Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on zonal defending with the back four and midfielders.
Start with a keeper in goal, 4 backs and 2 central midfielders defending a goal. There are 2 attacking forwards, four midfielders and 2 backs attacking. The attacking midfielders and backs each have a ball
The coach calls a number and whichever number he calls, that players ball is live. The defenders have to shift appropriately in order to compress the field. In the example below, the coach has called “1” and the defense reacts accordingly.
Play continues until the ball goes out of play and then the players reset and the coach calls a different number. If the next call is “4” the players shift to the other side.
If the number called is for one of the backs, the defenders would step up accordingly.
Because the defenders are outnumbered, they are going to try to compress the field, allow the opponents to pass the ball backwards and square and prevent them from going forward.
There is an excellent progression to work on this type of progression in the DVD English Professional League Zonal Defending Back Four and Midfielders.
Have a great day!
Lawrence
