8v4 Defending Cooperation
This soccer exercise focuses on practising defending cooperation, pressing the player in possession, supporting, shifting and closing down of the deep pass.
Organisation
There are 2x4 attackers and 4 defenders in the exercise at the same time. The attackers are located by the baselines of the field.
Substitution: The defenders having a rest, one of the 2x4 attackers become defenders and the other 4, who were resting, become attackers.
Description and Graphics
4 attackers are passing continuously, then in the right time one of the 2 central players tries to make a low, deep pass to one of the 4 opposite players. 4 defenders start defending in line. The one-closest to the ball- presses the ball possesser in the right distance, the others shift toward the ball and support each other. The ball possesser can't be tackled, defenders can only intercept the deep pass. If they don't manage to intercept it, they turn over and move toward the other 4 attackers. If they succeed it, they pass it back to the attackers.
Variation
Wing players can also make a pass after a few meters dribbling.