WORLD CLASS COACHING
Win With Defensive Pressure
By Luca Bertolini
Table of Contents
PART FOUR
SMALL-SIDED GAMES
Alternate Colors Passing Lanes Blocks
A pitch is divided into three areas; two black players and a yellow one are placed on the right, two yellow players and a yellow one on the left, and a 1 v 1 duel in the middle together with a neutral player. One black player is in possession inside the left part of the pitch.
The black player in possession passes the ball in the middle of the pitch toward the teammate; the neutral player becomes the first defender to try to block the passing lanes. The yellow defender must try to block the second passing lanes toward the opposite outer area.
If the defender is able to recover the possession, he must pass the ball toward the side with two players to keep the possession; the black player must try to intercept the ball during the passing combination of the opposition
If the black player is able to keep possession after the first pass, he must play a wall passing combination with the outnumbered teammate and pass back again inside the area where the 2 v 1 duel is played. The yellow defender and the neutral player must close the passing lanes.
Coaching Points:
• Be placed in between the opponents
• Close different passing lanes
• Alternate the pressure on the opponent and the block of passing lanes while defending in numerical advantage.
Small Sided Game: alternate colors passing channels blocks.
A pitch is divided into three areas; three black players are placed on the left side, three yellow players are in the middle and three red players are place in the opposite outer area. One black player is in possession inside the left part of the pitch.
The black players must pass the ball among themselves until an outside passing channel can be found. The yellow defenders must try to close the outside passing channels and to intercept the ball.
If the defenders are able to win the possession they must the dribble the ball out toward the opposite direction where the ball came from; the black players can try to press them for a fix limit of time while running inside the center area.
Coaching Points:
• Be placed in between the opponents
• Pass the ball quickly during the possession phases if a passing channel is not found
• Close the passing channel trying to intercept the ball
• Press the opponent quickly to win the ball back again
