Training - Saturday, January 6

8:45AM Video Analysis

9:15AM - 10:45AM Field Training

I. 1v2 No Tackling

Set Up

• 3 players to a ball at midfield

Procedure

• 1 player has the ball and is the dribbler (attacker), the other two players are the defenders
• 1st defender (1D) puts pressure on the ball, 2nd defender (2D) provides cover
• Dribbler works their way to the end line, moving at 1/2 speed and more side to side than straight forward
• Two defenders work on jockeying/delay, communication, positioning, switching from 1D to 2D - no tackling allowed
• Players change roles at the end line and a new dribbler works her way to midfield with the other two players defending

Coaching Points

• Down low, grab the grass, quick feet by the 1D
• Good buffer zone distance between the 1D and the dribbler
• Communication by the 2D ("Patience!", "Down low!", "Force her left!")
• "I go ball!" by 2D if attacker gets too far ahead of 1D, 1D then recovers and becomes 2D

1v2 Cutting Off the Passing Lanes

Set Up

• Two teams, green and blue, with designated GKs for each team
• 30x15 yard grid with two 5x5 GK boxes at each end
• Teams line up as shown below, with half the players at a corner of the grid and the other half of the players 10 yards up the side of the gird with all the team's soccer balls
• Team's GK is in the 5x5 yard box at the opposite end of the grid

Procedure

• Blue starts out as the defending team in the first sequence, so the first player in the line with the soccer balls plays a ball out to the far green player then goes out to defend
• First blue player from the back line (at the corner of the grid) also comes out to defend
• Green attacker goes 1v2 and tries to get the ball into the hands of their GK at the far end
• If blue defender win the ball they may try and play to their GK

Make It Competitive

• +3 point for the attacking team if they can play a ball to their GK
• +1 point for the defending team if they win the ball and play to their GK

Coaching Points

• 1D (first defender) must close at speed and DELAY, not dive in and make a commitment to a tackle
• 2D must first cut out the dangerous pass into green's GK.  The illustration below shows what could happen if both defenders go to pressure the ball.

• Instead, the back player's first movement should be to cut off the dangerous ball up the middle of the field

• Once the dangerous pass has been cut out, if the back defender stays put, she leaves her teammate in a 1v1 defending situations.  We always want numbers up when defending, so a 1v1 situation (even numbers) is not good for us.

• As 1D applies pressure to the attacker (get the attacker's head down looking to protect the ball from the pressure), 2D can close the gap to cover

• Good communication from both defenders

II. 1v2 Recovery Game

Set Up

• Two teams blue and green with designated GKs
• 20x35 yard grid with defending and dribbling cones as marked below (dribbling cone is 6 yards away from defending cone)
• All the soccer balls with the players at the dribbling cones

Procedure

• Green attacks first with the first green player in the dribbling line dribbling out versus the first blue defender in the defending line
• The minute the first green dribbler leaves the dribbling cone, green GK calls the first player in the green defending line out to be ready for the next attack

• The green dribbler tries to score a goal
• Immediately after a shot or a loss of possession by the green attacker, the first dribbler in the blue dribbling line attacks the green defender who was called out by the green GK

• The green dribbler that just shot or lost possession now recovers to make it a 1v2 situation
• NOTE - only the initial sequence is a 1v1 to get the game going.  All others become 1v2.  Also, it is very possible for the dribbler who took the shot or lost possession to pressure the opposing dribbler right away (instead of recovering)

Make It Competitive

• +1 point for a goal

Coaching Points

• Immediate transition from attack to defense by the dribblers
• Pressure and delay from the first defender while also encouraging their dribbler who just lost possession to recover
• Recovery runs should be at a sprint and goal side of the ball and the recovering defender should be verbally encouraging the pressuring defender to delay

• Once the recovering defending is in a good cover position, they should encourage the first defender to tackle and win the ball