Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity is a 4 v 4 game working on defensive shape with overlapping runs.
There are some excellent activities working on this aspect of the game in the book Defending & Goalkeeping Drills of the World’s Top Teams & Coaches
Start with 4 attacking players around 35 yards out and 4 defending players. There is a keeper in goal and one of the central attacking players has the ball.
The two central players pass the ball back and forth
When either central player passes to an outside player, he overlaps around and they attack the goal.
Defensively the center back will shift over and take the player with the ball and the outside back takes the runner.
This is working on the defending group maintaining their shape and balance and not getting spread out across the field while the attacking group works on dynamic runs.
Any time the defending group wins the ball or the ball goes out of play, the game is resumed from the start position.
It’s important that the keeper stay involved in this activity to make sure he understands responsibilities and positioning as well.
The overlapping run can be made in either direction (or in both directions) as the attacking team is trying to unbalance the defending group.
There are some excellent activities working on this aspect of the game in the book Defending & Goalkeeping Drills of the World’s Top Teams & Coaches
Have a great day!
Lawrence
