DEFENSIVE

TRANSITIONS
AG E P H AS E : U 1 7 +
SESSION PLAN
SESSION OVERVIEW DEFENSIVE TRANSITIONS

LEVEL PART 2: 7v7 ATTACK v DEFENCE KEY

BREAKOUT GAME
• U17-First team Ball movement
• This game is played on a pitch that is split in half.
• The attacking team is attempting to score, and they are Player movement
SESSION OBJECTIVES not allowed to leave the opposition’s half. This creates without the ball
space for the defending team to exploit after they have
To develop players’ ability to defend direct play on won possession. Player movement
transition by: • This practice adds in some tactical detail as to how with the ball
to defend against direct counter-attacks, as well as
• Being proactive in possession, to be ready to defend focusing on the ideas of ‘locking on’ and leaving one
direct play in transition extra defender back in anticipation of a counter-attack.
• Creating situations in which players face lots of
Players
repetitions of defending longer balls after the ball has
been turned over PART 3: 7v7 REWARDS GAME
• This game uses a reward system to encourage specific Cones
PART 1: 3v3 DIRECT PLAY WAVE GAME behaviour from the players after the ball is turned over.
• The rewards encourage the in-possession team to play
Flat marker
• This is a wave game in which the coach has the high up the pitch. The scoring system then encourages
opportunity to introduce the concept of rest defending. the team that wins possession to counter-attack quickly.
• This involves encouraging the players to be thinking • Using this system means that players are still free to
about defending when their team is in possession, make their own decisions, but they know that they Cones with
rather than waiting to lose the ball and only then start will be rewarded even more when they do the specific flat marker
thinking about how to defend the counter-attack. things the coach is looking for.

Goal

Mini-goal

Mannequin Pole

Football

AGE PHASE: U17+

3v3 DIRECT PLAY WAVE GAME DEFENSIVE TRANSITIONS

D B
FUNCTION 1

• This is a 3v3 wave game played on a pitch measuring A B

30m x 50m.
C
• The game starts with a 3v3, as shown in Diagram 1. The
in-possession team (Team A) attempts to score against
the out-of-possession team (Team C). Two teams are

30 metres
waiting on the outside as shown (Team B and Team D). C
• Once Team A has had a shot, the Team B player
waiting on the outside with the ball plays their ball in A
immediately to start a counter-attack. The two other
D C
Team B players waiting on the side are allowed to enter
the pitch as soon as Team A have taken their shot. The A
team that conceded the shot (Team C) moves to the
outside to rest, as shown in Diagram 2.
• If the goalkeeper saves the shot, the counter-attack can D B
be started directly from the goalkeeper rather than the
50 metres
player who is waiting next to the goal.
• This cycle continues at the opposite end of the pitch,
2
with Team A leaving the pitch once they concede a shot D C
and Team D becoming the in-possession team.
• If a team scores directly from the pass that is played in B
from the waiting player, this is worth two points.
B
• Rotate the teams through the practice, so they play
against different opponents. A

A
A
C
D
B

D C

AGE PHASE: U17+

3v3 DIRECT PLAY WAVE GAME DEFENSIVE TRANSITIONS

COACHING DETAIL:
TECHNICAL
REST DEFENDING
• Rest defending is an important concept in this practice.
While their team is in possession, players should be
thinking about how their positions will affect their
ability to defend against a direct ball forward once the
ball has been turned over.
• When an attacker looks like they are going to shoot,
their teammates should start to drop and think about
the threat of the wide players entering the pitch.

BLOCK THE RUN

• As the shot is being taken, the defenders could use
body contact to stop the run of the player they are
marking.
• Using their body with subtle use of the arms to prevent
the attacker from running forward will prevent them
from moving to where the ball is going. This might
mean the ball runs through to the goalkeeper or to a
teammate to clear.
• This action will depend on how flat the ball has been
hit. The flatter the pass, the more chance the ball has of
running through.

SWEEPER-KEEPER
• The goalkeeper’s starting position should be coached
during this practice.
• They should be on their toes and ready to come off
their line and sweep up if the ball is overhit.

