Annual training plan · U14–U23

Week 6: Shifting the Back Four & Doubling Up

4 complete training sessions with 17 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

In the second-to-last training week of pre-season, work continues on coordination and speed, as well as on the basics of group tactical defending.

The first two sessions are about defending when outnumbered as well as with an overload in small groups.

The last two sessions cover the shifting of the back four. At first, the focus is only on moving across the pitch, forming a staggered line in depth and a defensive triangle.

Adjusting the height of the back four will then be covered in more detail over the course of the season.

By the end of this week, a good foundation in individual and group tactical attacking and defending will have been laid.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

Doubling-up situations are generally a very favourable starting position for the defenders. However, 2 vs 1 situations in defence should definitely be won, as otherwise numerical disadvantages could arise later on.

When doubling up, a distinction has to be made as to whether the 2nd defender comes from the front or from behind. Depending on the starting position, there are different behaviour patterns for 2 defenders that should be trained.

Coaching points for this session

2ND DEFENDER BEHIND THE BALL:

  • Create staggering in depth
  • show onto the 2nd defender

2ND DEFENDER IN FRONT OF THE BALL (attacker with their back to goal):

  • Defender provides cover
  • 2nd defender actively attacks the ball
Drill 1

Coordination with Passing

20 min
  • Player A plays the ball to Player B with the stronger foot and runs to the agility ladder.
  • Player B controls the ball and dribbles around the playing area back to A's starting position in order to join the line there.
  • The next Player A plays the ball to B again and this time runs in the other direction.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two agility ladders, rings and three hurdles as shown in the graphic; four tall cones and four cones mark the start and the playing area.

Equipment: 2 agility ladders, 4 tall cones, 4 cones, rings, 3 hurdles and several balls.

Players: The players in positions A and B.

Coaching points
  • Increase the tempo moderately.
  • Do not work at sprint pace during the first seven to eight minutes.
  • Watch out for clean execution in the coordination exercises.
Drill 2

Doubling Up and Winning the Ball

20 min6 x 24 metres
  • The attacker tries to get into the defenders' triangles.
  • The two defenders try to double up on the attacker.
  • If the defenders win the ball, they have to dribble through the middle cone goal.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Twelve cones in two colours mark two triangles for the defenders and one cone goal at the attackers' end.

Equipment: 12 cones and several balls.

Players: One attacker and two defenders.

Coaching points
  • Let the second defender come into the playing area from different starting positions: from the side, from behind or from the front.
  • The defenders try to double up on the attacker immediately.
  • The attacker has to use the pace built up and use different feints in order to beat two defenders.
Drill 3

Doubling Up in Zones

20 min
  • The three attackers start from the middle with one ball. During the attacking phase they may only stay in their own areas. The aim is to get in behind the back line and score a goal.
  • The three defending players may cross the boundaries of the areas. Their aim is to double up well and win the ball.
  • After winning the ball there is an immediate transition with the aim of scoring a goal. After losing possession the attackers may also cross the boundaries.
  • If the attackers win the ball back, the round is over.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: 20 cones form ten cone goals across the width as well as the zones.

Equipment: 20 cones and several balls.

Players: Three attackers and three defending players.

Coaching points
  • Watch out for the staggering in depth when doubling up.
  • The defender nearest the ball pushes out, the defender furthest from the ball provides cover.
Drill 4

Doubling Up in Modern Defending

25 min
  • The blue Players 7, 8 and 10 pass the ball to each other undisturbed behind a marked line.
  • The red Players 6 and 10 shift across in line with the ball, but stay inside the playing area.
  • The red Players 4 and 5 are positioned behind them, also shift across in line with the ball and pick up the blue Player 9, who shows for the ball.
  • With the pass to Player 9, the blue Players 7, 8 and 10 move into the playing area; a 4 vs 4 is created.
  • The attackers are to finish on goal. If the defenders win the ball, they counter over the marked line.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones mark out the playing area and a line inside the area.

Equipment: 6 cones and several balls.

Players: The blue team with Players 7, 8, 9 and 10, the red team with Players 4, 5, 6 and 10.

