Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 17: Defending When Outnumbered

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

Situations in which your own team has to defend when outnumbered should be avoided wherever possible. However, losing the ball in the build-up or a fast counter-attack by the opponent can easily leave you outnumbered when defending.

Now the defenders must not attack the ball rashly but keep a cool head. The aim for the defenders is to close the centre and drop back, taking the pace out of the opposition's attack and inviting passes across the pitch.

This approach also includes delaying the attack until the team can defend with equal numbers or an overload again. For this, it is important that the defending team's players try to get back behind the ball as quickly as possible.

If the counter-attack cannot be slowed down enough, clever steering and positional play can still make it possible to win the ball while outnumbered, or at least force a shot from a poor angle.

The focus this training week will mainly be on situations in which the defending team is outnumbered. Players will work in particular on the 1 vs 2 and the 2 vs 3.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

In today's training, the main part will be specifically about how one defender acts against 2 attackers.

However, it starts with a warm-up that trains coordination, passing and controlling the ball. Gradually increase the difficulty over the course of the exercise – first let the players pass with 2 touches, in the next step demand more pace on the passes and finish the exercise with first-time passing.

In Exercise 2, a total of 30 minutes is then spent working on 1 vs 2, before moving on to a small-sided game in which the defending side is outnumbered in various numerical situations. It starts at 1 vs 2 and, step by step, one more defender and one more attacker at a time come into the playing area.

The session is rounded off with a small-sided game in a 2 vs 3. Defending with 2 players against 3 attackers will be the focus of the next training session. So at the end of this session, the players can already get a first feel for such match situations in advance.

Coaching points for this session

Defending in a 1 vs 2:

  • Drop off to take the pace out of the attack
  • Try to force square passes and prevent through balls
  • Take up a side-on position to force a solo run
  • Try to isolate the opponent in a 1 vs 1 situation
Drill 1

Complex Drill with an Agility Ladder

15 min
  • The first player at the lower cone has a ball and passes to the upper cone.
  • After the pass, this player goes through the agility ladder, completing various tasks on the way.
  • This player then joins the queue at the upper cone.
  • The player receiving the pass plays the ball back to the lower cone and goes through the agility ladder on the other side.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two red cones mark the opposite positions; two agility ladders lie between them.

Equipment: 2 cones, 2 agility ladders and several balls.

Players: The players spread out evenly across the two cones.

Coaching points
  • Play the passes with the second touch at first and first time later on.
  • After a few minutes, demand a short change of pace after the pass.
Drill 2

Ball Control in a 2 vs 1

25 min
  • Player B dribbles forward briefly and plays a pass to the oncoming Player C.
  • With this pass, Player A runs into the playing area.
  • The game is played 2 vs 1: Players B and C against Player A.
  • Players B and C attack the lower goal.
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: Groups of three for the 2 vs 1 — Players A, B and C; plus goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Use the numerical superiority to make the game wide.
  • The defender works in the space and attacks at the right moment.
Drill 3

Finishing with an Overload

25 min
  • The green team starts in a 2 vs 1 and tries to get to a finish as quickly as possible.
  • After every finish — whether it goes in or not — one more attacking player with a new ball and one more defending player come into the playing area, so that step by step 3 vs 2, 4 vs 3, 5 vs 4 and finally 6 vs 5 are played.
  • If the red team wins the ball or the goalkeeper makes a save, the counter-attack goes on the goal at the other end.
  • As soon as all the players are in the playing area, there are five minutes of free play. A new round then begins with a 2 vs 1.
Equipment & set-up

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

Equipment: 2 goals, 6 cones and at least 5 balls.

Players: One attacking team in green and one defending team in red plus two goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Use the numerical advantage to make the game wide.
  • Demand many 1 vs 1 situations.
Drill 4

3 vs 2 + Goalkeeper

25 min20 x 10 metres
  • The attacking team, in numerical superiority, tries to get to a finish purposefully.
  • The team with fewer players may counter-attack on the other goal on winning the ball.
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: Three attackers against two defenders; plus goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • The team in numerical superiority occupies the playing area in width and depth.
  • The team with fewer players covers for each other.
  • It tries to provoke square passes and transitions quickly on winning the ball.
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 first 40 minutes of training are spent working on technique. It begins with a continuous passing drill. After a short familiarisation period, you can gradually increase the difficulty by further reducing the number of touches and demanding more pace on the passes.

The 2nd technique exercise will be a dribbling course in which the different forms of carrying the ball are specified. If the players dribble through the course fairly confidently, you can also have the exercise done in competition format. This shows which players are confident on the ball under pressure too.

After that, the players defend in a 2 vs 3. Here the aim is to slow the attack down until 2 more defenders can get at the ball again, so that the ball can be won with a numerical advantage.

The 4th and last exercise of this session will be a Funino format in a 3 vs 2. So in today's training a total of 50 minutes is spent working on defending with 2 defenders and 3 attackers.

Coaching points for this session

Defending in a 2 vs 3:

  • Ball with an outside attacker: the ball-side defender steps out slightly, the far-side defender drops slightly deeper to cover. If the match situation allows, the attacker can be isolated in a 1 vs 1 situation.
  • Ball in the centre: both defenders play level with each other and drop off slowly.
  • The distances between the players should not be too large, so that the players can still get to all 3 attackers.
Drill 1

Endless Passing Combination

20 min
  • Player A passes the ball to Player B.
  • Player B lays the ball off to Player C and runs two to three metres into the playing area.
  • Player C lays the ball back to Player B.
  • Player B plays the ball long to Player A again.
  • Player A lays the ball off to Player D and receives a return pass.
  • Player A plays the ball forward again.
  • After each sequence of pass, lay-off and pass, Players A and D and Players C and B swap positions respectively.

