Defending the Wide Free-Kick

Organise the defending of wide free-kicks as a complete sequence: set the line height, seed the six-yard box zonally, mark the stack man-for-man, win the first contact, and release a rehearsed counter outlet from the clearance.

Goal, GK and penalty area. Defending unit of eight: two zonal seeds across the six-yard box, a four-player line holding the height set by the GK's call, a marker on the stack, and an outlet striker who stays high outside the box. Attacking unit of five plus a taker who delivers from wide positions both sides.

1. GK sets the line: 'edge of the box' for deep wide kicks, 'top of the six' for closer deliveries — the four-player line takes its height from his call and holds it.
2. Zonal seeds protect the two most dangerous spaces: front zone at the near post and the central six-yard box, attacking anything that drops there regardless of runners.
3. Markers pick up the attacking stack man-for-man, staying ball-side and goal-side, tracking the late peel.
4. On the delivery, the line jumps as one to play depth runners offside, the nearest defender attacks the first contact.
5. Every clearance targets the outlet striker or the wide escape zone — he holds it or runs it out, and three teammates break out beyond the ball within 5 seconds.
6. 8 deliveries per side, then rotate the units; score one point for a clean clearance, two for a clearance into a completed counter.

• One call, one height — the line moves on the GK's voice only.
• Zonal men attack the ball at its highest point; nobody waits for it to drop.
• Markers: ball-side, goal-side, touch contact at the jump.
• Clear long and wide, then break out — the first sprint starts the counter.

• The line creeps backwards as the taker approaches and ends up defending on the goal-line — set the height once and hold it until the strike.
• Zonal seeds get drawn to runners and abandon their space — their man is the ball, nothing else moves them.
• Defenders celebrate the clearance and stop — the rep includes the 5-second break-out beyond the ball or the point is lost.

• Attackers run live routines (stack peels, screens) — defenders must communicate and pass runners on.
• Add a second phase: any half-clearance is recycled by the attack for a second delivery.
• Score the counter into two mini-goals on halfway with a 10-second limit.

• Walk through the line height and zonal seats without a delivery.
• Attack with three runners only, no stack.
• Coach serves the delivery by hand to guarantee a defendable picture.

• Every clearance must find the outlet or the wide escape zone — clearing it straight back to the taker's side concedes the rep.
• The line may only step on the GK's call; any defender deeper than the line plays everyone onside and forfeits the point.