John Morrison – A drill to break down tight defences

The shape of your training area can hone your team’s skills

John Morrison promotes the use of new shapes of pitches for coaches in their training sessions.

He says that avoiding the rectangular shape and using other styles can help fix, help and enhance their old or new game training strategies.

He says: “Using the Diamond shape, where the cones run from the two sideline flags to where the six yard line boxes meet the end line on either side of the goal posts. This diamond pitch widens as play goes to the middle but narrows as the pitch goes to each goal mouth.

“As a result, dead space in each corner is flagged up.

“This game tests the abilities of forwards to penetrate a close-knit defence, especially in the D area. Given the crowded nature around the goal fouls can be plentiful, so in this game you can also play the game ‘don’t foul inside the 45’. To hammer home the need not to foul, allow the fouled team to take a free from anywhere to punish the defence.”

To read a further explanation of this game, and also other pitch formations and how they can help your team, get the current issue of Gaelic Life.