Training sessions by topic

Back four training: 2 ready-made sessions

Defending as a back four and in rest defence: complete sessions for youth and adult teams.

Defensive Behaviour in the Back Four

4 drills

In this session, the players are to learn defensive behaviour in a compact back four. The focus is on the back line swinging across as a unit, so that the team provides proper cover near the ball.

Drill 1

Warm-Up in the Back Four

10 minAbout 10 x 10 metres, adapt according to the age of the players
  • The coach calls out one of the four colours, which represents the position of the ball.
  • The teams take up position at the corresponding flat markers as quickly as possible.
  • For the outer flat markers in yellow and blue the white flat markers are taken up, for the inner flat markers in green and red the black ones.

Variations:

  • Run it as a competition: which team takes up the correct flat markers faster?

Note: Drill idea by Eddie Plickat.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Mark out an area of about 10 x 10 metres, the size can be adapted to the age of the players. Four flat markers in different colours lie next to each other across the middle of the area, they represent the possible positions of the ball: the two outer ones stand for a ball on the wing, the two inner ones for a ball in the centre. Above and below this row there is one set of white and one set of black flat markers per team laid out in an arc, they mark the positions of the back four.

Equipment: Markers in several colours, four of them for the position of the ball as well as four white and four black per team for the positions in the back four.

Players: Two teams of 4 players each, every team works on its own side of the row of colours. The coach stands outside the area and calls out the colours.

Coaching points
  • When switching from yellow to blue, the outer markers should be approached in an arc so that no gaps are opened up.
Drill 2

Defensive Shifting with Transition Moment

20 minAbout 10 x 5 metres, adapt according to age
  • The players standing on the outside try to play the ball low through the area to the other side, but may not enter the area.
  • The players inside the area may not leave it and try to intercept the ground passes.
  • If the players inside the area win the ball, they try to score quickly through one of the two goals.
  • When they lose the ball, the outside players may enter the area and win the ball back with a counter-press.
  • After that a new round begins.

Scoring: The outside players get one point for every ball that has changed sides.

Note: Drill idea by Eddie Plickat.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Mark out an area of about 10 x 5 metres with four cones. One to two metres behind each of the two short sides there is a mini goal or a dribbling gate.

Equipment: 4 cones, 2 mini goals or dribbling gates, balls.

Players: Behind each of the two long sides there are 2 players, the other 4 players work inside the area.

Coaching points
  • The players inside the area should shift across quickly to the player in possession with a pendulum movement, in order to prevent the direct passing lane into the dangerous zone and not to open up a gap.
  • The outside players should position themselves wide in order to pull the opponents apart, and open up gaps in the outside areas with quick, forceful passes.
  • When possession is lost, move into the counter-press as quickly as possible.
Drill 3

Back Four Defensive Behaviour

30 minHalf a pitch, for younger age groups adapt to a small pitch or a reduced full-size pitch
  • The attacking team plays with a numerical disadvantage and tries, by standing very wide and occupying the centre, to move the defence with quick passes and switches of play and to provoke gaps.
  • The defending team takes its bearings from the cones and, with balls out to the wings, shifts across to the side in the form of the defensive pendulum; in the centre it moves into the middle.
  • If the attacking players see that the defence cannot take up its positions in time, they attack down the wings and look for a goal with firm crosses.

Variations:

  • Set up counter-attack goals in order to create transition moments, and count the points.

Organisation: Give the attacking players as little freedom as possible, for example by not allowing them to leave the wings and by allowing the central player to attack through the middle only alone. The drill is primarily designed for the defence.

Note: Drill idea by Eddie Plickat.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Play takes place on one half of the pitch towards a full-size goal. Red cones in two staggered rows mark the reference points of the back four for the defensive shifting and the rest defence, they can be left out at an advanced level. The three attackers each get a cone as a starting position, two of them on the wings and one in the centre.

Equipment: Cones in two colours, bibs, balls, 1 goal.

Players: The game is played 3 vs 4 plus goalkeeper. For younger age groups the pitch size can be adapted to a small pitch or a reduced full-size pitch.

Coaching points
  • The goalkeeper should also shift across in the direction of the ball with the team.
Drill 4

Small-Sided Game Down the Wings

30 minHalf a pitch, adapt according to age and team size
  • A free game is played, but the ball may not be played through the diamond either low or high.
  • The aim is to force the play down the wings, so that the defence can work as a defensive pendulum.

Variations:

  • The defence is given the instruction not to break up the back four.

Note: Drill idea by Eddie Plickat.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Play on one half of the pitch. In the middle of the area four cones mark out a diamond, which counts as a restricted zone. A full-size goal stands on the goal line, the second goal stands on the halfway line.

Equipment: 4 cones for the diamond, bibs, balls, 2 goals.

Players: Two teams. With an odd number of players a neutral player is designated who plays only for the attacking team. Both goals are occupied by goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • When defending, pay attention to quick shifting across and clear communication.
  • When attacking, demand quick, forceful passes and switches of play.

Defensive Behaviour in Rest Defence

4 drills

This session is about training defensive behaviour in rest defence. Among other things, the players are to buy time for their team-mates by funnelling back and defend compactly in the centre, or cover against attacks down the flanks by swinging the back line across.

