Defending
Rotation Delay and Show
Coach the approach and set position of the defender
Defending
Tackling
Pressing
Rotation Delay and Show is a 16-minute defending drill for 4-16 players, suitable for Under 8 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, mini 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
Tackling
Pressing
Skill Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Rotation
Duration
16 min
Players
4-16
Pitch size
24 x 16 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Rotation Delay and Show — 1v1 channel — beat your player and cross the line · 24 x 16 yards
Step 1 of 6Attacker drives at the defender who must delay and show one way.
- 1. Attacker drives at the defender who must delay and show one way.
- 2. The defender wins a point for forcing the attacker wide or winning the ball.
- 3. Swap roles after each duel.
- 4. Play starts at station one and the ball works round the numbers in order.
- 5. Every player must complete each role once before the round is scored.
- 6. Rotation: Swap roles after each duel.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = scoring lines
- Ball
- Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
- Blue = attacker, dark = defender, queues outside the channel
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Coach the approach and set position of the defender
- -Show the attacker into the least dangerous area
- -Win the ball at the right moment
Setup
- 1A defending channel with two mini goals to protect in a 24 x 16 yards area.
- 2Number every station so players know exactly where they travel to next.
- 3Balls with the attackers, bibs for defenders.
Coaching instructions
- 1Attacker drives at the defender who must delay and show one way.
- 2The defender wins a point for forcing the attacker wide or winning the ball.
- 3Swap roles after each duel.
- 4Play starts at station one and the ball works round the numbers in order.
- 5Every player must complete each role once before the round is scored.
Coaching points
- -Close the space quickly, then slow down
- -Side-on with the low centre of gravity
- -Patience before the tackle
- -Follow your pass — the movement is part of the practice
Common mistakes
- -Sprinting straight through the attacker
- -Standing square and getting spun
- -Staying in a favourite role and avoiding the harder one
Where this drill fits
- More football defending drills
- More football tackling drills
- More football pressing drills
- football drills for U8s
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme