Futsal Tips - Creating an identity (Part 1.11)
PART 1.11: MODEL OF GAME - DEFENSIVE MODEL (PART 3.1)
Today I am going to explain some 2-player defensive basis inside our defensive model of game. Before that, it is important to remember our defensive structure based on:
And remember that our progressive learning process is:
We can define the 2-player defensive basis as the sum of several tactical actions (2 or 3 ), which involve several players (usually 2) in a specific space, without the intervention of the whole team directly and in a coordinated way, seeking a defensive tactical objective that can be as simple as to recover the ball, avoid progression , etc.
These tactics are the fundamental rules for the domain of tactical element of the game concepts. It is information that the coach should consider and adapt to apply to the work of his players and therefore their team.
Weak and strong side: when we are defending we need to understand both concepts. Strong defensive side is the side where the ball is and usually where we have more defenders (or we try to), and then the weak side is the opposite. Usually, weak side is where we can find more free space and that is the reason because it is very dangerous for our defensive system. Some tips to work:
- Weak side: it is very important to control the space around and all the cutting-off that the attackers produce, swapping or not, making coverings or not, all depend on the defensive system itself.
- Ball side: analyze where the ball is and where are the spaces where the attackers can attack. Try to work all the 2-player basis that can help in your defensive system.
- Aggressive or ball pressure: it is no the same if the ball possession are pressured or not. Try to work in training sessions exercises where the ball are pressured or not and analyze which 2-player basis can use in every situation.
Corporal defensive orientation: we talk about this concept in 1-player basis but now we add more difficulty because the ball possession is not in my attacker. For that reason, we have three important things to control:
- Where the ball is: the player need to use corporal orientation to visualize and know where the ball is every time.
- Defensive mark: knowing where is the ball then it is very important to control our defensive mark because is our responsible.
- My defensive goal: usually the player corporal orientation is bolting the defensive goal but that is not an excuse to know in every moment where my goal is.
That three things create a defensive visual triangle (ball, my defender and my goal).
Coverage or covering: action where a defensive player located in a position near a teammate, usually behind them, try to help the possibility that we may be overpowered by the holder striker with the ball. Usually, we can talk about a simple or double coverage. Some important tips to work:
- Distance: be careful if you are doing a simple coverage with a lot of distance because can generate a 2x1 situation.
- Zone: analyze where we are doing the coverage. It is very important to know that probably it is not the same to make a coverage in the center instead of one side of the field.
Swap: a complementary coverage action, where the player who was covering the attacker swaps with a teammate and takes care of another attacker with or without the ball. We can talk about direct or indirect swapping depend on who has the ball (direct = ball possession with my new attacker or indirect = my new attacker has not ball possession). Some important tips to work:
- Communication: the swap implies a collaboration and understanding between the two defenders then the communication it is very important.
- Reaction: that swap implies a high reaction or defensive readjustment because if not can produce a clear offensive superiority.
Retreat: a defensive action that consists in losing defensive height (recovering defensive position) when we lose the ball possession. That concept requires some important tips to work:
- Intensity: the player who retreat should do it a high intensity and velocity because he needs to convert as a new active defender.
- Retreat type: a good question to do is... Should we retreat to the ball or to the space? I recommend to retreat to the space (very important tactical concept) because the defender behind the ball can readjust the situation creating time for a good retreat.
The 2-red player lose the ball and needs to do a retreat. The 5-red player readjust the inferiority temporizing the 1x2 situation and creating time for the retreat.
Next week I am going to follow with more 2-player basis and some important tips to work and improve these defensive tactical concepts.
Weeks before, I have written 11 interesting articles trying to define an "Identity model". You can read it here:
Article 1.0 - Creating an identity in a futsal team
Article 1.1 - Defining a model of game
Article 1.2 - Defining an offensive model of game - Transitions
Article 1.3 - Defining an offensive model of game - Positional attack (part 1)
Article 1.4 - Defining an offensive model of game - Positional attack (part 2)
Article 1.5 - Defining an offensive model of game - Positional attack (part 3)
Article 1.6 - Defining an offensive model of game - Positional attack (part 4)
Article 1-7 - Defining an offensive model of game - Positional attack (part 5)
Article 1.8 - Defining an offensive model of game - Transition vs Superiority