— TRAINING SESSION

Defending session — individual and unit

Stretch the Game · 75 minutes · 4 drills · Generated 21 May 2026

Builds defensive quality from the individual jockey up to the back four\'s shape and shifting.

4DRILLS

75MINUTES

19AVG / DRILL

1 Jockeying technique — passive shadow

0 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u10 Court: Half

Defender shadows an attacker who dribbles slowly through a channel. No tackle is permitted — the defender practises footwork, body position, and angles. Drills the technique before the tackle.

Coaching points

• Side-on stance — never square up to the attacker
• Touch-tight at 1-2 yards — close enough to pressure, far enough to react
• Mirror the attacker\'s movement — side-step, don\'t cross feet
• Stay on the balls of your feet — light and reactive
• Force them where you want them to go

2 1v1 defending — jockey and win

0 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u12 Court: Half

Defender and attacker face off in a channel. Defender must delay the attacker, force them to one side, and win the ball cleanly. The single most important defensive skill.

Coaching points

• Approach in a curve — don\'t straight-line it
• Low stance, knees bent, weight on the balls of the feet
• Show the attacker onto their weaker foot
• Don\'t dive in — wait for the heavy touch or the moment they look down
• Win the ball cleanly — no two-footed tackles

3 4v4 defensive shape

0 min Difficulty: Advanced Age: u14 Court: Half

A back four defends against four attackers in a half-pitch scenario. Drills the shape, communication, and shifting required to defend as a unit. The foundation of team defending.

Coaching points

• Stay compact — no gaps between defenders
• Press the ball, cover the next pass — never both defenders ball-watching
• Shift as a unit when the ball moves wide
• Communication: 'press!', 'hold!', 'tuck in!'
• Force play wide, don\'t let attackers get central

4 Recovery run — sprint back to defend

0 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

Defender starts ahead of the play, then sprints back to defend a 2v1 against onrushing attackers. Drills the work-rate and angles needed to recover after losing possession.

Coaching points

• Sprint, don\'t jog — the difference between conceding and clearing
• Take the angle that gets you GOAL-SIDE first, then ball-side
• Cover the most dangerous attacker (usually the one with the ball)
• Delay rather than tackle — buy time for teammates to recover
• Communicate with the keeper — they can see what you can\'t