Coaching points
  • Only double up if the player on the ball can be cut off from the team-mates.
  • Disturb the attacker as early as the moment the ball is played in.
  • The defender has to win the ball and keep it until the team-mates step in and the numbers are equal.
The complete session as a ready-made training plan – with animated drills in the web app. Go to the web app

Session 2

5 drills

After a 30-minute coordination warm-up with sprints, the focus is again on defensive behaviour. This time, however, on defending when outnumbered.

The defending is done in 2 vs 3 as well as in 3 vs 4.

If a numerical disadvantage arises in defence in 11 vs 11, something must already have gone wrong beforehand – the press was cleverly bypassed, possession was lost in the build-up, there was not enough rest defence, or the team was trying to make up a deficit and therefore opened up.

Now the task is to gain time so that the team can defend with equal numbers or an overload again. Above all, the aim should be to force the opponents into square passes.

If this does not work well enough, at least a shot from an unfavourable angle should be forced.

Drill 1

Dribbling + Coordination Course

20 min15 x 15 metres
  • One player dribbles in the area, the partner runs through the course three times.
  • Then the partner goes into the area, and the two swap tasks.

Stations in the course:

  1. Run over the poles with a set number of contacts.
  2. Run through a straight slalom.
  3. Run through a staggered slalom.
  4. Run through a triangle of cones and touch every cone with the hand.

Possible tasks for the dribbling in the area: only with the left or right foot, only with the sole, pulling the ball back or performing feints.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: A dribbling area as well as a course with four stations made up of poles, hurdles and cones.

Equipment: Poles, hurdles, cones and one ball per pair.

Players: Groups of two.

Coaching points
  • The quality of execution comes before speed.
  • Train with both feet.
  • Look up from the ball.
Drill 2

Speed Competition With and Without the Ball

20 min
  • A competition is held between the players.
  • The coach calls out three colours — as the drill progresses also numbers, players' names or club names.
  • In this order the players run round the cones and then sprint over the finishing line at the coach.
  • The winner gets a point.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Eight cones in four colours, plus two tall cones as starting positions.

Equipment: 8 cones and 2 tall cones.

Players: The players stand in the middle at the tall cone.

Coaching points
  • Vary the distance of the finishing line.
  • Start and sprint inside the playing area with a low centre of gravity.
Drill 3

Passing in 4 vs 3

25 min
  • The respective attackers play a 4 vs 3 towards the opposition's two mini goals.
  • The task is to create goalscoring chances through secure combination play set up in width and in depth.
  • After a finish or after the ball is won inside the playing area, the team that was defending may start a 4 vs 3 towards the goals at the opposite end.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area; there are two small goals at each end.

Equipment: 4 small goals, 4 cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams.

Coaching points
  • The defending team acts patiently.
  • It cuts attackers off from the play in order to create equal-numbers situations.
  • It steers the play as a unit.
Drill 4

Defending Outnumbered | 2 vs 3

25 min
  • The game is always played 3 vs 2 with a goalkeeper in one half.
  • The players have to stay in their half.
  • If the defence wins the ball, it tries to play the ball quickly to the three attackers.
  • After the finish, free play towards the attack follows.
  • The tasks are changed in blocks after a maximum of five minutes, or continuously for individual players.
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 and two goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • The defence closes down the opponent with cover and switches quickly after winning the ball.
  • If the ball is with a wide player, the defender nearest the ball pushes across, the defender furthest from the ball provides cover with a staggered position in depth.
  • If the ball is with the central player, the defenders act on the same line.
  • Watch out for the distance between the defenders.
  • Gain time.
  • Isolate the wide player in a 1 vs 1 and force a finish from a poor angle.
Drill 5

Back Three Defensive Behaviour | 4 Attackers vs 3 Defenders

25 min
  • Three players of one team are in the playing area as defenders and play against four players of the attacking team.
  • The fourth player of the defending team stands next to the team's own goal with the ball.
  • The attackers try to score a goal; the back three tries to intercept the ball.
  • As soon as the attackers have finished — with a goal or a missed chance — they leave the playing area immediately behind the goal they attacked.
  • The third team comes into the playing area as quickly as possible. The previous defenders become the attacking team; their fourth player dribbles into the playing area with the ball. The new team defends.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones mark out the playing area; there are two goals at the ends.

