Cutters Community Soccer
Practice Plan 3: Defending
Coaching Points – Fast to Slow, Sideways and Low
Video: Fast to Slow, Sideways and Low (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsHs4dW4pNY)
Video: Second defender (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qus_tRw43A
Immediate Pressure
“Goal Side” Stay between the ball and the goal
Defensive Stance: Stay low, staggered stance (one foot forward, one back)
Don’t dive in (or over commit) for the ball: Wait until you know you can win it (bad touch, attacking player’s
head is down or s/he turns away from goal)
Value through Sport Topic: Teamwork
Talking points:
How do you show teamwork at practices and
games?
How is teamwork used at home?
What other "teams” are you on that are not sports
teams?
Reminder to work as a team today.
6-6:10 p.m. OR 7:15 - 7:25 p.m.
1. Warm Up:
Knee
Touches
Age group coordinators will demonstrate proper
defending stance: one foot in front of the other,
low to the ground, knees bent, and basic
positioning (defender between ball and goal
always, GOAL SIDE)
Activity: everyone has a partner. Standing in your
defensive stance, try to tap your partners FRONT
knee for a point. Focusing on defensive stance and
not chasing each other. Moving your feet backward,
forward, and side to side.
Emphasize coaching points (above).
During warm-up activities, the age group
coordinators and trainers will demonstrate
Fast to Slow, Sideways and Low
6:10-6:20 p.m. OR 7:25-7:35 p.m.
2. 1v1
defending
 Set up a few grids 10 yards long 
 The players start at opposite ends of the grid
with the defender having the ball.
 The defender passes the ball to the dribbler
and then goes to defend.
 The dribbler tries to get to the opposite end of
the grid with the ball under control.
 Encourage the defender to try to gain
possession of the ball and not merely kick the
ball away from the dribbler.
Coaching Points: Emphasize defense
 Defender puts immediate pressure on the attacker
after passing the ball
 Defender should stay “goal side” between the goal
and the ball
 Move fast to defend, take proper sideways stance,
wait for the mistake to win the ball.
 Go after the ball when
o Attacker takes a bad touch
o Attacker’s back is to you
o Attacker’s head is down
10
Yards
6:20-6:30 p.m. OR 7:35-7:45 p.m.
3. Pressure
& Cover
Mirror
 Have one team with the ball (white stars). These
players will pass the ball back and forth to each
other.
 The red stars are the defenders.
 When player A has the ball, player C should
pressure it (fast, then slow, sideways & low).
 A then passes to B. Player D pressures the ball
and C goes back to the yellow cone.
 As the ball moves back and forth between A & B,
C and D alternate providing pressure.
This exercise will teach players to
work together instead of two
defenders rushing to the ball.
Limit the field to 10-15 yards.


B
A

C
D
Helps with spacing on the field so two players don’t
go to the ball.
For this exercise, we do not want the players to
steal the ball, we just want them to get used to the
movement of pressuring the ball or covering for
their teammate and working together.
Emphasize communication. It’s helpful when the
player says things like “I’m going to the ball” or “my
ball” but not when they say “yours.”
6:30-6:40 p.m. OR 7:45-7:55 p.m.
4. Pressure &
Cover
(2 vs. 2)








Split team into four even groups
Setup like the diagram 
Team A /B plays against Team C/D
Player A passes ball to player C and provides
immediate pressure.
If C passes the ball to D, then player B becomes
first defender and player A provides cover.
Team A/B work together to win the ball, but
MUST stay in their half of the grid (in other
words, they can’t cross the middle dotted line.)
If Team A/B wins the ball they can try to score on
C/D’s goal.
Score by dribbling across the line.

A
B

C
D

Emphasize good individual defending techniques,
such as the first defender applying immediate
pressure, staying “goal side” and not diving in or
stabbing at the ball
Good team defending requires the defenders to talk
to each other (for example: I’ll go to the ball) AND
deciding how and when to provide “cover”
“Cover” is when the second defender covers the
space behind the behind the first defender.
Switch roles after several rounds.
6:40-6:50 p.m. OR 7:55-8:05 p.m.
5. Team
Defending
(2 vs. 2)



Coaching Points: Same as above.
Closest player goes to the ball, the second player
provides “cover” in the following ways:
o if the attacker dribbles past the first defender,
the second defender steps to the ball
o If the attacker passes to another player, the
second defender steps to the player who
received the pass.
Use the goal end of your field. (In this
exercise, attackers should start about 30 yards
from the goal)
Defending team passes ball to attackers to
start.
Explain the importance of team defending:
defending as a unit.
6:50-7 p.m. OR 8:05-8:15 p.m.
6.
Scrimmage
Divide group into even teams (no subs) and
play on the width of each field.
Discuss game situations during the
scrimmage. “Freeze” play to make
your point to the team.


Reinforce lessons from training during the
scrimmage.
Additional information: Definitions of terms related to defending: http://www.soccercoachingnotes.com/coaching/tactical/team-defending-in-soccer.pdf.