One of the best ways to excel in your coaching sessions is to use attack versus defence. As a player with over 20 years of experience at varying levels in the UK, this drill has always been the focus of my training.

Coaching a football team to success first starts with the fundamentals. Skills, fitness, and ball drills are all valid training modalities that should have a place. But you also need to practice the fundamentals of match drills.

Attack versus defence is the easiest way to do this and is the best way for your team to improve.

What Is Attack Versus Defence?

You split your team into two teams. On one team you have your team’s attackers. This includes the forwards, attacking midfielders, wingers, and central midfielders.

On the other team, you have the back four (or three), the goalkeeper, as well as any defensive midfielders that are part of your team’s defensive unit.

If you’re playing eleven-a-side this equates to a 6vs6 or 7vs7 situation. The goal is for the attackers to score a goal and for the defenders to win the ball back and move it up to the halfway line.

What Are The Advantages Of Practising Attack Versus Defence?

Using this method gives your team several ways to improve its performance in match situations. And convert this into more points throughout a season.

Here are five reasons you need to use attack versus defence in your training sessions.

Game Realism

This type of training is the closest thing you’ll have to replicating a real-life match. This allows your players an idea of what a game will feel like and how the team and players operate.

Nothing will ever come close to the actual scenario of game realism, but this method comes pretty close.
Think of it like sparring in boxing. Although it’s not the same as fighting an opponent because you are wearing head guards, it still gives you an idea of how a fight feels.

Your players will get an idea of the pace of the game and will better understand their roles. This is vital for youth players that are new to football or that need practise in a certain position.

Player Chemistry

You might have put together a new team of kids that don’t know each other. Or you’re into your fourth season as a coach. Either way, knowing how each player operates is integral to the success of your team. Not only for your sake but for the players you are coaching.

Playing as a unit allows your players to get a feel for who they are playing alongside.

Your right-back might learn that the centre-back is prone to losing the ball when under pressure.

Your centre-midfielder learns the forward makes diagonal darting runs for through-ball opportunities.

Or the goalkeeper knows the left-back is competent at travelling with the ball up the left wing.

No other practise drill will give the players this much information. It also allows the coach to understand their players and figure out where extra attention is needed. Speaking of which…

Spotting Holes

A coach can get a first-hand look at where their team needs to improve.

Perhaps the entire defence is not effective at initiating the offside trap. Or the forwards are always being caught offside.

Once you have found something that needs attention, you can plan your sessions around these holes.

In the example above, you could practice offside drills with your defenders and attackers.

Rotating Positions

Playing the same role can get stale, and it can limit a player’s ability to learn how each position works. Sometimes it’s a good idea to rotate players in different positions so they can get a feel for other roles in the team.

You never know. In the process, you might find out your centre-back is capable of scoring 30 goals a season!

Move players around and try them in different positions. You won’t know until you’ve tried it out.

Tactics

Another clear advantage is that you can learn team plays from an attacking and defending perspective. This is best done with dead ball scenarios like set pieces or plays such as ball crossing and quick passing.

Practising effective set pieces is a guaranteed way to improve your chances of scoring more goals, as well as conceding less.

You can also give individual players instructions on different plays. You can teach your players individual roles, and teach them to go short at a corner kick or to come to the ball at a throw-in.

What Else Do You Need To Know About Attack Versus Defence?

The above tips are the fundamentals for attack versus defence. Here are a few more tips to ensure you have an efficient session.

Keep The Goalie Involved

The goalkeeper is not going to learn anything if the defenders win the ball every time. Make sure the goalkeeper has enough to do and isn’t standing around looking like a lost child.

Goal kicks are a useful drill to practise. Or allow the goalkeeper to practise playing the ball out then they have possession in open play.

You should also practise plenty of corner kicks and free kicks from different angles. It’s the goalie’s responsibility to give marking instructions and to set up a wall, giving them time to practise their organisation skills.

Use Half A Pitch

This should go without saying, but there’s no need to use an entire full-sized pitch. The defenders only need to get the ball halfway, and the attackers only need to score.

Save the full pitch for things like practising a full team passing move, or for moving the ball up as a unit.

Make Sure The Teams Are Even

There’s nothing worse for morale than an attacking team scoring every single play, or a defensive team winning possession every time.

To make things even, you can handicap a team by removing one of their players. You can also limit a team to a finite amount of touches before they have to pass the ball to another player.

What Other Drills Are There?

Attack versus defence is vital for your team’s success. Learning the fundamentals of this drill will develop your team over time.

There are plenty of other drills that your training sessions should consist of. I recommend knockout drills, shooting drills, and tennis drills as a good starting place.

About Richard:

Richard is the founder of SmartSoccerGear. Their mission is to help soccer players of all levels look and feel their best on the field. We believe every player deserves access to top-quality gear, regardless of their budget or experience level. We’ve scoured the globe to bring you the best soccer gear that will make you look and feel like a pro.