Defending
Counter Back Four Slide
Coach the defensive line sliding across together
Defending
Team Shape
Pressing
Counter Back Four Slide is a 20-minute defending drill for 8-18 players, suitable for Under 11 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs, full goals. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryDefending
Team Shape
Pressing
Skill Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Counter Attack
Duration
20 min
Players
8-18
Pitch size
50 x 40 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Counter Back Four Slide — Two lines working across the area · 50 x 40 yards
Step 1 of 5Ball is switched between attacking stations and the line slides across.
- 1. Ball is switched between attacking stations and the line slides across.
- 2. The nearest defender presses while the others tuck in and cover.
- 3. Freeze the picture occasionally to check distances.
- 4. The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
- 5. Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.
- Ball
- Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
- Two facing lines — pass and follow
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Coach the defensive line sliding across together
- -Maintain distances between defenders
- -Cover and balance behind the pressing player
Setup
- 1A back line facing three attacking stations across the pitch in a 50 x 40 yards area.
- 2Place two mini goals on the halfway line for the counter-attacking side to aim at.
- 3Balls at each attacking station, bibs for the defensive unit.
Coaching instructions
- 1Ball is switched between attacking stations and the line slides across.
- 2The nearest defender presses while the others tuck in and cover.
- 3Freeze the picture occasionally to check distances.
- 4The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
- 5Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.
Coaching points
- -Slide as a unit, not as individuals
- -Nearest player presses, next player covers
- -Keep the line compact and connected
- -Counter in a straight line — the first pass forward beats the recovery run
Common mistakes
- -One defender flying out alone
- -Line stretching across the pitch
- -Dribbling into traffic when the counter is on
Where this drill fits
- More football defending drills
- More football team shape drills
- More football pressing drills
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme