Although our sessions always have a theme I'm beginning to think the girls are not getting enough out of practice for having to "think" too much. We try to build up the complexity. However, the final activity often involves elements that could be confusing with lack of focus. Something like switching ends of the field after completing a task to simulate transition, etc. Meanwhile we are not always solid in basic, fundamental elements such as defensive organisation. I feel as if we could practice something like that to death but players would become too bored and lose focus. IDK, stay the course? Simplify and risk boredom? How can we change it up?
So this season we are doing more with chaos (this is with u9s). It actually seems to speed up learning. The theory is that in a game, things aren't neat and tidy and there are many things going on. The chaos in training helps the players acclimate to the chaos in games. For example, 1v1 activities aren't so turn-based. There may be 2 or 3 pairs of 1v1s going on at the same time. "Shooter stays" rules to keep players waiting engaged and attentive. We add "rules" to increase complexity. Like all players must be in attacking half to score or you pass back to keeper to unlock a goal. It doesn't have to be mutually exclusive either. You can still coach defensive organization within complexity—it will probably involve more design on your part and refining coaching points.
It is tough to give any specific advice. Any differences in the experience from the game inhibit learning and the transfer of learning from training to the game. So you want to limit differences to those that promote learning and pertain to the teaching objectives for the sessions. Training in isolation promotes short term learning while training in context promotes long term learning. So working on something in isolation at the start of the session will be effective in performing during the rest of the session. Performing the same thing later in the session in a game context is where the long term learning happens. A good progression builds on prior exercises and can be less confusing if the adjustments are minimal at each step. It is more effective to focus on only 1 or 2 objectives for each session. I don't think I ever did more than 2, although I established a game context for the training so experience occurred in the whole game. The temptation to provide feedback on additional things is confusing and will distract from your 1 or 2 objectives for that session. I associate individual tactics and small group tactics with fundamentals. I associate "positions" with team tactics and functional training. (Fundamentals are general in nature while functional training is focused on specific circumstances and positions.) If players master fundamentals first, it is much easier to learn team tactics later. Players who don't understand the principles of play first are not going to understand team tactics, no matter how many shadow drills you do. Hope some of that is what you were looking for.
General advice - I found as I settled on about 5 core setups I spent less time explaining the activity and more time coaching. For example, I'd use Funino as a warmup sometime (wide/short field, multiple goals at each end, etc). I could use that same rough setup for something like this by dragging the goals in about 10 yds during the first water break I can use that to teach a few things. If we were giving up a lot of through balls in behind because we weren't moving as a unit, I could work out of this setup - keeping it simple at first, maybe 3 v 3 with no targets, just getting it in their mind to not be in a line like a foosball table but have some depth to prevent angled shots to the goal that isn't directly in front of the guy with the ball etc. Set the conditions you want so that they don't just park in front of the puggs, but I'm trusting that everyone wants to get better at soccer and not just win the drill. When you say defensive organization, what part are you looking to improve?
All of it! We seem to have a difficult time understanding how to play within the shape, and how/when the shape "morphs".
Assuming you are running a zone defense, sounds like the problem is fundamentals: pressure, cover, balance. Do they keep organized defensively in 4v4 play? If so, you could build from there. I think varying the balance of the sides promotes learning: Numbers up and numbers down, not just even sides.
I like the 4v4v4 3-zone game where there are two attacking teams on the outside zones, in the middle zone a defending team. The teams on the outsides try to get the ball to the other side. Defending team can send 1 defender. But instead of same defender chasing, as ball moves left to right, a diff. defender steps in. So it's steps and drops and morphing the shape. If the area is wide enough, you can work on how the back line "swings" side to side. Then progress to a 4v4: 2,3,4,5 vs 7.9,10,11
Do you have a video of how that would work? I get it but I want to see how the different defender steps in and the other goes out.
In an earlier thread you mentioned a 4-2-3-1. Do you defend by shrinking that or do you end up in a 4-4-1-1 or something else?
Youtube "sacchi coaches lyceum" will show you several things working groups of 4. There's also a good vid of an EPL team doing similar, but couldn't find it.
Yes, 4-4-1-1 more-less, but only in our 1/3 or ball in middle. We press outside and in our attacking 1/3. I believe the problem is we are either too aggressive in attack, or not aggressive enough. Transition! We struggle to understand good attacking shape that also lends itself to successful defense.
This is old, but gives a good overview. (Sacchi followed Dutch Style principles of play.) This is not just pros, but internationals on a World Champion team. The exercises and objectives, however, are the same for any 11v11 team defending in 2 lines of 4.
I am not sure, but he may be referring to this Barca drill. https://www.professionalsoccercoaching.com/possession-drills/barcelona-possession-4vs4vs4 I cannot find a video clip.