Variations — increase the level of difficulty step by step:

  • Only the lay-offs from Players C and D are played first time.
  • Only the forward balls are played with two touches.
  • All passes are played first time.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark positions A, B, C and D.

Equipment: 4 cones and one ball.

Players: One player at each of positions A to D.

Coaching points

Increase the level of difficulty of this drill step by step:

  • Only the lay-offs from C and D are played first time
  • Only the forward balls are played with 2 touches
  • All passes are played first time
Drill 2

Shadow Dribbling

20 min15 x 20 metres
  • Two players run and dribble one behind the other — the front player as the dribbler, the rear player as the shadow.
  • The front player determines the direction and the pace.
  • The front player tries to shake off the shadow with changes of direction.
  • After one to two minutes both players swap positions.

Variations: Build feints such as the lunge and the step-over into the dribbling.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area. With more than ten players a second area is set up.

Equipment: 4 cones per area and several balls.

Players: Pairs, each consisting of a dribbler and a shadow.

Coaching points
  • Keep making changes of pace and direction in the dribbling.
  • When feinting, shift the centre of gravity sufficiently.
Drill 3

3 vs 2 plus 2

25 minHalf a pitch
  • The three yellow players start with a ball on the halfway line.
  • As soon as the first player has crossed the marker line, two more defenders join in from behind and help to win the ball.
  • The attacking players try to get to a finish as quickly as possible.
  • The defending players try to counter-attack on the other goal after winning the ball successfully.

Variations: Make the two additional defenders wait longer before they are allowed to join in — for example by counting down from three before they may leave their starting position.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones form a marker line between the halfway line and the penalty area; there is a goal at each end.

Equipment: 2 goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Three attackers in yellow, two defenders just in front of the penalty area and two more defenders behind them; plus goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • The attackers make the game wide.
  • They go into the 1 vs 1 quickly in order to get to a finish quickly.
  • The defenders defend in the space until they have numerical superiority in the 4 vs 3.
Drill 4

Funino - Passing 3 vs 1 or 3 vs 2

25 min
  • Goals may only be scored from the finishing zone.
  • The overload should be played out.
  • The opponent always starts from the opposite finishing zone.
  • The starting positions rotate continuously — green, blue, yellow, green again.
  • Basic rule: every player must have touched the ball once before the finish.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the playing area and the finishing zones; four mini goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 4 mini goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Teams for the 3 vs 1 or the 3 vs 2 in the colours green, blue and yellow.

Coaching points
  • Play out the overload cleverly.
  • Pass firmly and accurately.
  • Play the team-mate into the front foot when free.

Session 3

4 drills

The first two exercises of the 3rd training session will be about the players' coordination.

The players are trained to keep their heads up. The first exercise is done with the ball right away. In the second exercise, the ball can likewise be brought in after a familiarisation period.

The 3rd and 4th exercises are then about playing when outnumbered. First, the game is played on four goals with an ever-increasing number of players. Then on 2 goals, but with the teams taking turns to be outnumbered.

Coaching points for this session
  • The team with more players tries to make the game wide and go purposefully towards goal
  • The team with fewer players stays tight, but always with the option of stepping in
Drill 1

Taking the Ball in Stride and Coordination

15 min
  • The first player of group A moves through the poles sideways.
  • Once this player has reached the second-to-last pole, the first player of group B passes the ball with the inside of the foot.
  • This player takes the ball back and out in their stride and plays it with the inside of the foot to the next player of group A.
  • At the same time the player of group B runs to the poles and moves through them sideways step by step.
  • Once this player has reached the second-to-last pole, the next player of group A passes the ball with the inside of the foot; this player takes it back and out in their stride and plays it to the next player of group B.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six poles stand in a row; two cones mark the opposite positions A and B.

Equipment: 6 poles, 2 cones and several balls.

Players: Two groups at positions A and B.

Coaching points
  • Increase the speed and the pace of the passes step by step.
Drill 2

Warm-Up: Colour Sprint

15 min
  • The coach starts the drill by calling out a colour.
  • The players sprint to the corresponding cone in the square and touch it.
  • The coach then calls out one of the two target line colours.
  • The players sprint over the corresponding target line.
  • If the first target line has to be crossed, the players sprint around the large cone beforehand.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones in different colours mark out two squares; a target line runs between the squares, with a second one eight metres away from it.

Equipment: Cones in different colours.

Players: One player stands in each square.

Drill 3

Overload Game on 4 Goals

20 min
  • One player of Team A sets off into the area with a ball, one player of Team B without a ball; this starts a 1 vs 1.
  • As soon as the ball goes into a goal or out of play, a second player of Team B sets off into the area with a ball, and play continues as a 2 vs 1.
  • This sequence is repeated through 2 vs 2 and 3 vs 2 until all players are in the area and 4 vs 4 is played.
  • Goals only count if they are scored in the opponents' half.
  • In the next round, Team B starts with the ball first.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones mark the playing area; four goals stand on the sides.

Equipment: 4 goals, 6 cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams A and B with four players each.

Coaching points
  • The players coming on start explosively with a ball.
  • Use the overload to make the game wide.
Drill 4

Overload Game 4-3 or 5-3

30 min
  • The game starts as a 5 vs 3 with possession for the team with the overload.
  • If a goal is scored or the ball goes out of play, two players of the team with the overload leave the area.
  • The two players next to the goal come into the area instead.
  • In this way the overload changes after every ball out of play or goal.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the playing area; two goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 2 goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Teams of four or five players each; plus goalkeepers. The two remaining players stand outside the area next to their own goal.

Coaching points
  • Demand a high tempo.
  • Encourage dribbling.
  • Make sure that the players recognise the free space and the free goal.
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