Team Shape
Two-Touch Shape Walkthrough
Teach the team's defensive shape at walking pace
Team Shape
Defending
Pressing
Teach the team's defensive shape at walking pace. Set up the area, follow the steps and use the coaching points below.
Back to drill libraryTeam Shape
Defending
Pressing
Skill Practice
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Two Touch
Age
Under 11 to Adults
Duration
18 min
Players
8-18
Area / pitch size
50 x 36 yards
Difficulty
Intermediate / Advanced
Equipment
Balls, Cones, Bibs
Coaching focus
Teach the team's defensive shape at walking pace
Objective
- -Teach the team's defensive shape at walking pace
- -Set distances between units
- -Give every player a clear reference point
Setup
- 1A full defensive block set out with cone reference points in a 50 x 36 yards area.
- 2Place a marker at every receiving position so players know where to set the ball before it arrives.
- 3Balls with the coach, bibs for the shadow attackers.
How to play
- 1Shadow attackers move the ball and the block shifts to match.
- 2Coach freezes play to check distances and body angles.
- 3Build from walking to jogging to match pace across the rounds.
- 4Ball enters from the coach and the first receiver is on two touches from that moment.
- 5Count completed sequences under the touch limit — best of three 3-minute rounds.
Coaching points
- -Ten to twelve yards between units
- -Body shape open to ball and player
- -Everybody moves when the ball moves
- -First touch out of the feet and into the direction of the next pass
Progressions
- +Drop the central players to one touch
- +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful
Regressions
- -Allow three touches while the picture is being learned
- -Simplify the area or the service until success returns
Variations
- -Two touches in your own half, free touches in the final third
- -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch
Common mistakes
- -Units drifting apart
- -Players ball-watching and losing their reference
- -Taking a settling touch that kills the tempo
Related Football Drills & Sessions
- More football team shape drills
- More football defending drills
- More football pressing drills
- Football drills for U11s
- Football drills for U12s
- Football drills for U13s
- Football drills for U14s
- Football drills for U15s
- Football drills for U16s
- Football drills for 8 players
- Football drills by age, topic and squad size
- Football session plans built around this theme
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Teach the team's defensive shape at walking pace
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- Age band
- Under 11 to Adults
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- Time
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- Area
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- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
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Teach the team's defensive shape at walking pace
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Team ShapeDefendingPressing
- Age band
- Under 11 to Adults
- Players
- 8-18
- Time
- 20 min
- Area
- 52 x 38 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
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Team ShapeDefendingPressing