In 1989
I coached a U10G team, Hat Tricks 80. I made them a one page handout
on individual defending tactics that read:
- No get
- No turn
- No move
- No shoot
This was easy enough to memorize
and to teach as the basis for an individual marking-based defence
that we used in the first year before moving on to team oriented
defence.
Teaching "no get" is easy at U9/U10
in the context of little games that kids can play 1v1, they like to
push and chase. The hardest part is giving the defender a natural
feel when to hold and when to step in front of the opponent.
You could structure a defending
practice session around the drills below. There are many other exercises for
this in use, this is just one example.
1. Partners with ball and cone as
server and defender. Server with ball 10 yards from cone, defender a
few feet behind cone. Server with ball passes to cone, defender
steps around cone to intercept pass.
2. Groups of three - server, static
opponent, defender. Server passes to opponent, defender rounds
defender to right then left to knock each pass away. Go about 30
seconds, change roles. Should be fairly intense.
3. Group of players outside a 10x10
grid with one cone and one defender in middle. Each player outside
grid with one or two balls. Players outside take turns passing to
cone. Defender in middle tries to win or deflect each ball. At
first, players go in order and take their time. In second round,
players pass to target cone at will, going as quickly as possible to
keep defender busy.
4. Same as 2, replace target cone
with target player who can move around in the middle of the grid.
Defender works to deny possession.
5. Groups of 4 with two balls. Two
players as servers, 10 to 15 yards apart. Two other players as
attacker and defender. Attacker works from end to end to receive
ball to feet, defender works to deny ball.
6. Game with target player/servers
in 10x20 grid. Four target player/servers with balls serve from
outside ends of grid, two target player/servers at each end of 10x20
grid. Two v two in middle, red v blue. In middle, two red players
try to receive a ball from a server, turn, and play ball to target
player at opposite end to score point. Blue players oppose and try
to prevent possession. After point is scored or ball is lost, teams
switch roles in middle.
Blue attacks to opposite end,
trying to score by receiving pass, turning, and playing to target
players. Players in middle can pass to each other and also dribble
after receiving pass. Change ends into middle after a few minutes.
7. Play a
game 4 v 4 to cone goals, coach the topic, stop and correct, stop
and compliment.
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