Annual training plan · U14–U23

Week 11: Defending Compactly – Shifting

3 complete training sessions with 12 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

After the last 4 weeks of team and group tactical work in possession with the build-up and wing play, this week is about defending. More precisely, about compact defending in a low and midfield press.

The main aim is to shift towards the ball as a unit. It is important that the team's compactness is never lost, otherwise spaces open up between players and units that the opponent can play into.

But wanting to win the ball actively is also an aim of this training week. This is about actively pressing the opponent, steering him deliberately and then attacking him at the right moment.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

Shifting a back four or a midfield four sideways is not all that complicated in theory. Roughly speaking, the line shifts towards the ball, the player nearest the ball steps out of the line and the remaining players provide cover. With the back four, however, there is one special feature to bear in mind: if the opponent plays with 2 central strikers, the centre-back nearest the ball does not push across as well when the ball is on the wing, but provides cover in the centre.

Coaching points for this session

Shifting across:

  • Ball side steps out, far side covers
  • In the centre: form a defensive triangle
  • Ball on the wing: ball side steps out, the other players shift across and cover behind
  • Possible pass to the wing: only step out just before the pass or as it is played, otherwise the gap in between can be played into
  • Always slot back into the line quickly
Drill 1

Shifting the Defensive Line

15 min
  • The players in the first row pass the ball to one another.
  • The players in the second row shift so that no pass reaches the third row.
  • If a pass does get through to the third row, that row tries to play the ball back to the first row.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Nine cones in three different colours mark out three rows.

Equipment: 9 cones and several balls.

Players: There is one player at each cone.

Coaching points
  • If the ball is in the centre, a defensive triangle is formed: the player nearest the ball pushes out, the outer players tuck in and provide cover.
  • If the ball is in a wide area, the player nearest the ball pushes out; the others hold their line and shift towards the ball.
Drill 2

Station Training: Station Sprints

20 min

The following tasks are carried out at the stations:

  • Sideways over the cones, volley back with the side of the foot
  • Press-ups with one hand on the ball
  • Sit-ups with a header on every repetition
  • Forward and backward runs, volley back with the instep
  • Ground passing with a first touch on the left and a return pass with the right
  • Heading

On the coach's command all players break off their task and sprint to the far cone in line with them.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six stations with 13 cones and three hurdles.

Equipment: 13 cones, 3 hurdles and several balls.

Players: The players are spread across the stations.

Drill 3

4 vs 4 on 4 Cone Goals

25 min40 x 40 metres
  • The game is 4 vs 4 on four cone goals each.
  • The team in possession has the task of scoring through combination play.
  • There is a 1 vs 1 in each zone. The players may not leave their zone and may only pass into another zone.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four tall cones mark out the playing area, 16 cones form eight cone goals.

Equipment: 4 tall cones, 16 cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of four.

Coaching points
  • Pay attention to clever 1 vs 1 defending by the defenders.
  • Attack the striker in possession energetically and use defensive feints while doing so.
  • Intercept the strikers' passes or disrupt their combination play.
Drill 4

Shifting Towards the Ball II

30 minHalf a pitch
  • The game is 7 vs 7 with a maximum of three touches.
  • Team Red has to prevent Team Green from scoring a goal.
  • After a finish, the build-up always starts from Team Green's goal.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area, which is divided lengthways into two halves; there is a goal at each end.

Equipment: 2 goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of seven and goalkeepers. Team Red plays with a back four, two holding midfielders and one counter-attacking striker, Team Green in a free formation.

Coaching points
  • The player nearest the ball pushes out, the player furthest from the ball provides cover.
  • If the ball is in the centre, a defensive triangle is formed.
  • If the ball is on the wing, the player nearest the ball pushes out; the other players shift across and provide cover behind.
  • If a pass out to the wing is possible, only push out just before the pass, or as the pass is played, otherwise the space in between can be played into.
  • Keep slotting back into the line quickly.
The complete session as a ready-made training plan – with animated drills in the web app. Go to the web app

Session 2

4 drills

The 2 vs 2 is an ideal small-sided game for teaching basic principles of defending. In particular, the behaviour pattern of the player nearest the ball pushing out and the player furthest from the ball providing cover is trained in the 2 vs 2.

In today's session, the 2 vs 2 is carried out very intensively in Exercise 2, both with goals and with dribbling goals.

Later the players can transfer what they have learnt from the 2 vs 2 to the 4 vs 4 and 8 vs 8.

Coaching points for this session

Shifting across:

  • Ball side steps out, far side covers
  • In the centre: form a defensive triangle
  • Ball on the wing: ball side steps out, the other players shift across and cover behind
  • Possible pass to the wing: only step out just before the pass or as it is played, otherwise the gap in between can be played into
  • Always slot back into the line quickly
Drill 1

Shifting and Closing Down 11 vs 0

15 min
  • During the warm-up jog all players push forwards and backwards at the same speed and shift sideways from left to right.
  • Pushing forwards and backwards as well as shifting sideways are combined with running technique drills.
  • The yellow cones represent the opposition's back four in the build-up, the blue ones a back three.
  • On the coach's call the cones are closed down; afterwards corrections are made through explanations.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Eleven red cones are spread out according to the desired formation; seven further cones in two colours simulate the opposition.

Equipment: 18 cones in three colours.

Players: Eleven players, one of them a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • Pay attention to the distances between the players and between the units.
  • Encourage the players to coach one another while carrying it out.
  • After a few run-throughs, let the players correct their positions themselves.
Drill 2

2 vs 2 with a Finish after Exertion

30 minHalf a pitch
  • Middle station: The players sprint without a ball around each of the three cones and then back to the starting cone each time. Once they have run around the last cone and back around the starting cone, they receive a pass from the goalkeeper and finish.
  • Left station: 2 vs 2 on the youth goals or mini goals laid on their sides.
  • Right station: 2 vs 2 on the two goal lines; the goal line has to be dribbled over.

