Back-Three Slide & Step

Develop a back three's collective movement: who steps, who slides, who covers — especially against the wide ball and the run in behind through the channel.

A goal at the top of a 40-yard-wide, 30-yard-deep area. The back three starts 12 yards from goal. Opposite them: a server with the balls, two wide attackers, and a striker who attacks the channels.

1. The server moves the ball side to side, holding it for 2-3 seconds in each position while the unit re-sets.
2. When the ball goes wide, the nearest centre-back steps out to press; the middle one slides across to cover the channel; the far one tucks central.
3. The striker times runs into the channel behind the stepping defender — the covering defender must track or intercept.
4. Start at walking tempo with the coach narrating; build to full speed with live service in behind.
5. Every 4th ball is live: the attackers try to score, the back three defends the rep out.
6. Rotate one attacker into the back three every 4 minutes.

• Slide as the ball travels, not after it arrives.
• Stepper presses the ball; coverer drops half a yard deeper, never flat.
• Talk constantly: 'step', 'slide', 'runner' — the unit moves on the call.
• Body shape open to ball AND runner — see both on one picture.

• The unit watches the ball and slides late — insist the first step comes while the pass is still travelling.
• The covering defender stays flat with the stepper and the channel ball splits them — coach the half-yard drop behind the presser.
• Defenders go silent at speed — no call, no slide; make communication a scored part of the drill.

• Add a second striker so both channels can be attacked at once.
• Let the wide attackers combine before the ball in behind, making the trigger harder to read.
• Play live from every serve with a halfway-line offside rule.

• Coach walks the three positions for each ball location before going live.
• Remove the striker — pure shape-shifting against the server's ball movement.
• Slow the service so the unit always re-sets before the next picture.

• The back three must stay within 12 yards of each other side to side — a bigger gap restarts the rep.