Defending Corners: Zone and Mark

Objective

• Organise a corner from the keeper out: who zones, who marks, who covers the posts, and how you get out once it is cleared

Set-up and how it runs

• Set the defensive shape unopposed first: a player on each post, three zonal defenders across the six-yard line, two markers on the attackers' best headers, and one on the edge of the box for the second ball.
• The keeper organises everyone before each corner and calls 'keeper' or 'away' when the ball is in the air.
• Go live: the attacking group takes eight corners, mixing near, far and short. Every clearance must reach halfway to count as a successful defence.
• After each corner the whole line steps out together on the first touch out of the box — a defender caught behind the line counts as a goal conceded.
• Swap roles after eight corners. Score: defence gets a point per successful clearance, attack a point per shot on target and three per goal.

Equipment

• Cones
• Full-size goal
• Bibs
• Balls

Coaching points

• Zonal players attack the ball in front of their zone — they do not wait for it to arrive
• Markers stay touch-tight and goal-side; see the ball AND your player
• Post players stay on the post until the ball is cleared, then step out with everyone else
• First clearance goes high and wide, never across your own box

Progressions

• Attackers add a screen on the keeper
• Remove one post player and cover with a zonal defender
• Clearance must be followed by a counter-attack to a mini goal on halfway

What it develops

Technical

Heading

Psychosocial

Communication

Tactical

Zonal defending