Underload Shape Walkthrough

Objectives

• -Teach the team's defensive shape at walking pace
• -Set distances between units
• -Give every player a clear reference point

Setup

1. 1A full defensive block set out with cone reference points in a 48 x 34 yards area.
2. 2Add one extra defender to the working area and mark their start position with a flat cone.
3. 3Balls with the coach, bibs for the shadow attackers.

Coaching instructions

1. 1Shadow attackers move the ball and the block shifts to match.
2. 2Coach freezes play to check distances and body angles.
3. 3Build from walking to jogging to match pace across the rounds.
4. 4The attacking group starts a player short, so every entry pass has to be sharp.
5. 5Defenders score a point for every clean turnover; attackers need three clean end actions to win the round.

Common mistakes

• -Units drifting apart
• -Players ball-watching and losing their reference
• -Trying to beat two players instead of releasing early