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Category: Tactics, Attacking, Defense (1v1 Defending, Cover and Switching Roles, Defensive Transition, Man to Man Defending Zonal Defending, Goalkeeping, 1v1 Attacking, Offensive Transition, Penetration, Combination Play, Creating Space, Attacking With a Numbers Advantage)

Combo Deals: We offer this DVD set as part of several Combo deals at special prices.

Recommended For: These videos are recommended for all serious U-10 to Adult team coaches. You could spend $1,000 on going to coaching schools and not get this much good instruction.

Overview: This is an excellent resource for every soccer coach of U-10 and older, and a truly exceptional value. You could spend $1,000 on going to coaching schools and not get this much good instruction. You get the benefit of 12 coaching sessions with 10 different top soccer coaches explaining the topics and demonstrating how they teach them to players. All the coaches are on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National Coaching Staff and most are also college coaches. Another plus is that most of the demonstrations are with players who are in the average range, and the response these coaches get from the players in the sessions are similar to those most coaches will get from their players. Most of what's shown can be applied to players of any ability, and the coaching tactics are those that every coach of players U-10 and older should know.

Review: Every soccer coach, player and parent coach can benefit from these DVD's. We recommend them and they are an exceptional value. They show 12 coaching sessions conducted by 10 different coaches on the NSCAA National Staff (3 sessions on each DVD). In most of the sessions the players are girls who appear to be ages 13-16, and are in the average range. The coaching methods demonstrated should work for either boys or girls age 9 and older. These DVD's will benefit coaches of U-10 or older, players age 10 or older and parents who want to learn about defending. Here's what they cover:

• Defense DVD 1: 1 v 1 Defending, Defensive Cover and Switching Roles, Defensive Transition.
• Defense DVD 2: Man to Man Defense, Zonal Defending, Goal Keeping
• Attacking DVD 1: 1v1 Attacking, Offensive Transition, Penetration
• Attacking DVD 2: Combination Play (wall passes/give and go, takeovers, overlapping runs), Creating Space, Attacking With A Numbers Advantage

Navigation: On our review copy of DVD 1, the menu didn't work, but, we could still switch chapters by using the "shuttle" button ("Previous" and "Next" on our remote control). Navigation is easy and there are Chapters.

