Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 11: Ball-Orientated Defending

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

Especially at U8/U9 and U10/U11, small-sided games still look very much like a string of isolated 1 vs 1 situations. At first, players usually only have eyes for their own opponent. There is not much wrong with that at first, because it helps players develop good duelling behaviour.

But from U12/U13 at the latest, players should learn to work together without the ball. At first, this is about the absolute basics. Players will learn …

  • … to cover each other
  • … to attack the ball together and create an overload near the ball
  • … to make the playing space tight by cutting off passing options
  • … to support each other with simple, short commands

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

The main focus of today's training session is on ball-orientated defending. This forces the players, when out of possession, to direct their attention not only to their own opponent and the ball, but also to the space and to other opponents.

Another decisive factor in ball-orientated defending is coordinated behaviour between team-mates. Because only in this way is it possible to make the space tight for the opponents, by shifting towards the ball as a unit. At the same time, the aim should also be to cut the other opponents off from play by putting them in the cover shadow.

Coaching points for this session
  • Shift across to the ball side
  • Make the spaces tight
  • Cut off further opponents by putting them in the cover shadow
  • Demand that players coach each other
  • Also pay attention to other opponents
Drill 1

Numbered Passing

20 min30 x 25 metres.

Players 1 and 7 each start with a ball. Passing follows ascending numerical order: Player 1 passes to Player 2, Player 2 to Player 3 and so on. At the same time Player 7 starts and passes upwards to Player 8.

To begin with, play with at least two touches per player, not first time. As the drill progresses, switch to one-touch play with a single touch.

Variations:

  • Players 1, 5 and 9 each start with a ball — three balls in play in total.
  • Change the group size and the number of balls; both increase the level of difficulty.
  • A maximum of three touches per player, with the incoming pass controlled in one touch. This is followed by a quick change of direction and a firm pass to the next team-mate.
  • Set the passing technique: inside of the foot, laces, outside of the foot, inside-of-the-foot push pass or curling the ball with plenty of spin.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: 30 x 25 metres, marked out with four cones.

Equipment: 4 cones and 2 balls.

Players: 12 players, numbered from 1 to 12, spread out across the playing area.

Coaching points
  • Call out to the receiving player before playing the pass.
  • Keep constant eye contact with the passer and the receiver.
  • Coordinate the timing of the pass and of the start of the run.
  • Keep moving and change areas rather than standing in one position.
  • Correct any faulty execution and demonstrate the correct execution.
Drill 2

Defending: Ball-Oriented

20 min15 x 15 metres per area; there are also 15 metres between the areas
  • Group A passes the ball back and forth in its three areas.
  • The players of Group B move towards the ball in their respective area.
  • On the coach's call, a red player dribbles with the ball towards one of the three opposing areas and tries to dribble through it.
  • The yellow players all move into the area concerned and try to prevent this.
  • If the red player gets through, Group A stays in possession and receives a point.
  • If this does not work, Group B passes the ball back and forth.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark three areas for each group of three.

Equipment: 16 cones and several balls.

Players: Two groups of three — Group A in red, Group B in yellow.

Coaching points
  • The combinations have to happen quickly so that the defence cannot keep up.
  • The dribbling player starts at the right moment with plenty of pace.
Drill 3

5 vs 5 Knocking Over Tall Cones

30 min
  • A 5 vs 5 is played inside the marked area.
  • The task of the teams is to pass into the opposition end zone.
  • The receiving player runs onto the ball and tries to knock over a tall cone first time.
  • The team that is first to knock over all three tall cones in the opposition end zone wins.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area with two end zones; there are three tall cones in each end zone.

Equipment: 6 tall cones, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of five.

Drill 4

One-Two, Feint and Shot

20 min
  • The first player plays a pass to the team-mate.
  • The team-mate breaks away from the dummy with a preparatory movement and plays the ball back.
  • The first player takes the ball on, dribbles past the dummy with a feint and finishes.

Variations:

  • Position the dummy on the right-hand side of the passer.
  • Have the drill carried out as an individual or team competition.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two dummies or poles stand on the pitch as opponents, plus a starting cone; a goal stands at the end.

Equipment: 2 dummies or poles, cones, 1 goal and several balls.

Players: Pairs of two players each; plus a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • Lay the ball off with the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Take the ball on straight into the movement.
  • Start the feint in good time and go past the dummy with a change of pace.
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

In the first training session, the focus was on the players not directing their attention only to their own opponent. For example, the players should learn to leave their opponent when that opponent is on the far side and/or far behind the play. Ideally, the opponent is also put in the cover shadow in the process.

Ball-orientated defending, which moves the players away from focusing purely on their own opponent, can be learnt excellently in small-sided games with a slight numerical disadvantage.

As a result, the defending players are forced to ask themselves which opponent can be left free and how they should position/move themselves in order to cut this player off.

Coaching points for this session
  • Shift across to the ball side
  • Make the spaces tight
  • Cut off further opponents by putting them in the cover shadow
  • Demand that players coach each other
  • Also pay attention to other opponents
Drill 1

Tic Tac Toe with 3 Bibs

15 min
  • One player from each group starts with a bib and places it on one of the nine cones.
  • The process is repeated until three bibs of one team lie in a row vertically, horizontally or diagonally.
  • As soon as a player runs without a bib, that player changes the position of a bib that has already been placed.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Nine cones form a playing area of three by three squares; two starting cones mark the beginning of the running route.

Equipment: 11 cones and three bibs per group.

Players: Two groups that always start at the same time.

