EXERCISE 41 - DEFENSIVE AND OFFENSIVE ORGANIZATION
SET UP AND OBJECTIVES
In one middle field we start this exercise with a Gk+7v4 situation were the ball is moving between the players in a standadized way.
Our main objective for this first situation is to position the 3 forwards and the offensive midfielder in the defensive phase. We want to work on the positions of this four players when we are in a high pressing.
55% Complexity
After we have a second situation, a competitive 8v5+Gk.
Our main objective for this second situation is to work on the recovery defensive positions for the 4 defenders and defensive midfielder in the moment of losing the ball. We also want to work the defensive positions and space occupation when defending near the our area.
For the attackers, we want to create the awareness of the offensive space and work some offensive patterns and principles.
64% Complexity
ANIMATED DRILL
First situation Gr+7v4
Second situation 8v5+Gr
THE DRILL
With the beginning of this exercise the white players begin to pass the ball in a standardized way: goalkeeper, central back, full back, central midfielder, central midfielder, full back, central back and back to the goalkeeper.
The players should pass the ball between them slowly and with great accuracy.
One of the objectives of this circulation is to give awareness to the players were are the positions of the coleagues accordingly to the structure of the team.
Doing this without pressing from the opponents gives time to the players to analyze the positions of the coleagues and the possibilities to pass the ball, at the same time the opponent is moving. This is very important for each player, they can build their own mental map of the positions of every coleagues accordingly with is own position. The central back see the game differently that the full back or central midfielder.
But the main objective is to work with the three attackers and offensive midfielder in their defensive positions accordingly with the movement of the ball. This players should position themselves in a way that can protect the central field and at the same time guide the ball to the lines. In here.
Asking the players to pass the ball slowly, gives the four players the time to adjust correctly to the position of the ball. They can look were are the opponents and here they should move to be better position accordingly with the indications of the coach. This way they also can create in their minds, the mental map for that defensive situations, picking up some clues from the game that will help them to be better position.
When the ball goes back to the goalkeeper, this should put it long to one of the yellow full bakcs. This way we are training the long pass from the goalkeeper to his full back.
In this moment, the two central midfielders became players of the yellow team and the two yellow full backs enter in the exercise to change it into a 8v5+Gk situation.
When the ball enters the yellow full back, this should receive it and then pass to one of the central midfielders. This will give the necessary time for the white team to regain their defensive positions, closing in the middle of the field.
In this moment of the exercise we go to a competitive situation of 8 agains 5 plus goalkeeper.
The white team should work as a unit, working on keeping the line and at the same time pressing the ball and controlling the space in their back (defensive depth).
The yellow team should be working as a unit to work the ball and get into the box in conditions to score a goal. They should take advantage of the numerical advantages privileging the the colective actions instead of individual actions.
With the numerical advantage for the offensive team, the players have more space and time to analyze the game, working to resolve this situation as a team. On the other hand, the coach also have more time to correct the offensive positions, accordingly to his view of how the players should behave on the field to give conditions to attack, to give lines of pass and to prepare the defensive transition.
The white team learn how to defend in numerical disadvantage, making them be more focus on covering the space instead of the man marking. This way we are forcing the defenders to work in zonal defence to have success, they don't have enough players to work on a man to man defence.
João Miguel Parreira