Equipment: 2 goals, 6 cones and several balls.

Players: Three teams plus goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Watch for correct shifting across of the defensive line.
  • Watch for correct pushing up and pressure on the opponent — a defensive triangle when the attack comes through the centre, a sickle shape and tucking in when the attack comes down the sides.
  • Close down the passing lanes.

Session 3

4 drills

Teaching the behaviour of the back four is a time-consuming undertaking.

It requires a good understanding between the players, and each player's own positioning is always in relation to the other players of the back four.

The height of the whole line will not play a role for the time being in pre-season. It will above all be about 3 essential fundamentals:

1) ball-orientated shifting; 2) the wide player nearest the ball pushes out; 3) distances between the players

Drill 1

Running Technique Drills + Coordination

15 min
  • The players carry out various running drills — once in a zigzag around the cones and once straight ahead through the agility ladders.
  • They jog back.

Possible running drills:

  • Skipping
  • Heel flicks
  • Bounce hops
  • Skipping run
  • High-knee run
  • Crossover steps
  • Bounding run
  • Stork walk
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones and agility ladders as shown in the graphic.

Equipment: Cones and agility ladders.

Coaching points
  • Increase the pace slowly.
  • Watch for a high quality of execution.
  • Later on, also bring a ball into the drill.
Drill 2

Sprint with Coordination: Colour Sprint II

20 min
  • The two teams race against each other.
  • On the coach's command, the cones of the colour called are run round at a sprint.

Variations:

  • Instead of colours, fruits, names, professions and the like can be assigned to the cones.
  • Call out the categories alternately.

Progression:

  • Before running round the cones, go through an agility ladder, with changing forms of execution. The starting signal remains the coach's command, so the players have to memorise the colour during the coordination drill.
  • After the agility ladder, the runners are passed a ball and go through the cones dribbling.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: 18 cones in three colours, plus two tall cones as starting points.

Equipment: 18 cones and 2 tall cones.

Players: Two teams.

Coaching points

Coaching Points

  • Progression 1: Before running round the cones, go through an agility ladder (various forms of execution). The starting signal remains the coach's command. The players therefore have to memorise the colour during the coordination drill
  • Progression 2: After the agility ladder, the runners are passed a ball and go through the cones dribbling with the ball
Drill 3

Organisation of the Back Four

20 minHalf a pitch

What is trained is the switch between defending the central zone and shifting across to a wide area.

  • The two players on the halfway line pass the ball to each other and then suddenly play a pass to one of the strikers.
  • The striker plays first time to the wide forward.
  • The back four then shifts across to the wide area, and the full-back closes down the wide forward.
  • If this does not happen properly, the wide player delivers a cross. Otherwise a back pass follows and the drill starts again from the beginning.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: One goal on one half of the pitch.

Equipment: 1 goal and several balls.

Players: The players are split into 6 vs 5, plus a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • Watch for correct shifting across of the defenders.
  • Watch for correct pushing up and pressure on the opponent — a defensive triangle when the attack comes through the centre, a sickle shape and tucking in when the attack comes down the sides.
  • Close down the passing lanes.
Drill 4

Reinforced Defensive Line against Equal Numbers (4 vs 2 against 4 vs 2)

20 min
  • The reinforced defensive line shifts across in the same way as a back four or a back three does in zonal defending.
  • It tries to prevent balls played in behind through the gaps between the defenders and to create an overload near the ball in order to win the ball in a 1 vs 2.
  • The attacking players try to pass through the gaps in the line or to combine their way through the defensive lines.
  • At first only ground passes are allowed.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: One goal.

Equipment: 1 goal and several balls.

Players: The players are split into 6 vs 6, plus a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • The defender nearest the ball pushes onto it, the rest cover in a staggered formation behind.
  • In the centre a defensive triangle is formed.
  • Out wide a sickle shape is formed.
  • As soon as the holding midfielder has been played past, the holding midfielder turns round to double up.
  • The goalkeeper also shifts across in line with the ball.
  • Demand communication between the defenders.

Session 4

4 drills

In the second training session on the back four, work continues on the fundamentals in order to consolidate them.