DVD 1 Index:	Defending To Win
Minute	Topic
00:00-00:42	Introduction. DVD 1 shows coaching sessions on "1 v 1 Defending", "Defense Cover and Switching Roles" and "Defensive Transition".
00:42-28:45	"1 v 1 Defending" shows a coaching session by Karen Stanley, NSCAA National Staff Coach and Head Coach at Santa Rosa J. C. The coaching methods demonstrated should work for either boys or girls age 9 and older. An excellent teaching method is demonstrated-all the players are involved and it is clear and concise. This is really excellent-the best we've ever seen on 1 v 1 defending. . It is a very effective teaching technique that will work for any coach of any Rec or Travel team ages U-10 and older. If you are a coach, player, or parent and want to learn how to coach or play 1 v 1 defense, you should watch this. The objectives of this session are to teach: Footwork as a warm-up activity Close down attackers from the front ("quick, slow, sideways, low") Move defensively as the ball moves Fakes and feints as challenges to the attacker Channeling How to close down an attacker from behind and to keep the defender from turning At minute 17:35 be sure to press Enter or Select, to hear Coach Stanley's comments-- she gives excellent coaching tips. Topics include jockeying (although it isn't called that), pressuring, containment, defensive footwork, tackling; who applies pressure; slowing the attack; importance of pressure on the ball; the approach, angle, and speed of approach to close down the attacker; the importance of patience; teaching communication ("I go ball!"); mistakes young defenders make; when to tackle; channeling and "bending your run" to "channel" the dribbler; defending attackers near the goal who have their back to the goal.
28:45-51:00	"Cover and Switching Roles" shows a coaching session by George Perry, NSCAA Senior National Staff Coach and Head Coach at Wabash College. This section shows Coach Perry coaching players in "First Defender", "Second Defender" (the "covering defender"), and when the First and Second Defenders should switch roles. The objectives of this session are to teach: First Defender Second Defender Transitioning from pressuring the ball when the pass is made This session is good, but not great. At minute 39:05 you can click Enter or Select to hear Coach Perry's comments - these are good and are 45 seconds. Tip:At minute 39:30, see how he has the Second Defender drop back to provide "cover" (support) for the First Defender, but, then move back to become the First Defender when the ball is played her way. Defenders (and Attackers) should be constantly moving with the ball. On SoccerHelp we call this "shifting and sagging".
51:00-69:12	"Defensive Transition"shows a coaching session by Jim Lennox, NSCAA Director of Coaching Emeritus and Director of Coaching for Connecticut Junior Soccer. Coach Lennox is shown coaching girls who appear to be ages 14-16. The objectives of this session are to teach: Transitioning quickly to a defensive shape Closest player to the ball applies defensive pressure Remaining defenders position themselves in a shape that prevents the penetrating pass This shows how to teach players to quickly transition from offense to defense. Players must be able to quickly transition to defense or the opponent might score before the defense is in position. Notice at minute 53:00 the importance of "cover" by the Second Defender. Coach Lennox stresses the importance of immediate "pressure" on the onball-attacker (i.e., the attacker with the ball) by the closest player to the ball. The closest player to the ball is called the "First Defender and the next closest is called the "Second Defender" and supports the First Defender (this is called providing "cover"). He also stresses the importance of defenders quickly getting "behind" the ball, meaning to get between the ball and the goal they are defending. He stresses the importance of Not letting onball-attackers turn, and of pressuring them before they can turn. At minute 58:43 be sure to press Enter or Select to hear Coach Lennox comments (31 seconds). At minute 60:30 he discusses the "shape" of defense upon transition. One thing we don't like is players sitting on the sideline-let all players play and have parents pick up balls.
