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Partner Defending

U9–U10 · 60-minute practice

Explore and notice

Ready to start

10:00

Rest and transitions are included in each activity. Pause for additional breaks.

Next: Delay and cover

One delays; one covers.

Begin at walking pace in the numbered stations. In a four-person station, point to the carrier, nearest defender, covering defender and supporting receiver before anyone moves. Share the ball when needed; an observer watches the same decision and takes a ball turn on the next assigned round.

s19-arrival24 × 30 m clear area with a 2 m perimeter buffer. 2 numbered stations, 8 numbered player slots, 2 balls and 8 cones. Each station shares one ball and rotates roles; dashed arrow shows an example travel or pass route. Focus: Delay the carrier with a covering teammate. Diagram shows starting positions, not fixed player locations. Three steps show delay cover using the first round's numbered players. Solid gold routes show the ball; dashed pale routes show player movement; dotted blue routes show a shadow or defender. Routes stay inside each numbered station. 1. Protect the route: Nearest defender protects space; no contact. 2. Change the ball side: Second defender covers behind when available. 3. Hand over nearest and cover: The old nearest defender drops; the partner now delays.Station 1Station 21357246824 × 30 m · 2 m perimeter bufferNumbered circle: player · small dot: ball · triangle: cone · dashed arrow: route1. Protect the routecornercornercornercornergategategategateStation 1: #3: delay without contactStation 1: #5: cover behind the nearest defenderStation 2: #4: delay without contactStation 2: #6: cover behind the nearest defender13572468Ball 1Ball 2Nearest defender protectsspace; no contact.2. Change the ball sidecornercornercornercornergategategategateStation 1: To #7: change the ball side with a soft passStation 2: To #8: change the ball side with a soft pass13572468Ball 1Ball 2Second defender covers behindwhen available.3. Hand over nearest andcovercornercornercornercornergategategategateStation 1: #5: become the new nearest defenderStation 1: #3: hand over and become coverStation 2: #6: become the new nearest defenderStation 2: #4: hand over and become cover13572468Ball 1Ball 2The old nearest defender drops;the partner now delays.Solid gold: ball · dashed pale: player · dotted blue: shadow / defender

Player arrivals and departures

Use anonymous numbers from 1 to 99. Changes take effect before an activity begins; each activity needs 4–16 players.

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