Principles

Principles are the high level idea of what you want players to do in certain situations. When you create a practice session, at least one of the principles of soccer should be the focus of the session. These are the principles for both attacking and defending. 

Create attacking shape: Create appropriate height, width, and depth on the field

Provide options to play the ball forward: Provide vertical or diagonal passing options, move or lose opponent when marked, make runs behind the defensive line, and give immediate support to teammate under pressure.

Break lines to advance attack: Drive with the ball to exploit space, engage opponent in isolation (1v1 or 2v1), find a free player between or behind the lines, switch fields by passing the ball to the opponent’s weak zone.

Take countermeasures against opponent’s counterattack:Push up the defensive line with speed and stay connected as a team, get compact, stay compact.

Finish the attack: Separate from the defenders by timing run or quick movement to get unmarked, find a through ball or combination of passes, get numbers forward and fill all of the zones in front of the goal, cross the ball into space or to a player, engage opponent in insolation (1v1) to create scoring opportunity, finish using limited touches.

Create defensive shape: Get compact, position players to create a high front line, position players to create a high defensive line.

Build pressure on the ball: Move as a unit to Force SC SC the other team in a predictable way, initiate pressure on player with the ball, attack when there is an opportunity to win the ball, provide both cover and balance to eliminate passing options, and prevent the opponent from switching the ball.

Recover when pressure is broken: Quickly apply pressure to the opponent with the ball, delay their attack and move into a defensive shape, and look to intercept the pass and win second balls.

Take countermeasures: Create passing options immediately after winning the ball, pass between opponents lines.

Deny the finish: Get the defense close to the center of the field, again, getting compact as a team, mark and cover players, deny crosses, protect the width of the goal, and challenge to protect against any goal attempt.

Player actions are the actions that you are directly coaching into your players during various situations in the game. When you create a practice session, depending on which principles you are covering, you should be specific on which player actions you want your players taking. These player actions will help you get the behaviors you are looking for out of the players.  Below are the player actions for both attacking and defending.

• Offense: Controlling the ball, protecting the ball, dribbling, passing, shooting, scanning the field, supporting teammates, and changing body shape/direction
• Defense: Intercepting, pressing, challenging, delaying, blocking shots, scanning the field, changing body shape/direction, covering, and marking