DVD 2 Index:	Defending To Win
0:00 - 0:33	Introduction. DVD 2 shows coaching sessions on "Man to Man Defending", "Zonal Defending" and "Goalkeeping".
00:33 - 20:45	"Man to Man Defending" shows a coaching session by Hylton Dayes, NSCAA National staff Coach and Head Coach at Cincinnati. Coach Dayes is shown coaching girls who appear to be ages 13 - 16. The coaching methods should work for either boys or girls age 9 or older. The objectives of this session are to teach: Warm ups with 1 v 1 tactics Defender on ball pressures the attacker to put their head down Defenders work as a unit to stop the attack, protecting space and avoiding penetration Avoid chasing on defense Coach Dayes teaches the proper angle, stance, speed of approach, forcing the player to move to his or her "weak side" (toward the player's weak foot) by "channeling" (aka "steering" and "dictating"). Also, applying enough pressure that the dribbler must look at the ball, which means they aren't looking for a teammate to pass to. He demonstrates man-to-man marking and positioning, and discusses the importance of communication and "tracking". A good point he makes is that man-to-man marking doesn't always mean standing close to the player you're marking- - at times it's important to defend "space".
20:45-41:38	"Zonal Defending" shows an excellent coaching session with John Cossaboon, NSCAA National Staff Coach and Head Coach SMU. The objectives of this session are to teach: Marking both space and opponents Pressure the ball and support from other defenders Zonal defending principles Coach Cossaboon's discussion and demonstrations are excellent! Zonal defending is the defending style that works best for most Rec teams because Rec teams don't have great athletes who can match up with the opposing players in a man-to-man style. He shows how players should move to support the "First Defender", who is the player closest to the ball and who must quickly apply "pressure". Defenders must always be moving as the ball moves, so there is always "pressure" on the ball by the First Defender, there is a Second Defender who provides "cover" for the First Defender, and there is defensive "depth" with multiple layers of defenders between the ball and the goal. At SoccerHelp, we call this "shifting and sagging" and it is explained and there is a diagram in the Dictionary at "Shift & Sag". His teaching method is excellent! It is the same approach we use to teach this (minute 26:02). At minute 39:40 be sure to press Enter or Select to hear Coach Cossaboon's comments. Excellent tips.
41:38 - 58:45	"Goalkeeping" shows a coaching session with Tony Waiters, NSCAA Senior National Staff Coach and one of the world's great soccer teachers. The objectives of this session are to teach: Goalkeeper must organize defenders in front of goal Protect the "Near Post" Make good decisions in the Penalty Box The players in this session are men and women. An important point he makes is that the Keeper should keep his teammates out of "his space" (i.e., out of the Goal Box). We think Tony Waiters is great, and his "Systems of Play" and "Coaching Set Plays" are brilliant, but you won't learn much from this session. It shows small sided play and attacks on goal, but, don't expect to learn much from it. One of the teaching points is that the goalkeeper must "organize" (meaning shout instructions to) teammates near the goal. The saying I used when I coached was that "The Goalkeeper is the boss of any teammates inside the Penalty Box". I told players: "You must do as the keeper says when you're in the Penalty Box".

