The session focused on defending techniques like body positioning, approaching the attacker, and angling to force them in a certain direction. It started with a game to identify areas to work on, then had players practice defending in 2v1 and higher overload situations, with coaching points and rest breaks for discussion. Feedback noted the good progressions and willingness to experiment, but areas for improvement included making challenges more individualized, ensuring realistic overloads, and having attackers also work on defending.

1. Coach Assessment: Baboucarr Coker (assessed by Mattar M’Boge)
Session Topic: Defending (Positioning & Recovery)
Date 9.5.14 Group First Team - RDB Venue St Augustine’s High School
Intended Outcomes
What
We will learn how to defend in situations where we are
outnumbered, looking at how to approach the player,
body shape, and distance. With the attempt to make
play predictable.
How
The session will set out to establish the technical
information based on defending, and then move this
into a game scenario where opportunities for 1v1 will
happen, to promote match relevance.
Why
Reasoning behind this is to develop the principles of
defending and understand the reasons behind the way
we defend in order to build upon this in future matches
Session Plan Illustrations Set up :
Input first challenges, /rest breaks will be used to have
group discussion on defending principles, using either
whiteboard/cones or other visual aid.
Match relation:
Will reinforce challenges as well as progressing to be
more suitable for match, observation. Will highlight
areas for learning & transfer of Part practice.
Challenges/ Questions
 Try to shape your body to be side on,
 Try to approach the ball in an arc
 Try to be close enough to the all to affect /
dictate play.
 With your body shapes try to make the attacker
play a certain way.
 What is the reason for trying to make the
attackers play a certain direction?
Part 1 Part 2 Progressions
2v1 attackers vs defenders, both sets of
players can switch roles so each gets to
practise their defending
Increase overloads to
3v2, 4v3 etc. / Serve
from alternate areas
Limit on touches, time limit for attackers to score, size of
area, transition to full game

2. Observations & Notes Feedback
You must consider the relevance in a game situation
when you are changing the overloads, for example 3 v 1
in favour of defenders makes it very difficult for an
attacker to score.
Try to explain the rules of the game when all the players
are together rather than having to explain twice to
different groups.
The size of area was not big enough for the number of
players but you made the correct adjustment, well
done. However, when you went to your final overload of
7 v 5 in favour of attackers, the area remained the same.
Keep the tempo of the session high – the transition from
one practice to the next should be quick and players should
not be allowed to hang around during this time.
Remember appropriate body position, coaching
defending, including approach, shape, technique and
angle. Also remember to praise players for good work.
Good idea to use attackers and defenders in both
situations so that attackers practice their defending as well.
Challenges were appropriate in the main but players
may need extra challenges the next time this session is
run.
Good progressions throughout and you were willing to
experiment as well. Just be careful of making sure it is
realistic to match situations.
Session review for improvement
What went well? Even better if?
Change
(Changes for next
session )
Game at the beginning highlighted what
needed to be learnt and the game at the
end highlighted the coaching points that
had been learnt throughout the session -
good
Could you make challenges to suit individual
players? For example, limit on touches, time
limit to score a goal, etc.
Attackers to do more
defensive work so they
can work together to
gain individual
improvements in both
elements of attacking
and defending
Be aware of group &
individual challenges &
when it is appropriate to
use either
Consider realistic
overloads
Coaching set-up allows lots of repetition
and focus on technique of defending - good
Praise good defending and prioritise
coaching on defensive side of the game
Good intensity and tempo meant that
repetitions were carried out with quality -
good
Give the defenders a motivation to win the
ball – for example, one point for every time
they win the ball, clear the ball to target
player