Wide Channel Shape Walkthrough

Objective

• -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 56 x 42 yards area.
2. 2Mark five-yard channels down both touchlines with flat cones.
3. 3Balls with the coach, bibs for the shadow attackers.

How to play

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 practice is started by a pass into one of the wide channels.
5. 5End actions only count when the ball has travelled through a wide channel first.

Progressions

• +Defender allowed into the channel to make it live
• +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful

Regressions

• -Channel is a free zone with no defender at all
• -Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

• -Switch the ball to the far channel before the end action
• -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch

Common mistakes

• -Units drifting apart
• -Players ball-watching and losing their reference
• -Everything funnelling into a crowded middle