Soccer: Lateral defending with cover

Use this session to teach your players how to defend against speedy strikers by holding them up, with a second defender offering cover.

Set up with 2 cones as shown with 2 players at each end and 1 ball.

Player with the ball passes the ball across and then quickly closes their pass down. Once they get close they take a defensive stance and move backwards as the player on the ball dribbles forward.

Once they get halfway the player defending quickly retreats and then receives the pass before changing roles.

Goalkeeper passes to player 2, who must attempt to dribble the ball past player 1 and score a goal. Player 1 assumes a sideways position and blocks the path to the goal. If the defender wins the ball, he should try to dribble over the end line. Rotate positions.

Allow the player to shoot as soon as he receives the ball. The player must close down the space to the ball and get into line between the attacker and the goal as quickly as possible.

Two players line up on opposite sides of a square.

The attacking player dribbles the ball towards the centre before then attempting to stop the ball between one of the goals.

The goal nearest to the defender's starting point is worth 10 points as it is the hardest goal to stop the ball in. The middle goal is worth 5 and the top goal only 1 point.

Move the defender laterally to create space in which to make the pass behind the defender.

Attacker should make the pass through the goals at either end of the coaching square.