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Home/Training Drills/Transitions Drills/Rest Defence (Preventing the Counter)
TransitionsAdvanced

Rest Defence (Preventing the Counter)

Prevent the counter-attack with rest defence. Hold a staggered shape behind the ball during the attack, then on the turnover delay the ball, cover the runner, and force the counter backward to buy recovery time.

Create your own drill
Live animationTRN
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
6
Recommended
Pitch
60 × 40 m
Setup space
Level
Advanced
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U13-U14
Any format

Setup & instructions

As the team attacks high, two players hold a staggered rest-defence position behind the ball. On a turnover, the near player steps to delay the ball while the other covers the deepest runner and screens the forward pass, forcing the counter backward. Emphasise the position during the attack, then delay over diving in. Rotate the rest-defence pair and add recovering teammates as a progression.

Setup time: 2 min

Tactical breakdown

Rest defence is the work done before anything has gone wrong, which is exactly why it gets neglected. While a team is attacking, the players behind the ball are doing nothing visible, and it is tempting to let them push higher and join in. The consequence only appears twenty seconds later when the ball is turned over and there is nobody between the opponent and the goal.

The positioning principle is staggered rather than flat. Two players level with each other cover the same horizontal band and can both be beaten by a single pass through the middle. Staggered, one deeper than the other, means the ball that beats the first is covered by the second, and the counter is delayed rather than released.

How many players stay back is a judgement rather than a rule, and it should be tied to the opponent. Against a side with quick forwards who look to break, three is sensible. Against a side that defends with everyone and recovers slowly, two is often enough and the extra body is worth more in the attack. Pretending there is a universal number is one of the more common coaching mistakes here.

On the turnover itself, the near player delays the ball immediately rather than trying to win it, and the other covers the deepest runner. That combination buys the five or six seconds the rest of the team needs to get back, which is the entire purpose.

Forcing the counter backwards or sideways counts as a complete success, and should be scored that way.

How to run this drill

  1. Set the rest-defence players behind the ball. During the attack, two or three players hold position behind the ball rather than joining. They look idle and are doing the most important job in the phase.
  2. Stagger them, never flat. Two players level cover the same band and are both beaten by one pass. One deeper than the other means the ball that beats the first meets the second.
  3. Choose the number by the opponent. Three against quick forwards who break, two against a side that recovers slowly. There is no universal figure and claiming one is a coaching error.
  4. Delay the ball at once on the turnover. The nearest player addresses the carrier immediately without trying to win it. Slowing the counter by two seconds is worth more than a fifty-fifty tackle.
  5. Cover the deepest runner. The second player tracks whoever is furthest forward rather than converging on the ball. That runner is the one who turns a counter into a chance.
  6. Score it on forcing the ball backwards. A counter that ends up going sideways or back has been prevented. Judging this phase only on tackles teaches players to dive in when delaying was correct.

Coaching focus

FROM SESSION PLAN

Coaching points

  • Position behind the ball during the attack, staggered not flat
  • On the turnover, near player delays the ball at once
  • Cover the deepest runner, screen the forward pass
  • Delay and jockey, buy time, do not dive in
  • Force the counter sideways or backward

Common mistakes

  • Everyone joining the attack, no one behind the ball
  • Rest defenders flat, easy to split with one pass
  • Diving in on the turnover and getting beaten
  • Not covering the deepest runner in behind

Progressions & regressions

VARIATIONS

Progressions

  • Add recovering teammates sprinting back to help
  • Make it live from a small-sided game
  • Reward the attackers for a clean counter to raise the stakes

Regressions

  • Walk through the shape and the delay first
  • Attackers counter at a set pace
  • Add a third rest-defender for more cover
Equipment
Cones×1
Tactical principles
rest defencepreventing the counterdefensive transitioncounter attack preventionstaggered shapecovering behind the balltransition drilldefensive organisationadvanced defending drillu14 defending drill
Audience
U13-U14

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