After a coordination warm-up (Exercise 1), which aims to train scanning and speed of action, the session continues with 3 drills on the back four.

In Exercise 2 the focus is on compact shifting and on the defender nearest the ball pushing out.

In Exercise 3 the behaviour when the ball is played out to the flank is worked out in more detail.

The content of Exercises 2 and 3 is applied in a match-like way in a 7 vs 7 to finish.

Coaching points for this session

Note that there are 2 common patterns of behaviour when shifting across to one side:

  • ball-side full-back steps out and the remaining 3 defenders stay level with each other and focus more on the centre. This variant is particularly suitable against 2 strikers in the centre.
  • ball-side full-back steps out and shows inside onto the ball-side centre-back, who shifts across further than in the previous pattern. This variant is particularly suitable when the opponent has only one player in the centre-forward position.
Drill 1

3-Colour Game | Perception

20 min
  • The players pass the ball from square to square.
  • At first the pass always goes to the player's own colour.
  • The level of difficulty is increased step by step, for example: pass and follow the pass, pass to another colour, pass diagonally as well.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Nine cones mark out the playing area, which is divided into four squares.

Equipment: 9 cones, bibs in three colours and 4 balls.

Players: There is one player from each team in every square.

Coaching points
  • Watch for scanning.
  • Appoint one player to give the commands.
  • Demand communication.
Drill 2

Behaviour of a Back Four

20 min
  • The back four is positioned in the given squares.
  • Line 1 passes the ball back and forth until it spots a gap and can play the ball through to line 3.
  • The back four prevents the ball being played through to the line positioned behind it.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Ten cones divide the playing area into squares.

Equipment: 10 cones and several balls.

Players: A back four in the squares, four players in front of them as line 1 and four players behind them as line 3.

Coaching points
  • Watch the orientation of the defenders.
  • Choose one or two players — for example the centre-backs — for the others to take their bearings from.
Drill 3

Back Four - Shifting Across to the Right, with Fixed Marking in the Centre

15 minHalf a pitch.
  1. Player E plays the ball to the left attacking side to Player F.
  2. Defender A pushes out of the basic shape and closes down Player F.
  3. Because the strikers are standing in the dangerous area with the centre-backs and an immediate cross is threatened, the centre-backs pick up the two strikers and drop off slightly.
  4. Player D tucks in level with the far post, roughly level with Player C.
  5. Player F controls the ball and delivers a cross into the penalty area first time.

The two strikers try to finish. Player E runs diagonally into the penalty area, is picked up there by Player D and also tries to finish.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Half a pitch with one goal.

Equipment: 1 full-size goal.

Players: Four blue defenders A, B, C and D in the basic back-four shape on one line, plus a goalkeeper. Two red attackers G and H as the two strikers centrally in front of the back four, E and F as wide midfielders on both flanks. The ball is with Player E.

Coaching points
  • In the basic shape the defensive line stands about 22 to 23 metres in front of the goal, the lateral distances between the defenders are 7 to 12 metres.
  • The starting signal for all runs is the passer's backswing.
  • Full-back A runs at top speed to Player F and closes down at the earliest possible moment.
  • At the same time the remaining defenders drop off 5 to 6 metres.
  • The diagonal cross is played as an inside-of-the-foot pass — a linearly rising flight path at high speed.
  • Player E sprints diagonally towards the penalty area immediately after passing.
  • The cross is delivered immediately after Player F's ball control.
  • The strikers can make crossing runs.
Drill 4

Shifting Across to the Ball

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

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area; there are two goals at the ends. The playing area is divided lengthways into two halves — as an aid for the back four.

Equipment: 2 goals, cones and several balls.

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

Coaching points
  • The defender nearest the ball pushes out.
  • Form a defensive triangle; after the pass, slot back into the line quickly.
  • Watch the distances between the players.
  • Demand communication.
More on this topic Back four · 2 ready-made sessions View sessions →
Your training. Your web app.

Get the complete training plans in the web app

  • All 52 weeks, up to three sessions per week
  • More than 3,000 drills – many of them animated
  • Build your own training plans & share them with your team
Start for free

No subscription, no credit card. Sign up in 1 minute.