Defending Corners and Wide Free Kicks: Mixed Marking
Three zonal defenders protect the six-yard box while three man-markers follow the best headers. Corners and wide free kicks against a live attack.
- Age
- U13–Senior
- Players
- 14–20
- Duration
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Intensity
- Medium
- Area
- 30 × 44 m
- Type
- Tactical
- Approach
- Global
- Format
- Waves
- Objectives
- Tactical: Set pieces, Defensive organisation
- Concepts worked on
- Technical:Heading
- Tactical:Set-piece routinesMarkingCover
Training diagram
Legend
- Attacker
- Defender
- Goalkeeper
- Pass
- Run without ball
- Ball
- Goal
Mixed marking combines the strengths of both systems: three players defend fixed zones in front of goal and attack every ball that enters them, while three others mark the opposition's most dangerous headers. The rest cover the edge of the box and the short corner. The team rehearses corners from both sides and wide free kicks, then defends them against attackers who try to score.
Objective
Defend corners and wide free kicks with clear zonal and man-marking jobs, win the first ball and clear the second.
Organisation
- Penalty box with a full-size goal and goalkeeper. Cones at the edge of the box mark the free-kick spots, 25 m out and 10 m in from the touchline.
- Defending team (red): 3 zonal defenders, 3 man-markers, 1 at the edge of the box and 1 against the short corner, plus goalkeeper.
- Attacking team (blue): taker plus 5 or 6 attackers. Extra players wait at the halfway line as the counter-attack target.
How it works
- Phase 1 (5 min): the coach serves corners by hand; defenders take their positions and call their jobs out loud.
- Phase 2: 10 live corners (5 from each side). Zonal players attack any ball in their zone; markers stay touch-tight and block the run.
- Phase 3: 6 wide free kicks. The defensive line sets at the edge of the box (no deeper than the penalty spot) with the same mixed scheme.
- Attackers score 1 goal; defenders who clear beyond the box and pass to the player at the halfway line score 1 point.
- Swap roles so every defender plays both a zonal and a marking job.
Coaching points
- Zonal players: start facing the ball, step up and head it high and wide; never wait for it to drop.
- Markers: body between attacker and goal, feel your man with one arm and keep sight of the ball.
- Goalkeeper calls “Keeper!” or “Away!” early; zonal players hold their line until the call.
- After the clearance, the whole line steps out together to leave attackers offside.
- Edge-of-box defender: first to second balls; no shots from the D.
Progressions
- Attackers can choose a short corner: the short defender and one zonal player go out.
- Add a blocker who screens a zonal defender.
Regressions
- Corners thrown by hand.
- Fewer attackers (4) so every defender has a clear reference.
Variations
- Fully zonal version with six players in two lines, to compare with mixed marking.
Key principles
- Win the first ball.
- Clear jobs for everyone.
- Step out together after the clearance.
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