MENU

LOGIN

SUBSCRIBE

Soccer Drills, Games and Session Plans

Individual defending

bookmark_borderSave to Library

David Horseman

Pressing from the front

This session is designed to improve the defensive structure and behaviours of the team when the ball is wide through realistic games situ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Willie Kirk

Individual positional training within a group

We want to expose every player to as many position specific technical actions as possible within a team session that has tactical element...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Paul Mcguinness

Win the ball and break

This session is about winning the ball back and breaking quickly to score – it’s based in the middle third of the pitch but the skills le...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Gus Poyet

Transitioning to defence

This is a session we use to train our players to transition to defence after losing the ball. In doing so, we encourage them to react qui...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

John Townson

High press to score goals

This session is all about attacking without the ball by using a high press to score goals. It focuses on good intensity in the press, kee...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Alex Bruce

Attacking and defending in wide and central areas

In this session two teams work on attacking and defending in wide and central areas of the pitch

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Michael Beale

COUNTER-ATTACKING WITH SPEED

This session focuses on fast counter-attacking football when winning the ball. The moment a team regains possession, regardless of where ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Nigel Pearson

Creating Scoring Opportunities

This session is about attacking with purpose and quality. It focuses on developing good combination play between attacking players and pr...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Mitch Whitty

CONTINUOUS COUNTER-ATTACKING

This is an extremely high tempo session that focuses purely on counter-attacking to create overloads and fast transitions to set up as many ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Tony Pulis

New club, new players – the first training session

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Wayne Burnett

Defenders' decision making

My defenders are technically proficient, but they often make wrong decisions. How can I improve their understanding of key technical and ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Gareth Ainsworth

Defending crosses

This session is all about defending against crosses in and around the penalty area. It allows us to work with the players on their ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Steve Davis

Preventing crosses

This session is about full-backs and wingers stopping crosses into the penalty area.

Most attacks come from out wide, so the ability for ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Paul Heckingbottom

Defending principles

This session is all about building the defensive role of every position when out of possession. It starts with individuals defending in 1v1 ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Jimmy Bell

Defending shapes

This session is looks at defensive structure – movement from side to side, pressure on the ball and cover from supporting players.

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Keith Hill

Defending in and around the box

This session is about defending the 18-yard box when in control and when in states of ‘chaos’. It’s a great practice that improves both ...

Featured Coaches

Arsène Wenger

Arsène Wenger is one of the most successful managers in the game and has twice been a winner of the LMA manager of the Year award. In a 22-...

José Mourinho

Here is a man who ascended from a coaching role in schools football to the status of arguably the world’s most recognisable football ...

Jürgen Klopp

Klopp arrived at Liverpool with a track record of managerial success and a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking coaches in the ...

Mikel Arteta

After beginning his playing career with Barcelona, Arteta went onto represent PSG before arriving in British football in 2002 when he ...

Pep Guardiola

In his debut season as manager, he guided Barcelona to the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League, becoming the ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Andy Scott

Adopting a high back four

This session is about defending as a group or unit. It looks at the relationships between players and teaches them how to use recovery ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Keith Hill

Cutting out counter-attacks

Analysis at the end of our 2008/09 League Two campaign showed we needed to develop a new collective responsibility to defend against the ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Gabriele Cioffi

Match preparation

This session is focussed on preparing players for an upcoming opponent, specifically with regard to getting them to understand their ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Andy Thorn

Balancing the back four

This session is about the back four working as a unit. It looks for them to clear the ball past a target when dealing with a range of ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Danny Cowley

Counter-pressing

This session is aimed at influencing player behaviour on the loss of possession. We work very hard to affect player behaviour in the ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

John Sheridan

Clearing defensive danger

This session is about the reactions and movements of defensive players. It looks primarily at the role of the back four in squeezing up and ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Lee Johnson

Back four protocols

The purpose of this session is to assess and coach the specific roles of the defensive unit, to include defensive protocols, communication ...

bookmark_borderSave to Library

Nathan Jones

When to press and when to drop

This session is all about teaching players when to press and when to drop as a defensive unit and it encourages them to identify and ...

Coaches' Testimonials

Alan Pardew

"Gives you the opportunity to learn from the best coaches in the game"

Arsène Wenger

"Elite Soccer is a fantastic magazine. I encourage all my coaches to read it."

Brendan Rodgers

"What sets Elite Soccer apart is the attention to detail and variation that its participating coaches invest in their sessions."

Carlos Carvalhal

"It was a pleasure sharing a training session with Elite Soccer and I hope other coaches enjoy using it"

José Mourinho

"As a regular reader of Elite Soccer I look forward to receiving every issue. I’m delighted to share one of my own sessions with fellow coaches"

Jürgen Klopp

"My session in Elite Soccer will help show you how our way is applied in simple training activities to give you a first idea to develop counter pressing"

Pep Guardiola

"I always enjoy talking football and discussing ideas with my fellow managers. I’m really happy to share one of my own training sessions in this issue of Elite Soccer"

Roy Hodgson

"I would recommend it to any coach"

Sir Alex Ferguson

""Elite Soccer allows aspiring coaches to learn what we do as professional managers, to help them improve. I wish I’d had it when I started coaching"

Steven Gerrard

"The training sessions in Elite Soccer are extremely useful for coaches at all levels of the game."

Join the world's leading coaches and managers and discover for yourself one of the best kept secrets in coaching. No other training tool on the planet is written or read by the calibre of names you’ll find in Elite Soccer.

In a recent survey 92% of subscribers said Elite Soccer makes them more confident, 89% said it makes them a more effective coach and 91% said it makes them more inspired.

SUBSCRIBE

Get Monthly Inspiration

All the latest techniques and approaches

Since 2010 Elite Soccer has given subscribers exclusive insight into the training ground practices of the world’s best coaches. Published in partnership with the League Managers Association we have unparalleled access to the leading lights in the English leagues, as well as a host of international managers.

Elite Soccer exclusively features sessions written by the coaches themselves. There are no observed sessions and no sessions “in the style of”, just first-hand advice delivered direct to you from the coach.

Soccer Drills, Games and Session Plans

Individual defending

Get a free issue

Featured Coaches

Coaches' Testimonials

Alan Pardew

Arsène Wenger

Brendan Rodgers

Carlos Carvalhal

José Mourinho

Jürgen Klopp

Pep Guardiola

Roy Hodgson

Sir Alex Ferguson

Steven Gerrard

Join the world's leading coaches and managers and discover for yourself one of the best kept secrets in coaching. No other training tool on the planet is written or read by the calibre of names you’ll find in Elite Soccer.

More from us

© 2024 Elite Soccer

Part of Green Star Media Ltd. Company number: 3008779