Defending Functional Drills

Functional soccer training for specific defending positions in soccer (like centre defenders, outside backs, etc). Functional training involves training or practicing the specific demands of a position or a role. This can be for an individual player, or for a unit (i.e. defense). Examples of defending functional practice would be 'Defending Wide Areas' or 'Coach Central Defenders to Defend Direct Play'. Functional training should take place in the area of the field where that scenario would occur in a real game.

Back 4 Zonal Positioning

Type: Phase of Play

Phase of Play: Defending

Intensity (Workload): Medium

Details: Parent Category: Functional Training; Category: Defending Functional Drills

Coach how to shift the defending block and how to compact the field. Coach defending deep and being hard to penetrate by maintaining spacing and co-ordinating as a unit effectively.

Defending Crosses

Type: Functional

Age: 16

Phase of Play: Defending , Transition (Att)

Intensity (Workload): Low

Details: Parent Category: Functional Training; Category: Defending Functional Drills

Defending crosses session mainly developing the 4,5 (Centre Back) positions and how to deal with crosses. Develop the ability of the defending unit to deal with crosses and improve decision making when defending crosses.

Coach Central Defenders to deal with Crosses

Type: Phase of Play

Age: 16

Phase of Play: Defending , Transition (Att)

Intensity (Workload): Medium

Details: Parent Category: Functional Training; Category: Defending Functional Drills

Defending priorities and roles for central defenders in dealing with wide served balls. Coach how to deal with attackers in the final third and the details of the defending movements of central defenders. Addresses body stance, positioning and distance of the defender in dealing with crosses.

Coaching the Outside Back On Defending Duties

Type: Functional

Age: 14

Phase of Play: Defending

Intensity (Workload): Low, Medium

Details: Parent Category: Functional Training; Category: Defending Functional Drills

Defending responsibilities and roles of an outside back (full back) in a functional defending exercise in our own half. Small group defending in combination with the techniques and strategies on how to defend in wide areas of the football field.