Learning
to defend is typically much easier than learning to attack. This is
because the defenders primary job is to simply dispossess the
attacker. Even if the defender doesn’t gain possession of the ball,
by dispossessing the attacker will allow the defenders support to
close down the loose ball or cause the ball to go out of play. A key
element in good defending is remembering the defenders primary role
is to break down the attack. Attackers, on the flip side, typically
have to be more creative to beat defenders. Simply pressuring the
attacker properly will often cause the attacker to turn over
possession.
An aspect
of defending which is often over looked is being able to go on the
attack once the defender has won possession. Players should be
reminded the importance of attacking once possession is won.
When
defending 1v1’s in soccer it is very important to focus on the
following key elements:
Staggered stance with toes at a 45 degree angle.
Bent
knees with weight on the balls of the feet.
Chest
leaning over the toes.
Low
center of gravity for greater explosion/quick change of
direction (upright takes longer to start).
Ability to shuffle quickly.
Pay
attention to the distance of pressure (depends on speed of
attacker vs. the speed of the defender) usually 1-3 yards
Remember
that the player closest to the attacker should be the player
pressuring the ball. Players should sprint to close down space as
quickly as they can, then when they get 5 yards from the attacker
they should slow down and take steps backwards to match the pace of
the attacker. During this time, the defender should slowly close
down the space between the attacker and defender. Often proper
pressure will cause the attacker to lose the ball.
One way to
have players recall the proper way to defend is by the term “Quick,
Slow, Sideways, Low”.
Quick refers to the
defender speed while closing down the attacker with the ball. This
should be done at full speed sprint and note that it is often best
to close down the ball when the ball is in flight.
Slow refers to the
defenders ability to change of speed and direction required to start
moving in the same direction of the attacker.
Sideways refers to the
body positioning often used when defending. The defender should turn
their body in a 45 degree angle to create the largest amount of
defensive area. If the defender was to face forward, the attacker
could then go around or between the defender’s legs. If the defender
turns perpendicular to the attacker, the attacker could easily
attack the backside of the defender and have the advantage. However,
if the defender positions their body in a 45 degree angle, they will
have covered the largest area of space while giving the defender an
advantage to channel the attacker.
Low refers to the
defenders body position which should be bent knees with weight on
the balls of the feet, chest leaning over the toes and low center of
gravity for greater explosion/quick change of direction.
Defenders
should often be reminded that they should “do their work” during the
flight of the ball. So this means defenders should close down the
player as the ball is in flight. Tight pressure causes the attacker
to look down, where lose pressure allows the attacker to lift their
head and have a better vision of defenders, space and possibilities.
Another
important aspect of defending is knowing when to tackle. The
defender should be patient and look for the following queues to
predict the right time to tackle.
Tackle
when the attacker has bad touch
Tackle
when the attacking team has made a mistake
Tackle
when the ball is the farthest from the attacker’s foot
In
addition, defenders should learn how to channel an attacker. This
simply means to encourage the attacker to go a certain direction
dictated by the defender. Typically channeling is done by bending
the run on approaching the attacker to encourage attacker to move
the ball away from the defender. Too much bend will allow the
attacker to blow past defender, so the run must be bent just enough
to make up the attackers mind for them. Typically we want to channel
attackers for the following reasons:
Move
the attacker away from the goal
Move
the attacker towards the sideline
Move
the attacker to play to weak foot
Move
the attacker into a teammate (supporting defender)
Move
the attacker away from their support
To close
this tip on defending, I want to make a third mention of a very
important rule of defending, and that is proper defensive pressure
will often cause the attacker to lose the ball. Therefore, teach
your players the above defending techniques, and you should see a
difference in your player’s abilities to defend
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Defending