Week 3

Outcomes

• ✓Players can name three specific pressing triggers (bad touch, back pass, GK in hands, slow pass)
• ✓Players can press in a coordinated pair or trio without leaving gaps behind
• ✓Players can hold a defensive line under pressure without stepping out prematurely
• ✓Players can perform a 1v1 defending stance correctly: sideways-on, low, one arm's length from the attacker

Equipment

• 10 balls
• 25 cones
• 8 pinnies
• 2 full-size goals

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & FIFA 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Grid 20×15 yds. Players in pairs.

   How to run it: Begin with partner juggling/passing warm-up at walking pace. Progress through FIFA 11+ series: high-knee running, side-to-side hops, lateral shuffles facing partner, hamstring scoops (alternating), and backwards jogging. Add reaction element: partner holds two balls at shoulder height; when they drop one, the other player must react and touch the ground before picking it up. Finish with 3×15-yd defensive backpedal sprints.

   • ›Hamstring scoops: drive the heel to the glute — don't just kick backwards
   • ›Reaction drill trains the visual stimulus that mimics a pressing trigger in the game
   • ›Backpedal: stay on your toes, head up, arms out for balance

2. 2. Technical Practice – 1v1 Defending Technique

   15m

   Set up: 10 gates (pairs of cones, 3 yds wide) spread across a 30×20 yd grid. Players in pairs, attacker vs defender.

   How to run it: Attacker tries to dribble through any gate; defender prevents them. Coach demonstrates the defensive stance: sideways-on at 45°, showing the attacker one side, staying an arm's length away. Play for 45 seconds, then rotate roles. Award 1 point per gate the attacker passes through. After 8 min, coach adds a second rule: defenders must jockey — no diving in — for the first 2 seconds.

   • ›Show the attacker one side — never stand square and give them both options
   • ›Don't dive in: patience in 1v1 is a skill, not passivity
   • ›Stay on the balls of your feet — flat-footed defenders get beaten every time
   • ›Delay long enough for help to arrive — you don't have to win the ball alone

3. 3. Skill Game – Pressing Triggers Rondo (5v2+1)

   15m

   Set up: 12×12 yd grid. 5 possession players around the outside, 2 defenders inside. A neutral 'trigger caller' stands outside and watches.

   How to run it: 5 players keep possession against 2 defenders. The trigger caller watches and shouts 'press!' when they see a heavy touch, a square pass, or a player showing their back. On 'press!', both defenders must immediately press the ball-side player together. If the defenders win the ball, the player who made the error becomes a defender. Run for 12 min.

   • ›Trigger: learn to see it yourself — the trigger caller is training your eyes
   • ›Press in pairs: one presses the ball, one cuts the most dangerous passing lane
   • ›Possession team: when pressed, play simple — one-touch out of pressure

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – Press vs. Build

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch. Two teams of 7. Team A must press from the front. Team B must build from the back. Switch roles every 7 min.

   How to run it: Team A's front 3 press aggressively; the back 4 hold a high line. Team B must play through the press using the build-up patterns from Week 1. If Team A wins the ball in the attacking third, it's an automatic goal. Normal scoring applies elsewhere. Coach counts how many times Team B successfully escapes the press.

   • ›Pressing team: the high line is dangerous — your back 4 must stay connected to the front 3
   • ›Building team: if the press is too high, a direct ball over the top is correct — read the space
   • ›Midfield pivot: you're the escape route — drop into pockets, demand the ball
   • ›Pressing trigger: the moment the GK's pass is slightly heavy — go immediately

5. 5. Scrimmage – Pressing on Command

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch, normal rules, both GKs.

   How to run it: Every 90 seconds, coach shouts 'PRESS!' — the team without the ball must immediately press the ball carrier. After 10 seconds, normal rules resume. Track which team is quicker to respond to the press call. Last 5 min: no press calls — teams choose when to press independently.

   • ›A good press isn't about energy — it's about timing and angles
   • ›The team that presses together wins the ball; the team that presses individually gets beaten

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players in a circle on the pitch.

   How to run it: Partner static stretching: calf raises against each other's shoulders, glute stretches sitting on the grass, and shoulder rotations. Coach asks the group: 'Name three pressing triggers.' Players answer. Coach confirms and adds any they missed.