Note: Each round lasts five minutes; after that all teams move on one station.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two areas measuring 20 x 12 metres stand next to each other 16 metres apart. One area has small goals on the touchline, the other has none. There is a full-size goal on the goal line; in front of it three cones mark the sprinting areas.

Equipment: Cones, youth goals or mini goals, 1 full-size goal and several balls.

Players: The teams are assigned to the areas in groups of four. In addition there is a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • 5 minutes per round. After 5 minutes all teams move on one station.
Drill 3

Shifting the Back Four in a 4 vs 4

20 min
  • The yellow team tries to score in goals D to F against the blue team.
  • The blue team plays as a back four and tries to prevent this — with a defensive triangle when the attack comes through the centre, or with the J defensive shape when the attack comes down the wings.
  • In this way the passing lines to the goals are to be closed off.
  • When Blue wins the ball, Blue switches immediately and counters on goals A to C.
  • The side away from the ball is neglected, and an overload is created near the ball.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Twelve tall cones mark out six goals.

Equipment: 12 tall cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of four players each.

Coaching points
  • The player nearest the ball pushes out, the player furthest from the ball provides cover.
  • If the ball is in the centre, a defensive triangle is formed.
  • If the ball is on the wing, the player nearest the ball pushes out; the other players shift across and provide cover behind.
Drill 4

Small-Sided Game 2: 8 vs 8 + Goalkeepers in One Half of the Pitch to 2 Goals

30 minHalf a pitch
  • The two teams play against each other — with offside and without a limit on touches.
  • The team in possession tries to create a finish.
  • The other team disrupts the build-up early with pressing and tries to win the ball and to finish in the dangerous area itself.
  • One team continues to play with one striker in the basic shape.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: In one half of the pitch, a halfway line and a goal line are marked out with cones. There is one goal on the goal line and one on the halfway line.

Equipment: 5 cones and 2 full-size goals.

Players: Two teams of eight are formed. There is a goalkeeper in each goal.

Coaching points
  • On winning the ball, switch immediately from defence to attack and first control the ball securely.
  • The defenders force the attacker on the ball into the area away from goal, double up on that player or tuck in to block the passing lane to the goal and to team-mates.
  • In attack, a staggered shape in depth is kept; moving on one line is avoided. The wide players stand on the touchline and use the width.
  • Passes in behind bring the defensive line into a forward movement; switching to the flanks forces it to shift across and opens up spaces for the diagonal ball into the side that has been vacated.
  • Triangles are formed again and again in order to create passing options.
  • Getting stuck in a tight space is avoided; switches of play and passes in behind are played regularly.

Session 3

4 drills

This training session will be about deliberately steering the opponents' build-up. The players learn to steer the opposing build-up inside in order to create an overload. In addition, doubling up from behind is taught.

Here the defender who stands between the opponent and their own goal holds up the attacker. The attacker who doubles up from behind actively attacks the ball.

Drill 1

2 vs 2 from Target Player to Target Player

20 min12 x 15 metres
  • The game is 2 vs 2.
  • Each team has one target player on each of the two outer sides.
  • The aim is to get the ball from one target player to the other; the attackers combine back and forth between their own two target stations as often as possible.
  • Every time the ball is played from one target player to the other, there is a point.
  • If the other pair wins the ball, play continues immediately.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area.

Equipment: 4 cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of two as well as two target players each on the outer sides.

Coaching points
  • Form triangles.
  • Show for the ball actively.
  • Get free in open spaces.
  • Play in an open body position wherever possible.
  • Switch quickly.
Drill 2

Forcing the Play Inside: 2 vs 1

20 min30 x 10 metres
  • The drill starts with a pass from the blue full-back to the holding midfielder nearest the ball.
  • With that pass, the numerical disadvantage arises between the blue player and the two yellow players.
  • The blue holding midfielder tries to dribble through one of the two red cone goals.
  • After winning the ball, Yellow tries to score a goal.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four poles and two mini goals; two red cones form the dribbling goals.

Equipment: 4 poles, 2 mini goals, 2 red cones and several balls.

Players: A blue full-back, a blue holding midfielder and two yellow players.

Coaching points
  • The player must try to gain space with an explosive turn.
Drill 3

Forcing the Play Inside: 3 vs 2

20 min
  • The goalkeeper starts the move with a pass to the blue full-back.
  • The yellow wide forward forces the full-back inside; from that moment the game is free.
  • After winning the ball, Yellow tries to score a goal.
  • Blue tries to dribble or shoot through one of the two cone goals.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: A row of cones marks off the playing area towards the centre of the pitch. On the halfway line, 4 poles form two pole goals next to each other. At the opposite end there is a goal with a goalkeeper.

Equipment: 1 goal, 4 poles, cones and several balls.

Players: Three attackers and two defenders in different bib colours, plus a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • Double up from the front and from behind: the rear player marks the attacker at arm's length, the front player attacks the ball immediately.
Drill 4

4 vs 4 with a Goalkeeper

25 min25 x 30 metres
  • Free play in a 4 vs 4.
  • Only ground passes are allowed in the combination play.
  • When the ball goes out at the side, it is dribbled back in.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area; there is a goal at each end.

Equipment: 2 goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of four and goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Defend in a ball-orientated and compact way in the 4 vs 4 as well.
  • Try to double up and, in doing so, cut off the passing line to another opponent.
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