Defending
Cover And Balance Triangle: Target Zone Bonus
Understand first, second and third defender roles
Defending
Team Shape
Tackling
Cover And Balance Triangle: Target Zone Bonus is a 16-minute defending drill for 6-16 players, suitable for Under 10 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs. 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
Team Shape
Tackling
Skill Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Playing Through The Thirds
Positioning
Combination Play
Duration
16 min
Players
6-16
Pitch size
25 x 20 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Cover And Balance Triangle: Target Zone Bonus — 2 gates — score by travelling through · 25 x 20 yards
Step 1 of 4Attackers try to dribble through either gate.
- 1. Attackers try to dribble through either gate.
- 2. Defenders organise a pressing, covering and balancing triangle.
- 3. Ninety second rounds then rotate.
- 4. Extra points for playing into marked pockets between the lines before finishing.
- Cones mark the area
- Cone gates to dribble / pass through
- Ball
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Understand first, second and third defender roles
- -Cover the space behind the presser
- -Balance the far side
Setup
- 1Three defenders against three attackers in a 25 x 20 area.
- 2Two target gates behind the defenders.
- 3Balls at the attackers' start line.
Coaching instructions
- 1Attackers try to dribble through either gate.
- 2Defenders organise a pressing, covering and balancing triangle.
- 3Ninety second rounds then rotate.
- 4Extra points for playing into marked pockets between the lines before finishing.
Coaching points
- -First defender presses the ball, second covers the inside
- -Third defender narrows and watches the far runner
- -Talk continuously to set the triangle
- -Find the pocket on the back foot of the defender
- -Support the receiver quickly on both sides
Common mistakes
- -All three defenders flat
- -Nobody covering the space behind
- -Losing sight of the far attacker