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Two players press an opponent with the ball.

Session programme

Session programme: press and cover to defend

Session

England Football Learning

5 mins - Feb 24, 2025

Programme intentions

This six-week programme aims to help your players:

understand the individual and team actions needed to press and cover
consider how and when to press and cover
use pressing and covering to defend and win the ball back.

If you're short on time, this structured training programme can be used as it is. Pitch sizes in this programme are shown as how long the pitch is x how wide it is, but these are just suggestions.

To make the programme more effective, adapt it to suit your players, your numbers, and the space you have. If you want to skip, repeat, or amend these sessions – that's fine. It’s up to you how you use this resource.

If you like this idea, download the whole programme and give it a go. And don't forget to share your experience on the England Football Community. We'd love to know how you got on.

Week one: read and react

Create parallel 20x15-yard pitches. On the pressing pitch, if teams win the ball in their opponent’s half and score it’s worth three goals. On the covering pitch, if a player takes up a good covering position to help win the ball and their team scores from the counter-attack, it’s worth three goals.
Split players into pairs and set up small gates with cones. One player starts with the ball in their hands and passes to their partner across the gate. Then, the partner dribbles to a cone while the thrower attempts to get there first.
Set up a 20x10-yard pitch, a 15x25-yard pitch and a 25x20-yard pitch. Each needs an end zone for the attacker to try to get to. If they do, or they lose the ball, they move to the next area. If the defender wins it, they run it out of the other side of the area or play it to the next attacker.
Set up a pitch with goals at either end. Have a 5v5 with six neutral players outside who help the team on the ball. Scoring a goal is worth a point. If the ball is regained and a goal is scored within four seconds it’s worth five points. Swap players around often so neutral players get on the pitch.

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Week two: pressing for glory

Create parallel 20x15-yard pitches. On the first, if teams win the ball in their opponent’s half and score they get three goals. On the second pitch, if a team wins the ball and scores from the counter-attack, they get three goals. On the third pitch, teams get three goals for keeping a clean sheet.
Set up two pitches for 4v4 games. Split each pitch into thirds with a goal at each end and footballs around the pitch. In this game, if a team scores after winning the ball in the attacking third, they get three goals. There are no corners or throw-ins. And the game restarts from the goalkeeper.
Move to one pitch that’s split into thirds with a goal at each end. If a team wins the ball in their own defensive third and scores, they get one point. If they do that in the middle third, they get two points. And three points are awarded if they win possession in their attacking third and score.

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Week three: cover and recover

Create parallel 20x15-yard pitches for some small-sided games. There are no specific rules here. But to help players understand where they may defend from – or where a covering player might be – create some defensive lines using flat markers.
Set up two parallel pitches: one 60x40-yards and the other 60x30-yards. Put a mini-goal at each end and use flat markers to create a line ten yards out from each goal. Have a 2v2 in the middle area of each pitch. The team out of possession must keep a player on the line in front of their goal.
Once your team has the hang of it, have a 4v4 on the bigger pitch. Increase the depth of the line in front of the goal to bring the defender closer to the action. Create more pitches to suit your numbers.
Move to a pitch that’s split into thirds with a goal at each end. If a team wins the ball in their own defensive third and scores, they get one point. If they do that in the middle third, they get two points. And three points are awarded if they win possession in their attacking third and score.

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Week four: pressing duels

Create parallel 20x15-yard pitches. On the first, if teams win the ball in their opponent’s half and score they get three goals. On the second pitch, if a team wins the ball and scores from the counter-attack, they get three goals. On the third pitch, teams get three goals for keeping a clean sheet.
Set up a 15x15 yard area. Within that, put four cones down. Set them up in a diamond shape with one at each end and one on each side. Place two mini-goals at both ends of the area. This is a 2v2 game. If you have a large group, put on parallel games by setting up multiple areas next to each other.
The attackers start with the ball and score points by getting to any of the cones in front of them. Dribble the ball to either of the side cones, and they score one point. Reach the cone on the far side and they earn three points. If they score, play restarts from the beginning and they go again.
If the defenders win the ball, they try to score in their opponent’s mini-goals to earn a point. If the attackers win it back, they attack the mini-goals at the other end. When there’s a goal, play again. After a second go, switch the roles so the defenders become the attackers for two rounds.
Create a 45-yard-long pitch that’s split into thirds with a goal at each end. If a team wins the ball in their own defensive third and scores they get three points. If they do that in the middle third they get two points. Teams get one point if they win the ball in their attacking third and score.

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Week five: defending in small number

Create parallel 20x15-yard pitches. On the first, if teams win the ball in their opponent’s half and score they get three goals. On the second pitch, if a team wins the ball and scores from the counter-attack, they get three goals. On the third pitch, teams get three goals for keeping a clean sheet.
Set up multiple 10x10-yard grids with two gates at one end acting as a goal for this 1v1 activity. The defender stands in between the two gates with the attacker opposite. The attacker needs to have two footballs for this drill.
The players exchange passes before the attacker plays a ball towards one gate. The defender moves to stop the ball from going through it. As soon as the defender successfully does this, the attacker aims at the other gate with the next ball. The defender has to react quickly to block it.
Create a 25x15-yard pitch with a goal at one end. Using flat markers, section off a third of the pitch for a 3v2 area. At the goal side, create a small area for the keeper. This creates a larger area for a 1v1 which is the main focus of this drill.
Two attackers try to win the ball from three defenders. Once they do, an attacker can break out to go 1v1 against the defender in the next area and try to score. The defender must use their 1v1 emergency defending skills to stop them.
Create a 45-yard-long pitch that’s split into thirds with a goal at each end. If a team wins the ball in their own defensive third and scores they get three points. If they do that in the middle third they get two points. Teams get one point if they win the ball in their attacking third and score.

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Week six: festival week

Set up 20x15-yard, 25x20-yard, and 30x25-yard pitches. Add safe zones where players can’t be tackled for a set time if needed. The usual scoring system is in place. Ensure players rotate around the pitches so they play on each one. Keep scores and see who the overall winner at the end is.

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