There is a very simplistic way to look at football/soccer.  There is a positive phase, when a team has possession of the ball; and a negative phase, when the team does not have the ball.  Those involved at a higher level may argue a more specific and detailed outlook, but in a general way this is the truth.

Through experiences in amateur and regional football, there seems to be a lot of focus given to the positive, in possession phase.  This can be argued rightly because if a team has possession then there is no need to defend, but no team can have 100% possession.  In fact a 60% share of possession is often looked upon as dominant, so is there is a case to equally prepare a team for the other phase without the ball?

Defensive Phase

This can be described simply as the time when a team is not in possession of the ball.  The basic principles of defending require pressure on the ball, angled support behind the ball; with a narrow and compact shape.  Again, this is a simplistic outlook, but it shows the basic adjustments to team shape.  Following this the key elements are to stop forward passing, make the play predictable and delay the attack.
By looking at defending in a general way, coaches can begin to affect their players in specific ways during training to achieve small parts of this bigger picture.  This enables younger players to acquire defending skills during sessions, without this being the main focus.

Attacking Phase

This can be simply described as the time when a team is in possession of the ball.  The basic principles of attacking are to create space as a team, pass forwards with creative forward runs, preferably at pace.  Key elements include the timing of runs, quick/clever play and the quality of the pass/finish. 
All possession starts from creating space as a team, stretching the other team long and wide to manufacture pockets of space for players.  This space gives players time to play and areas to run and pass into.  This basic starting point should be one of the main focuses when starting any ‘positive phase’ coaching session.

Combination of the Phases

There is a time in a match when a team is at its most vulnerable; generally this is when they have committed players forward into an attack.  This is because they have applied the attacking philosophy and created space and gaps within their team in order to play.  When this team loses possession they are susceptible to a counter attack, which can be devastatingly effective.  This is often referred to as the ‘TRANSITION IN PLAY’, between attack and defence for that team and defence and attack for the other.  These transitions are important in games and can be coached for teams at any level.  Using sessions to highlight these transitions can be very beneficial and enable a team to become aware of these moments and act accordingly.  At these times the players must act differently but still apply the defending principles.

When looking at the defending team, give them a reason for the work they are putting in by encouraging them to be patient and relaxed.  Tell them they are biding their time in their defensive shape like a ‘coiled spring’ waiting to explode when they regain possession.  Then they turn from compact and behind the ball to expand and make runs past the ball.
In contrast, when looking at the team that has just lost possession, the nearest player/s must DELAY the attack to help players recover behind the ball.  The final defensive line should organise and cover central spaces not players, ALL recovery runs should be in straight lines back to central areas, not the ball. 
By preparing a session which looks at both phases and can see a team move from being in possession to not and vice versa, the coach can manufacture their team’s reaction and re-enforce the defending and attacking principles in a realistic game situation.

Photo: Jose Goulao