   • ›Defending is a skill that wins games — don't undervalue it
   • ›Pressing triggers are your contract with your teammates — everyone must see the same moment

Outcomes

• ✓Players can maintain a defensive block with less than 5 yds between lines
• ✓Players can shift the block laterally as a unit when the ball switches sides
• ✓Players can win the ball as a team within 8 seconds of a press trigger
• ✓Players can recover goal-side immediately after losing possession

Equipment

• 8 balls
• 30 cones
• 10 pinnies
• 2 full-size goals
• 1 set resistance bands (optional for warm-up)

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & FIFA 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Two parallel lines across the width of the pitch, 10 yds apart.

   How to run it: Dynamic sequence focusing on lateral movement for defensive work: shuffles across the width, crossover steps, backwards shuffle-sprint combination (5 yds back, sprint forward), and defensive stance walks (staying low for 10 yds). Add defensive headers: gently toss the ball to a partner at head height, partner heads it back (safety first — use soft balls if available and keep height modest). Finish with 3×25-yd runs at 75%.

   • ›Defensive stance walk: keep knees bent, weight forward, arms out
   • ›Lateral movement quality — don't let fatigue cause you to stand upright
   • ›Heading: eyes open until contact; head through the ball, not under it

2. 2. Technical Practice – Block Shifting Drill

   15m

   Set up: Half pitch. Two teams of 5 in defensive shapes (back 4 + midfielder vs 4 attackers + 1). Coach controls the ball from outside.

   How to run it: Coach passes ball to attacker on the left. Defensive team shifts left — all 5 players move as one unit to close the left side. Coach quickly plays to the right — defensive team shifts right. Players must maintain their relative positions and not break the shape. After 5 min, add the condition that if any defender steps out of line, coach calls 'gap!' and they must do 5 defensive shuffles before re-joining.

   • ›The ball-far player moves first to signal the shift — everyone else follows
   • ›Don't sprint to close down — jog into position to maintain shape
   • ›Midfield screen: stay between the lines, don't go to the ball, protect the space behind

3. 3. Phase Game – 7v7 Defensive Third

   15m

   Set up: Defensive half of the pitch only. Two teams of 7, one defends, one attacks. Defending team starts with a compact 4-2-1 block.

   How to run it: Attacking team tries to play through the defensive block to score in a full-size goal. Defending team scores by winning the ball and playing it to a target player behind the halfway cone. If the defending team wins the ball and takes more than 5 seconds to reach the target, it resets. Run for 12 min, rotating which team defends after 6 min.

   • ›Compact: no player stands in a gap — force the attacker to play backward or sideways
   • ›Win the ball cleanly — a controlled interception beats a desperate tackle
   • ›Immediate reaction on winning: find the target — don't dwell

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – 9v9 Defensive Emphasis

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch. Two teams of 9 including GKs. A point is awarded for every 45 consecutive seconds a team holds a compact defensive block (measured by coach).

   How to run it: Normal play rules apply. Coach uses a stopwatch and calls 'compact check!' every 90 seconds — the team without the ball freezes, coach checks their shape. If all lines are within 5 yds of each other, they bank 1 point. Play 18 min total. Scoring: normal goals = 2 points, compact checks = 1 point, transition goal = 2 points.

   • ›Holding your shape when you want to chase is the hardest thing in the game
   • ›Your GK is your last line and your loudest voice — GK should be calling the shape
   • ›Don't celebrate a tackle — immediately check your position before the celebration

5. 5. Scrimmage – Full Game, Defensive Intensity

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch, normal rules.

   How to run it: Free play. Coach focuses purely on observing defensive transitions and shape — no stoppages for offensive errors. Between halves, coach gives 2 specific players specific praise for their defensive work, and challenges the group with one defensive target for the second half.

   • ›Defending is a team sport — if one player switches off, the whole block fails
   • ›Be proud to defend well — it's what wins titles

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players lying on the grass.

   How to run it: Full body static stretch guided by the captain. Coach asks one question: 'What's the difference between a good defensive team and a team that just defends?' Allow discussion. Aim for players to articulate: a good defensive team wins the ball and immediately becomes dangerous.

   • ›Defending and attacking are not separate — they're the same game viewed from both sides
   • ›The best defensive teams I've seen also score the most transition goals