Drill 2

Exercise of the Week 17: Double One-Two

20 min25 x 12 metres
  • The blue player starts with a short pass to the stationary blue wall player, who lays the ball back into the run first time.
  • This is followed by a first-time pass to the red stationary wall player, who also lays the ball back into the run first time.
  • Finally the blue player plays a first-time pass to the large cone of the red group.
  • There the red team-mate plays the two one-twos with the wall players in reverse order.
  • After the two one-twos, the blue player runs to the red group.
Equipment & set-up

Equipment: 4 cones and several balls.

Players: Eight players or more. With more than 16 players, the drill is set up twice.

Coaching points
  • The player waiting for the ball starts the counter-movement at the same moment as the passing player's backswing.
  • The passer matches the running speed to the speed of the pass — players often run faster than they pass.
  • The standing foot is not placed too far away from the ball; the players do not lean back.
  • The timing of the pass and of the start are decisive.
  • Demand firm and accurate passes.
Drill 3

5 vs 3 Alternating

25 min
  • Team Yellow plays 5 vs 3 against Team Blue on the two mini goals.
  • If a goal is scored, Team Blue plays with five and Team Yellow with three players.

Variations: If the three players act too passively, the rule applies that seven passes in a row count as a goal.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area; there are four mini goals at the ends.

Equipment: 4 mini goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of five players each.

Coaching points
  • If the 3 players act too passively, introduce the rule that 7 passes count as a goal.
Drill 4

4 plus 1 vs 4 in Rotation

25 minDouble penalty area
  • The games are played in a tournament format.
  • The two neutral players take turns between the games so that there is always a 4 plus 1 vs 4.
  • The neutral players always play with the team in possession.
  • When the ball goes out of play, the goalkeepers restart the game.
  • Each game lasts three minutes, with a 90-second rest in between; the players who are resting recover actively.

Variations: For more endurance load, the winner stays in the playing area each time.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 2 goals and several balls.

Players: Teams of four players each plus two neutral players; plus goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Carry out the drill at the highest intensity.

Session 3

4 drills

The aim of today's training session is to teach covering for each other.

The training starts with a drill that takes up ball-orientated defending once again. The players learn in particular to close the forward passing lanes by shifting with the ball in order to close the gaps left by their team-mates.

In Exercise 2 the session continues with a 1 vs 2 – a drill that is very well suited to learning the basic principles of covering for each other.

In Exercises 3 and 4 what has been learnt can then be put into practice in a match-like way in a 3 vs 3 and 4 vs 4.

Coaching points for this session
  • Cover the team-mate who steps out and attacks the ball
  • Form a defensive triangle
  • Cover in a staggered position in depth
Drill 1

Small-Sided Game with 3 Zones

20 min
  • In area 1, yellow plays 4 vs 2 against Team Red.
  • The aim of Team Yellow is to play five passes in a row; the team with the numerical advantage has no touch limit.
  • If this succeeds, the team tries to pass the ball past the red players in the middle zone to Team Blue.
  • If that succeeds as well, the two red players move out of the middle zone into the area with blue and play there with a numerical disadvantage as well; the other two red players move into the middle zone.
  • Team Red may only leave the middle if it wins the ball and passes to one of the two middle players.
  • Then the team that had the numerical advantage a moment before switches into the numerical disadvantage: two players push into the area with red, the other two stay in the middle zone.

Variations:

  • Increase the number of passes required for a change of area.
  • Reduce the touches of the team with the numerical advantage to three, two or one.
  • A change also takes place when the ball goes out of play.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area, which is divided into three zones.

Equipment: 4 cones and several balls.

Players: Three groups of four — yellow, red and blue. Yellow is in area 1, blue in area 2; of the red players, two stand with yellow and two in the middle zone.

Coaching points
  • Prepare the pass into the other area well.
  • Play the pass firmly through the middle zone.
Drill 2

1 vs 2 Variation

25 min40 x 35 metres
  • An attacker starts towards the goal with a ball.
  • The two defenders try to win the ball.
  • After every round the pair of defenders and the attacker change.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the playing area; a goal stands at one end.

Equipment: 1 goal, cones and several balls.

Players: Attackers and defenders are divided up; the defenders form pairs. The attackers position themselves on the left wing, the first pair of defenders in front of the goal. Plus a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • The defenders with the overload always defend aggressively.
  • They keep a slight staggering in depth and a sideways position to the attacker.
  • The defender who steps up steers the attacker towards the partner in order to double up on the attacker there in a 2 vs 1.
  • The partner waits until the attacker under pressure lets the ball run loose briefly, and then attacks immediately and aggressively forwards.
Drill 3

Mini Football 3 vs 3 on 3 Cone Goals

25 min
  • A free 3 vs 3 is played.
  • The defending team must keep all three goals in view at all times.
  • The attacking team can make the game wide in order to pull the defenders apart and score a goal with a switch of play or by playing into the middle.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the playing area, twelve tall cones form the goals.

Equipment: 12 tall cones, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of three.

Coaching points
  • Set up short and intensive rounds.
  • If the teams defend too passively, six passes can be counted as a goal.
Drill 4

4 vs 4 to Target Zones

25 min22 x 22 metres
  • Two teams of four play towards the target zones in the marked area.
  • The aim is to pass to a team-mate in such a way that the ball can be run onto in the target zone.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Eight cones mark the playing area and the two target zones.

Equipment: 8 cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of four players each.

Coaching points
  • Make the game wide in order to pull the defenders out.
  • Later on, also allow dribbling into the target zones.
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.