Defending
Underload Delay and Show
Coach the approach and set position of the defender
Defending
Tackling
Pressing
Underload Delay and Show is a 14-minute defending drill for 4-16 players, suitable for Under 9 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
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Underload
Duration
14 min
Players
4-16
Pitch size
22 x 14 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Underload Delay and Show — 1v1 channel — beat your player and cross the line · 22 x 14 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. The attacking group starts a player short, so every entry pass has to be sharp.
- 5. Defenders score a point for every clean turnover; attackers need three clean end actions to win the round.
- 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 22 x 14 yards area.
- 2Add one extra defender to the working area and mark their start position with a flat cone.
- 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.
- 4The attacking group starts a player short, so every entry pass has to be sharp.
- 5Defenders score a point for every clean turnover; attackers need three clean end actions to win the round.
Coaching points
- -Close the space quickly, then slow down
- -Side-on with the low centre of gravity
- -Patience before the tackle
- -Protect the ball and wait for the second runner rather than forcing it
Common mistakes
- -Sprinting straight through the attacker
- -Standing square and getting spun
- -Trying to beat two players instead of releasing early
Where this drill fits
- More football defending drills
- More football tackling drills
- More football pressing drills
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme