12-8 8v7 team game: Compact defending - FIFA Training Centre

This 8v7 team game focuses on the compactness of a high press. The team must remain compact when pressing high, drop back when the opponent plays through them and shift across to prevent further line breaks through central channels.

Methodology

The wheel symbolises the game, with each segment representing a specific aspect of it. The lightly coloured segments are included in the practice. The darkly coloured segments are emphasised. Lastly, the grey segments represent areas that are not practised.

The intention: What is practised?
This game aims to organise a team’s press by focusing on its compactness when pressing high, retreating when bypassed and shifting laterally to prevent gaps. Defenders are tasked with coordinating their press by effectively communicating and using gestures to close down inside spaces and maintain a compact shape. Players must identify when to press and when to stay in their shape, covering for teammates who jump out to press the opposition. After an unsuccessful attempt to win the ball, pressing players must immediately drop back into shape. Additionally, the pressing team must ensure they quickly return to their compact shape when running back towards the goal.

The scale: For whom is this relevant?
The exercise revolves around a team scale, focusing on a team’s shape and compactness when pressing and defending. The game looks to replicate three scenarios in which a team must press using a compact shape. When the opposition builds from the back, one attacker must press high and covering players step up to prevent passing options. Secondly, if the opposition moves the ball from side to side, the team must shift across and remain tight-knit so they cannot be played through. Lastly, if the pressing lines are broken and bypassed, the team must drop as a team and stay compact.

The practice type: How is the practice designed?
The exercise involves a team game contested on a reduced-sized pitch, which encourages frequent build-up play and the defending team to adopt a high press to counter the opposition’s build-up. The numerical advantage in favour of the pressing team is designed to emphasise the focus on pressing when defending. The in-possession team are asked to spread out to increase the distances that the defending team have to cover. The two teams’ formations are designed to ensure that the pressing team have to constantly consider their shape and reorganise themselves.

Session plan

The blues build from the back in a 4-3 formation and the oranges press in a 2-3-3 system.

Organisation

Mark out a 60m x 40m exercise area.
Position a full-size goal at each end of the exercise area.
Place a goalkeeper in each goal.
Split the group into 1 team of 7 (blues) and another of 8 (oranges).
Arrange the blues in a 4-3 formation.
Set the oranges up in a 2-3-3 system.

Explanation

The exercise starts with the goalkeeper defending the blues’ goal in possession.
The blues try to build up from the back and score in the oranges’ goal.
The oranges press to win the ball. If they manage to do so, they attack the blues’ goal.
When a goal is scored or the ball goes out of play, play restarts from the goalkeeper defending the blues’ goal.

Key coaching points

(1/5) The defending team should prioritise forming a compact block and reduce distances between the team's units to prevent the opposition finding any pockets of space to progress play forward.

(2/5) By reducing the distances between individual players and units, the defending team can make penetrative passes more difficult as the passing lines are minimised.

(3/5) The defending team should identify pressing triggers such as players receiving facing their own goal and press as a cohesive unit, providing cover and balance.

(4/5) Defending players on the ball-far side should make sure to close spaces on the inside.

(5/5) Encourage the team playing out from the goalkeeper to spread out to increase the distances for the defending team to cover, making their task more difficult.

Roles of coaches

First coach: explains the exercise and reminds players of their pressing responsibilities.
Second coach: instructs and coaches players from their position inside the exercise area.
Third coach: feeds balls to the goalkeeper and offers encouragement from their position beside the goal defended by the blues.