AGE PHASE: U17+

7v7 ATTACK v DEFENCE BREAKOUT GAME DEFENSIVE TRANSITIONS

FUNCTION 1

• This is a 6v6 attack-versus-defence breakout game, A

played on a 40m x 80m pitch that is split in half. B
• The game starts in one half with an attacking team
(Team A) in possession and attempting to score. B A
The Team A players are not allowed to leave the half in

40 metres
which they are attacking.
B
• If Team A scores, a new ball is fed into Team A for them A B
to continue attacking.
• The out-of-possession team (Team B) attempts to B
win the ball from Team A and counter-attack quickly A
(Diagram 1). A
• If they win the ball and score, they become the
attacking team in the opposition’s half (Diagram 2). If A B
they fail to score, they remain as the defending team
side in their own half.
• If a team is able to score within one pass of winning the 80 metres
ball, they are awarded two points. This is to encourage
the team to play forward quickly in transition.
2
A
DEVELOPING THE PRACTICE B B

• Once the in-possession team has made five passes, all A A

players are limited to one touch. This is done to increase
the number of turnovers that take place.
B
B

A A
A
B

AGE PHASE: U17+

7v7 ATTACK v DEFENCE BREAKOUT GAME DEFENSIVE TRANSITIONS

COACHING DETAIL:
TECHNICAL
LOCKING ON JUDGING THE FLIGHT OF THE BALL
• When the team in possession look like they may score, • Once the ball has been struck, defenders should
the players behind the ball should be encouraged to attempt to read the flight of the ball as early as
‘lock on’. This means they should mark the opposition’s possible. This will allow them to make a quick decision
attackers even while the team are still in possession. as to how to deal it, whether jumping to head it clear or
This makes it hard for the opposition to run straight letting the ball run through to the goalkeeper.
through and score following a turnover.

DEFENDING +1
• When in possession, the team should attempt to be in a
‘plus one’ position. This means there is always one more
defender than attackers who the opposition have left
up front. For example, if two attackers are left up front,
the defending team should leave three back.
• This means that they always have an overload and cover
when they are facing a transition.

ANTICIPATION
• Defenders should look to anticipate when a ball is going
to be played into the space behind them.
• Reading the body language of the player on the ball will
allow the defenders to drop early and protect the space
behind them.
• An in-possession player taking a touch out of their feet
and opening their hips to play a longer ball should act
as clues that they are about to attempt a direct aerial
pass forward. Here, defenders should start to drop.

AGE PHASE: U17+

7v7 REWARDS GAME DEFENSIVE TRANSITIONS

FUNCTION
A
• This is a small-sided game played on a pitch measuring B
40m x 80m. The pitch is split into halves.
• The teams are set up in a 2-3-1 formation (Team A) and A B
a 3-2-1 formation (Team B).
• Normal football rules apply, but rewards are given
A

40 metres
to encourage teams to play high and leave space in B A
B
behind, and also to counter-attack forward at pace.
• Reward 1: The number of passes made in the opposition
half before scoring is the number of points a team is A B
awarded if they score a goal. For example, five passes in
the opposition half before a goal = 5 points. B
• Reward 2: If a team can score within eight seconds of A
winning the ball in their defensive half of the pitch, the
goal is worth 2 points.
• Reward 3: If a team scores within two passes of winning
possession, they get double points again. For example, 80 metres
if a team scores within eight seconds of winning the
ball back but only make one pass in the opposition half,
they get 2 points x 2 points = 4 points.

AGE PHASE: U17+

7v7 REWARDS GAME DEFENSIVE TRANSITIONS

COACHING DETAIL:
TECHNICAL
QUICK COUNTER-PRESS FAST RECOVERY RUNS
• When the ball is turned over high up the pitch, the team • Players should make quick recovery runs when a ball
that has lost the ball should counter-press quickly if has been played over their heads. This will help them
they have numbers around the ball. to pick up second balls if a teammate wins the first
• This will mean that any forward pass is likely to lack the contact against an attacker.
necessary quality to exploit any space in behind. • This will also help them to recover into their defensive
structure and make them harder to score against if the
REST DEFENDING counter-attack has been delayed.
• The defensive players on the team in possession should • Recovery runs should be made in straight lines towards
have a defensive structure that ensures they are ready their own goal.
to defend against direct counter-attacks.
• They should be aware of how many attackers have
stayed high up the pitch and make sure they have
a +1 overload against them.

DEFENDER BODY SHAPE

• As play is developing high up the pitch, the defenders
should use a side-on body shape. This will allow them
to drop quickly if a ball is played over the top or step
forward to intercept a pass in front of them.
• If the defenders’ body shape is not correct, they will
be vulnerable to balls over the top that can exploit the
space behind them quickly, as they will take longer to
turn and face their own goal.

AGE PHASE: U17+