PSW Coaching Library 1.7 - Defensive Channeling and Possession

Through a partnership with Soccer Source 360 and the Animated Coach\'s Library, Potomac Soccer Wire brings you one new library entry per week addressing common areas of youth development. Each issue is authored by John Dingle, Director of Coaching for the Soccer Association of Columbia. This week\'s newsletter addresses defensive channeling and purposeful possession.

Through a partnership with Soccer Source 360 and the Animated Coach\'s Library, Potomac Soccer Wire brings you one new library entry per week addressing common areas of youth development. Each issue is authored by John Dingle, after he and other Soccer Source 360 staff members evaluate weekly practices and games. They pick two common issues from the weeks evaluations and then address them in a way that coaches can introduce the topic to their team. Then, they add a coaching progression to the Animated Coach\'s Library to correspond to each topic addressed. This week’s newsletter addresses the topics of defenders channeling the opponent and purposeful possession.

While PSW is brining you the topic in writing here, in order to view the full animated library with, you will have to subscribe to at least a one-year membership to the Soccer Source 360 Animated Coach\'s Library.


PSW Coaching Library 1.7 - Defenders channeling the opponent and purposeful possession


Channeling in Defense
Very few teams channel the ball. Some of the teams that do use the tactic of channeling the ball use the tactic incorrectly. Defenses should channel the ball into the middle of the field in the attacking and middle third. Your team has help in the middle of the field and the space is compact. When you channel the ball towards the sideline you put your player in a even numbers or numbers down situation. The ball needs to be channeled towards the sideline in the defensive third.

Suggestions:
• Ask your players if they should pass the ball across their own goal. When they answer no, ask the players if they can attempt to force the opponent to pass the ball across their goal.
• Show your players how to channel.
• Show your players how cutting off the sideline can cut off passes that progress the ball up the field. The players will also learn that the opponent often attempts to dribble the ball through them when they are reluctant to pass the ball across their goal.
• Make sure your team fills the space your pressuring defender is forcing the ball.
• Divide the field into thirds and use this division to show the players where the ball needs to be forced. Answer How, When, Where, Why, and When.
• Follow the Animated Progression Below.

Animated Progression
• Thirds of the Field Breakdown Description From a Defensive Progression
• 360 Degrees Denial of Gate
• 1v1 Directional Denial of Gate
• 2v2 Three Goal Game in Thirds of Field
• 7v7 Thirds of Field Game
• 7v7

Purposeful Possession
When watching teams connect multiple passes in the defensive and middle third without an assertive effort to play the ball forward, I wonder if the team has forgotten the object of the game is to score goals. When observing these same teams in training sessions it is observed that possession is the sole goal of many activities. I advocate directional possession be used to encourage players to go forward. When directional possession activities are used the defenders play realistically attempting to stop penetration of the ball. The attacking team forms a soccer shape by stretching wide and long in directional possession games.

Suggestions:
• Remember the first principle of attack is penetration.
• Use Targets is possession games.
• Recognize coaching moments from players who fail to look forward prior to playing negative or square.
• Follow the Animated Progression Below.

Animated Progression:
• Rapid Training First Touch Away from Pressure
• Serve every corner
• Opposite Corner Possession
• 5v5 to Targets
• 8v8

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About the Author: John Dingle has been active in youth coaching for the past twenty years.  He began his career in coaching conducting summer camps while finishing his playing career at Central Connecticut State University. When returning to Baltimore, John started his soccer company, Soccer Source 360.  Soccer Source 360 is a company devoted to player and coach development.  At this time he began to take licensing courses through MSYSA and USSF.  John now holds a USSF ‘B’ license and the National ‘Youth’ License.  John serves as the Director of Coaching for the Soccer Association of Columbia, an organization of 6000 players.  He started with SAC under John Ellinger as the assistant director of coaching in 1995.  John has been an instructor for licensing classes with MSYSA since 1997.  He has been a featured clinician at coaching workshops throughout the region and in 2006 launched the Animated Coach’s Library.  This electronic coaching education tool now contains over 1000 animated activities and over 100 articles on coaching.  Each animated activity is placed in an age appropriate coaching progression labeled by topic.  The members only site boast over 1000 members worldwide.
 
While coaching teams, John has shown a commitment to player development.  He has coached numerous players that have gone on to play at the ODP, region 1, Youth National, and college level.  In fact, his previous boy’s team now has 17 players participating as student athletes in colleges.