The Complete Soccer Team Defensive Training Routine: 90-Minute Professional Level Unit & Team Defending Routine

For years I have been training team defending using various methods. Every pre-season I would drill my team day after day on individual, unit and team defending. After pre-season was over, I always wanted a better way to consistently train and rehearse our defensive tactics throughout the entire season. I wanted a 90-minute training session that re-enforced our entire defensive game plan in order to keep it fresh in the player’s minds. This past year I was fortunate enough observe a coach from Portugal who spoke about his “Tactical Periodization” plan over a 10-month season. He used a defensive routine that taught his team’s defensive game model in a 90-minute routine. Once every 7-10 days the team would perform the defensive routine, usually with some type of variation switching a few exercises to keep the players mentally challenged. The defensive routine would also include some overlap into other games phases. It is essential to teach the different game phases and the connection between the phases. In this case it is “Defensive Organization” working into “Attacking Transition” – meaning when the defense is in their shape defending and they win the ball the next phase of play would be for them to attack – (defensive organization to attacking transition). This book covers a complete 90-minute defensive team training routine with fundamental information concerning defensive concepts from my book “The Science of Soccer Team Defending”. The 90-minute training routine can be modified as needed. I have included numerous exercises that can be added into the routine so you can customize it to fit your team.