While there is no formal warmup, coaches may want to organize players into 4 v. 2 or other possession games with the focus on the work of the two defenders. Here pressure on the ball, angle and speed of approach might be the points of emphasis. Have everyone work as defenders, with stretching to be interspersed between each bout of the exercise.

6 v. 7 — Beginning the practice
Two sets of training vests should be on hand and the balls placed in the goal. Field size should be 75 x 80 yards. One regular goal is placed on one end line and two target goals established at either side of the 80-yard line.

Six attacking players work against seven players plus a keeper coming out of the back. Play starts with one of the attacking players taking a shot on goal. The keeper collects it or a ball from the goal and distributes to a wide back. As soon as this occurs, all six defenders get behind the ball.

As the ball is on the way from the keeper, the outside midfielder (No. 11) on that side of the field moves forward to defend. If the attacker is not clean in controlling the ball or looks to play the ball back to his support, then the nearest striker (No. 9) looks to double team or press. If the player in possession cannot be highly pressured, the striker will take a position to cut out the back pass (Diagram I).

If high pressure is "on," the second striker (No. 10) cuts out the possibility of a pass to the keeper or, if not, moves more centrally to zone the opponent’s central midfielder.

The No. 6 player will push up if pressure is on or drop back to mark space otherwise. Likewise, No. 8 pushes up to compress play on the weak side while No. 7 looks to take a position that allows interception of a long diagonal pass.

6 v. 7 — Strikers defend outside backs
The defenders’ objective is to defend the attacking outside backs and invite play to be made with either of the opponent’s central backs by spreading the two strikers (Nos. 9 and 10) into wider initial positions.

This invites the keeper to play the ball short to the center back and the striker (No. 9) on the outside of the field tries to channel play to the central part of the field. No. 10 keeps play in front while eliminating the pass to the other outside back. No. 11 looks for passes to the right midfielder. Nos. 6 and 8 would shift to cover the midfield spaces (if No. 11 must defend), while No. 7 looks to intercept any long diagonal ball to the attacking team’s opposite side midfielder (see Diagram 2).

It is important that the coach sets the line of confrontation (in relation to the penalty area) and who will apply the pressure (either No. 9 or 10, depending on which side of the field is being attacked).

6 v. 7 — Strikers defend central backs
The third option for the defensive team is to have the two strikers mark up or defend the center backs when the ball is distributed to the outside back. This forces No. 11 to step up to defend the outside back — channeling play into the interior of the field — while the other defending midfielders shift toward the ball in a zonal fashion with No. 7 again looking to cut out a long diagonal or lateral pass from the player with the ball (see Diagram 3).

One advantage of this system is that the two strikers are in good forward positions to be played to for a quick counterattack.

I let play take place with an emphasis on commitment to defense by the defending team with particular emphasis on team compactness in the midfield, so as the ball moved into the mid-third of the field it could be pressured and the players farthest from the ball could seek to balance the field.

7 v. 9 — Playing off the strikers
Here a central striker and a fourth midfielder are added to the attacking team and a central defender is added to the defending team.

The forwards were free (depending on communication to play any of the three options introduced earlier in the practice (drop centrally, play wide or play the opposing cornerbacks).

I emphasized that the defenders’ midfield should "play off" how the strikers channel play (centrally or wide) through the positioning they are able to take relative to the ball. I also wanted the players to put an aggressive mentality to work in the practice while marking on the goalside of the ball at all times. If the ball were to be played back or square by the opponents, the defending team should use that as a cue to impart high-pressure tactics (see Diagram 4).

The defensive emphasis is for the defending team to be able to adapt high or low pressure tactics and counterattack or possession tactics once the ball is won. By focusing on the ability of the central strikers to read the game, the defending unit can react in the correct fashion.

I emphasized that the ability to scout a team and determine its capabilities in the back usually dictates before the game which way the strikers will play and thus how the midfield and backs will defend collectively.

Shape of defenders — 5 v. 6
As for how the back four in a 4-4-2 should be aligned, I stress compactness, no more than 60 yards wide and about 15 yards between each defender. They want to hold the line at a reasonable distance behind a midfield line so as not to get beaten vertically or diagonally by pace. This varies from team to team and opponent to opponent. The outside back furthest from the ball should be ahead of the other backs. This helps in playing teams offside as vertical and diagonal running takes place, as few players have to step forward for the tactic to be employed.

In order to ensure that the shape of the back four is right, the ball is moved from side to side by the attacking team, and as it moves the backs react accordingly. Meanwhile the single defensive midfielder seeks to use positioning to put enough pressure on the midfielders to force play into one side of the field, making matters more predictable for the four backs. An emphasis here was for the defenders to get goalside of the ball and realize that they need to see both attackers and the ball. The deeper the ball goes, the more difficult it is not to ball watch." (see Diagram 5).

8 v. 8 with counterattack
In this segment of the practice, the attacking team starts in the midfield and tries to penetrate. It must complete five passes before it can shoot on goal. The attacking team has five midfielders and two strikers, while the four backs and four midfielders are in place for the defending team, which tries to counterattack to the two goals situated on the perimeter of the expanded (80 x 75 yard) field.

The defensive emphasis in the game is for the back four and the midfield four to remain compact, to pressure the ball. Let them go around you, but not through you.

If there is pressure on the ball and the back four are compact, they can push up prior to the ball being played and draw the attacking team offside. If there is not pressure on the ball, the unit must retreat as a unit and try to cut out the ball over the top. (see Diagram 6).

11 v. 11 - Full-sided play
In the concluding full-sided match, one team is instructed to play high pressure with the emphasis on quick counterattacks. If the pressure breaks down, the whole team must try to get behind the ball, with the back four conceding space to prevent a through ball. The second group plays low pressure and tries to possess the ball and penetrate collectively for strikes on goal.

Reminders
Each of the segments of the coaching session might occupy one preseason practice for a team. Repetition and collective talk as well as corrective coaching will help the team’s building blocks achieve the needed coordination.

The coach needs to "build pairs" within the 4-4-2 with coordinated play between the outside backs and midfielders, the two strikers, the two central midfielders and the two center backs as part of the team selection process. The playing characteristics and chemistry of the "twos" are concerns as the team is finalized. The "twos" also are built into playing triangles and how these are constructed is of additional concern.

The collective objective of defending in the 4-4-2 is to make the opposition play negatively, and if penetration occurs, that it happens on the flanks, but in front of your defensive block.

Finally the defensive principles must be at work at all times, namely pressure (on the ball), ball winning (1 v. 1), compactness and denial of penetration (cover).

Editor’s note: Mike Noonan took the Brown University men to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Tournament last fall. He has been a member of the NSCAA National Academy staff since 1995.