- Two floating players for each team. The floating players can move and play in any of the zones.
- Supply of footballs with the coach / server.
- The size of the zones and the goals can be adjusted to suit the age and ability of the players, but suggest goals that are 3 – 4 yards wide and zones 25 x 10 yards.
- If the ball goes out of play the coach / server immediately passes a ball quickly onto the pitch to one of the floating players and a new game begins.
Structure
- Ball is served from the coach / server to one of the floating players and the game begins.
- Floating player on the ball decides how and where they want to attack
- Attacking team try and score. Defending team try and stop them
- Only the floating attacking and floating defending players can move into different zones
- Play lots of games over periods of agreed time and see which team can score the most goals.
- Play first team to score set number of goals
Progressions
- Rotate the floating players often with other players, so all players play different roles
- Change the size of the zones – smaller, defenders can get tighter. Bigger, they have to think about their distances more
- Make the zones bigger and play 2 attackers v 2 defenders in each zone. Floating players are still the only ones who can move from zone to zone
- Allow the defending floating player to swap with a zone player. There still must be a defending player in each zone, but the floating player can take the place of a zone player and pass the floating defenders role on – will need good communication
- Make one, two or three goals full size and play with GK’s (depending on numbers and GK’s available)
Ball Changes Hands – Transition
- Look out for situations where the attacking team lose the ball and have to quickly become the defending team – transition.
- How quickly can the now defensive team communicate, react to get into a shape and how quickly and where the floating player recovers if they are caught out of position.
- Look out for situations where the attacking team have an overload situation in one of the zones, for example a 2 v 1. How do the defenders react? Do they delay and recover or dive in and get played around?
Coaching Tips
- Early, loud, clear communication between the defenders is vital
- Relevant pressure in 1 v 1 situations in the zones, cover behind (floating player where possible)
- Within their zones, the defenders must move laterally and provide cover and balance off the player who presses the ball
- Defenders must look to take defending positions within their zone where they can make intercept or make a pass into their zone goal difficult
- Floating player to try and get into the zone where the ball is to provide cover – meaning the pressing player can get tighter and try and win the ball, knowing they have cover behind
- Dealing with 1 v 1’s
- Dealing with give and goes- communicate, track runners and don’t follow the ball
- Dealing with outnumbered situations, 2 attackers v 1 defender – delay, recover, communicate
- Dealing with give and goes- communicate, track runners and don’t follow the ball
- Dealing with 1 v 1’s
- Dealing with outnumbered situations, 2 attackers v 1 defender – delay, recover, communication
