Written by Jeff Pill of CompleteSoccerCoach.com

Small group objectives are the same as stated for individual attackers or defenders.  Even though small group action essentially boils down to individual actions, there is a better chance that the action will succeed when a well-coordinated group undertakes the task.

ATTACKING

Although an individual scores the goal or plays the ball into a space behind the defenders, they do this primarily as the result of an individual’s defending mistakes.  The group, with well-coordinated actions, can force positional mistakes, thus creating an opening for an individual.

The way the group does this is to force a defender to make a split-second decision between two or more positions, both of which can be made wrong.  Examples of this will be looked at later.

DEFENDING

Since an individual defender is at times vulnerable, a group of defenders can do two things to improve the defender’s situation:

• reduce the risk of being beaten by providing support and cover;
• isolating the individual defender into a position where their actions are limited and predictable and which favor the defense.
  • Defend the dribble, thus conceding the pass; or
  • Defend the pass, thus conceding the dribble

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