Drill 1

Rest Defence Warm-Up

15 min15 x 20 metres
  • The player with the ball tries to get from that side of the area to the other side at a sprint and decides independently when to set off.
  • As soon as that player crosses the starting line, the two players at the corners to the left and to the right try to tag the runner before the finishing line.
  • If the runner is not caught, the next run starts from the finishing line in the opposite direction. The two players who previously occupied the flat markers become the new catchers, and the previous catchers take over their position.
  • If the runner is caught, the player who did the tagging starts in the next round and the player who was caught takes over that role.

Note: Drill idea by Eddie Plickat.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Mark out an area of about 15 x 20 metres with four cones at the corners.

Equipment: 4 cones, 1 medicine ball or 1 football.

Players: All four corners are occupied. Level with the middle of one short side stands a player holding a medicine ball or a football in the hands. The two corners of this side are occupied by two players each.

Coaching points
  • In wet weather or on slippery ground, do without the medicine ball in order to reduce the risk of injury.
Drill 2

Rest Defence Main Part I

20 minHalf a pitch
  • The three attacking players try to score a goal, but they may not leave their respective channel: one stays on the left, one on the right, one in the centre.
  • The attackers may not pass the ball into a space in front of them. To get into the next area and into the penalty area they have to dribble.
  • The defenders may occupy all zones freely.

Variations:

  • Set up a dribbling goal level with the halfway line for transition and counter-attacking play.

Note: Drill idea by Eddie Plickat.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Mark out an area between the penalty area and the halfway line. Four rows of cones running at right angles to the goal divide it into three channels of equal width, and a middle row of cones additionally divides each channel into a section near the goal and a section away from the goal. Play takes place towards a full-size goal.

Equipment: Cones, bibs in two colours, balls, 1 goal.

Players: Two teams of three players each plus one goalkeeper. The three defenders spread out across the three sections near the goal and the three attacking players across the three sections away from the goal, so that in every channel one attacker faces one defender.

Coaching points
  • The flat markers or the lines serve the defenders as a point of reference, so that they position themselves correctly according to the position of the ball.
  • When defending actively, close down the player on the ball at pace and force that player towards the touchline instead of rushing straight at the ball carrier.
Drill 3

Rest Defence Main Part II

20 minHalf a pitch
  • The three attacking players try to score a goal, but they may not leave their channel. The player in the special colour is excepted.
  • The attackers may not pass the ball into a space in front of them, unless the receiver is the player in the special colour. To get into the next area and into the penalty area they have to dribble or pass to the fourth player.
  • The defenders may occupy all zones freely.
  • Play is with offside.

Variations:

  • Set up a dribbling goal level with the halfway line for transition and counter-attacking play.
  • When the ball is won, the defence may try to dribble over the halfway line and score in that way.

Note: Drill idea by Eddie Plickat.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Mark out an area between the penalty area and the halfway line. Four rows of cones running at right angles to the goal divide it into three channels of equal width, and a middle row of cones additionally divides each channel into a section near the goal and a section away from the goal. Play takes place towards a full-size goal.

Equipment: Cones, bibs in three colours, balls, 1 goal.

Players: Two teams of four players each plus one goalkeeper. The four defenders occupy the sections near the goal, two of them standing in the centre. Three attacking players occupy the sections away from the goal, and a fourth attacking player in a special colour stays in the centre among the defenders.

Coaching points
  • The flat markers or the lines serve the defenders as a point of reference, so that they position themselves correctly according to the position of the ball.
  • When defending actively, close down the player on the ball at pace and force that player towards the touchline instead of rushing straight at the ball carrier.
Drill 4

Rest Defence Small-Sided Game

35 minHalf a pitch
  • A free game is played with two restrictions: a player may not leave their own zone with the ball, and the ball may not be played to a team-mate in the same zone.
  • So if a player in the left zone has the ball, that player may neither dribble it into the centre nor play it to a player in the same zone. Dribbling within the left zone or playing to a player in the centre or in the right zone is allowed, however.
  • Play is with offside.

Variations:

  • A goal only counts if the team is occupying all zones of the pitch at the moment the goal is scored.
  • If the defence is occupying all three zones when the opposition score, the goal counts double.

Note: Drill idea by Eddie Plickat.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Play in one half of the pitch. Two rows of cones running lengthways towards the goal divide the area into three zones, that is a left, a middle and a right channel. A full-size goal stands on the goal line, the second goal stands on the halfway line.

Equipment: Cones, bibs, balls, 2 goals.

Players: Two teams; both goals are occupied by goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • The division into zones allows the defence to defend the space better; this should be put into practice through the defensive pendulum, that is funnel-shaped defending.

More topics

2 ready-made sessionsIndoor trainingSessions for the sports hall – under-8s to under-11s.2 ready-made sessionsIndoor training for under-7sBall familiarisation and games for the youngest players.2 ready-made sessionsShooting trainingFinishing from every angle – youth and adults.2 ready-made sessions1v1 duels1v1 with an opponent behind and side-on.2 ready-made sessionsWing playAttacking down the wings, crosses and overlaps.2 ready-made sessionsOverloadsPossession with a numerical advantage and transitions.1 ready-made sessionSet piecesCorners, free kicks and throw-ins.
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