Cover Shadow
- Age U6 - U13, U14 - U19, Men's / Women's
- Training Set Progression, Main point
Setup
The three yellow defenders line up in the back-three base formation (in a line). The blue ball-carrying attacker D stands facing the defenders, directly opposite centre back B. From these positions, the players move into the final positions shown in the diagram.
Procedure
Player D dribbles from his starting position toward player B. B breaks out of the line formation and attacks D. Players A and C tuck in behind B in a triangle stagger. The space created behind B is called the cover shadow, since this area is covered against a pass from player D. Once player B has reached ball height and the movement patterns and spacing of the defending players are correct, the players return to their starting positions and the exercise begins again.
Tip
- This is a walkthrough exercise. No tackles take place. It primarily serves to learn the movement patterns. - The exercise should be trained with as many repetitions as possible (automating the movement sequences). - The focus is solely on the movement patterns of the back three. The players should be sensitised to move into a triangle formation without much reaction time in a comparable match situation. - The spacing between individual players can vary due to game tempo, changes in the game situation, etc., and is typically between 7 to a maximum of 15 metres between each player in both width and depth. - The depth spacing in the triangle is 8-10 metres, the spacing between A and C in width is 7-12 metres. - B starts as soon as D begins dribbling. At the same time, the two outside defenders tuck in. - The closer player B approaches player D, the larger the cover shadow becomes. Note: While this optimises the prevention of passes behind the defenders, it simultaneously allows the attacker to dribble against B, since behind B the greater distance to the other two defenders would give him more time for a follow-up action.
Training attributes
Training Organization
- Age
- U6 - U13 U14 - U19 Men's / Women's
- Duration
- 10 min
- Training Set
- Progression Main point