Bonus Features

Defending DVD 1:

Minute	Topic
17:35	Coach Stanley discusses 1 v 1 defense. Excellent. You should watch this (1:20 minutes)
39:05	Coach Perry discusses Defensive cover and Switching Roles (45 seconds).
58:43	Coach Lennox discusses Defensive Transition (31 seconds)

Defending DVD 2:

Minute	Topic
39:40	Coach Cossaboon discusses Zonal Defending. Excellent. (1:34 minutes)
44:09	Coach Waiters discusses Goalkeeping and the role of the goalkeeper. (51 seconds)

DVD 1 Index:	Attacking
00:00-00:45	Introduction. DVD 1 shows coaching sessions on "1 v 1 Attacking", "Offensive Transition", and "Penetration".
00:45-21:25	"1 v 1 Attacking" shows a coaching session by Mike Noonan, NSCAA Senior National Staff Coach and Head Coach Brown University. The objectives of this session are to teach: Basic dribbling, change of speed, change of direction, dribbling to beat an opponent. Attacking players look for space, get up to speed, and use change of pace and change of direction. The first 6 minutes of this are a warm-up consisting of dribbling inside a square. (This is okay, but, we think our "Dribble Across A Square" game is better). At minute 7:50 he makes a very good point: much of the time the best way to beat a defender is a change of speed and/or a change of direction. This is a very good training point. One of the things we really like about the training approach in the first 11 minutes is that all the players are involved. The game he uses at minute 11:20 is similar to our "Dribble Past Defenders No. 2" game. This is excellent and an excellent teaching technique that all coaches can use. See minute 18:50, "The importance of a quality first touch and dribbling fast to beat the defender". See minute 20:20 for a great coaching tip: The Attacker should go in the direction of the Defender's front foot.
21:25-38:30	"Offensive Transition" shows a coaching session by Jim Lennox, NSCAA Director of Coaching Emeritus and Director of Coaching for Connecticut Jr. Soccer. The objectives of this session are to teach: Can we play the ball forward? Can we play the ball beyond the defenders? How to use both the width and depth of the field. Coach Lennox makes a point that some coaches lose sight of: The point of attacking is to play "forward" if possible- - if it's possible to play the ball forward, that is better than playing the ball sideways or backwards. Coaching "Offensive Transition" means that at the instant you win the ball you try to play the ball forward to get the ball behind the opponent so you have a good chance of scoring. We really like this philosophy and for most teams it is more practical realistic and fun than a lot of back passes. Tip at minute 23:30: If you can't play the ball forward try to play it to a teammate who can play it forward. Tip at minute 23:45: Excellent demonstration of positioning of the "First Defender" and "Second Defender" (called defensive "Shape"). Notice some things these players could do better. Two things I noticed: they could play the ball to open space, the receiver should be backing into the defender to hold her and then moving toward the pass, and they don't move well off the ball to create space (too much passing to feet). Tip at minute 34:40: Movement to create space (don't "bunch up").
38:30-58:10	"Penetration" shows a coaching session by Paul Marco, NSCAA National Staff Coach and Head Coach Binghamton University. The objectives of this session are to teach: The best pass is the one that eliminates the most defenders while keeping possession. Possession passes to create opportunities to pass the ball forward. How the positioning of supporting players can cause shifts in the defensive alignment and create passing opportunities. Tip at minute 40:00: "The best pass in soccer is the pass that eliminates the most defenders but keeps possession". I don't like the first exercise because it's just keep away and the player's aren't moving to create space and are passing to feet, not to space. There are so many variables in a real game that these controlled games that involve keep away and limited defenders but not real attacking may not be productive for many players. Basically, we don't like this approach for teaching attacking soccer. Coaching Point: Only pass sideways and backward if you can't play forward. This teaching approach isn't fun and is too robotic. Attacking is creative and too much thinking isn't good.
DVD 2 Index:	Attacking
0:00-0:40	Introduction. DVD 2 shows coaching sessions on Combination Play" (wall passes/give and go, takeovers and overlapping runs), "Creating Space" and "Attacking With A Numbers Advantage".
00:40-22:55	"Combination Play" (wall passes/give and go, takeovers and overlapping runs) shows a coaching session by John Cossaboon, NSCAA National Staff Coach and Head Coach Binghamton University. "Combination Play" refers to players working together to beat defenders. The objectives of this session are to teach: 2v1 in tight spaces Wall passes (give and go) Takeover The attacking player does not have to give up the ball Wall passes/give and go aren't an easy thing to teach. They require practice. This is the best training session and explanation we've seen, except for the one by April Heinrichs in "Training Girls and Women To Win". Rec coaches should modify the training method to use only cones for the set-up. We are working on a SoccerHelp Premium Practice Game to teach wall passes and give and go. "Takeovers" are demonstrated at minute 10:50. Takeovers should mostly occur in the Middle Third of the field. "Overlapping Runs" are demonstrated at minute 16:45. This is an important attacking concept. At minute 15:05 press Enter or Select to hear comments about Combination Play.
22:55-41:54	Creating Spaceshows a coaching session by Sam Okpodu, NSCAA National Staff Coach and Head Coach at Newberry College. This session is demonstrated by coaches who Coach Okpodu is instructing. This shows how to create space for attacking players to run thru and finish on goal. The objectives of this session are to teach: Creating attacking space in the Final Third (the Attacking Third) Creating 3 v 2 and 2 v 1 opportunities Having patience to create space This session might be tough for Rec coaches to follow, but here are some things to think about: For Rec Coaches, the main point here is that a good dribbler can pull defenders and "create open space" which a teammate can move into for a pass. There are so many variables at work that we think it's best to keep it simple and to demonstrate to attackers how the dribbler can pull defenders out of position, which will create an "open space", and that teammates should be alert for this opportunity. Key Teaching Point: Attackers should look for an "open space" near the goal to move into. Key Conceptual Point: Putting pressure on defenders will pull them out of position, which will create "open space" that can be attacked. At younger ages, defenders mainly focus on the ball, and this is why the dribbler can create open space. Another way is by quick passes, such as "Wall Passes". At higher levels, defenders "track" attackers near the goal and offball-attackers can make runs to create space. "Switching fields" is also a way to create space.
41:54-63:07	"Attacking With A Numbers Advantage" shows a coaching session with Ron McEachen, NSCAA National Staff Coach and Head Coach at Skidmore College. The first session is 5 v 3. We think the first game shown is too complex for most Rec teams and the set-up is complicated. The objectives of this session are to teach: Using the width of the field Changing the point of attack Playing the ball away from pressure Playing the ball through defenders 6 v 4 to the Attacking Third of the field