Coaching objective
The nearest defender pressures the ball while the second defender protects the central lane and provides cover.
Setup
- Create a field approximately 18 by 24 yards with a mini goal at each end.
- Two attackers start against two defenders.
- Serve a new ball immediately after a goal, turnover, or ball out.
Rules and scoring
- Teams attack the opposite mini goal.
- Play each repetition for up to 15 seconds.
- Rotate pairs after three or four attacks.
Coaching cues
- Nearest defender applies pressure and shows the attacker away from danger.
- Covering defender stays inside, slightly deeper, and close enough to help.
- Move as the ball travels—do not wait until the receiver controls it.
- Communicate: press, hold, show left, show right, and switch.
- Do not stand flat on the same line.
Coach’s key teaching points
- The covering defender protects the most dangerous space, not a fixed opponent.
- Distance between defenders should shrink as pressure increases.
- When the ball is passed, the roles change immediately: cover becomes pressure and pressure recovers inside.
Common errors to correct
- Both defenders chasing the ball.
- Covering defender standing too far away to help.
- Defenders remaining flat and allowing one pass to beat both.
- Pressure defender approaching without a clear body angle.
Progress the drill
- Add a target player beyond each mini goal.
- Allow an attacker to overlap or switch positions.
- Add a five-second scoring bonus after a turnover.
Simplify the drill
- Narrow the field.
- Begin with attackers limited to three touches.
- Freeze play briefly to correct pressure-cover distances.
What to measure
- Number of attacks forced wide.
- Frequency of immediate role changes after a pass.
- Distance and angle between the two defenders.
- Counterattacks created after regaining possession.