Defending is the art of decreasing time, space and options available to your opponents...


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Home | Defending

Defending is the art of decreasing time, space and options available to your opponents...

... whether it be a pass, dribble, shot or denying them the ultimate, a goal.

Defending should occur all over the pitch and this should be a primary objective of all your team players when your team is not in possession of the ball.

For your team, individual and collective defending will be required. Players should possess technical and tactical qualities aswell as being able to demonstrate patience, concentration and a great deal of self discipline. Every position on the pitch requires your players to be able to break up or slow the play down by putting in a challenge. There are three primary objectives in defending:

Preventing the opposition from turning with the ball and keeping possession
Keeping the play in front of your defenders
Directing the play, even if your team is not in possession they can dictate where they will allow play to develop

Like many of the great teams built from a solid defense, this is where you will find fantastic articles, information and drills on how your team can be rock solid.

Closing Down Soccer Players In Possession & Making Play Predictable

Do your soccer players know how to make your opponents play predictable? In this soccer coaching video, discover how your defenders can close down and make your opponents do what you want them too... . . . keep reading

Soccer Defending With A Flat Back Four - Knowing When To Drop Off & Press

This functional soccer drill is designed to help the back four of the defensive line understand when to press up the pitch, when to drop off and also how to move laterally across the pitch all in relation to the player in possession of the ball. . . . keep reading

Defensive Soccer Principles - Pressure, Cover and Balance

It's important that all your soccer players understand that when your team aren't in possession of the ball then they are all defenders. There are three fundamentals for players to understand when your team are defending... . . . keep reading

Youth Soccer Coaching - Defending in a 6v6 Small Sided Game

Member Coach Wade got in touch with us here at Junior Soccer Coach asking what we would recommend for a 6v6 Small Sided Soccer Game where the topic was Group Defending. Here is a 12 minute video to explain key soccer coaching points . . . keep reading

Defending - Playing With A Retreating Defence.

Developing all squad players 1 v 1 defending technical abilities should form part of your basic training an refresher sessions for your players... because defending is important whereever it takes place on the pitch. . . . keep reading

How to coach your soccer players the shoulder charge.

The shoulder charge is effective when two players are running alongside each other. In order to challenge, sometimes all that is needed is a slight nudge to unbalance an opponent. It is important that the player conducting the shoulder charge is in a . . . keep reading

How to tackle and win the soccer ball

So much emphasis is put on how to dribble well, keep possession of the ball which are all key ingredients in the game. But what if your team don't have possession, someone has got to go and win the ball. How much time do you spend coaching your players on how to tackle and win the ball? Here are all the key technical points on how to coach tackling. . . . keep reading

Coaching Your Players To Play With A Defensive Triangle At The Back

For youth soccer teams having an "insurance policy" at the back is important when you team lose possession of the ball high up the pitch. With a full back pressed on supporting the attack your team can be vunerable at the back. In this soccer video we explain this key defensive shape. . . . keep reading

Getting Your Back Four To Press During The Soccer Game

It's important that your defensive back four press up the soccer field when the ball is cleared out of your defensive area. In this soccer video we explain why, when, wher and how the press should occur. . . . keep reading

Inside Tactics - Tip of the Week

This weeks tip is a bit special, we have a video broadcast explaining a key goal keeping technique that any keeper can use. Watch it now and take this information to your pitch this weekend... . . . keep reading

Press or Drop
Lee Jones

This is a technical function which resolves the problem of your back four playing too deep or too high up the pitch. In this soccer drill the players have to react to different situations such as pressure on the ball and when the opposition team has comfortable possession of the ball. There are lots of key coaching points such as passing safe side and when and where to defend in this practice. . . . keep reading

Full Soccer Training Session SSG - Working with your midfield players

As all good training sessions should end with a small sided game to reflect the free play, game like situations that your players would experience... here is the final part to the complete training session we published on how to coach and work the midfield unit. . . . keep reading

Full Soccer Training Session - Working with your midfield players

Having a good spine the team is important, two good central defenders, two good central midfield players and two strikers who can put the ball in the back of the net. However, for me the players who need to do the most out of this spine are the two central midfield players. In this full training session video you'll get the warm up, technical practice and small sided game to train your midfield players. . . . keep reading

More 1 v 1 Technical defending on the edge of the 18 yard box.

Developing all squad players 1 v 1 defending technical abilities should form part of your basic training and refresher sessions for your players because defending is important wherever it takes place on the pitch. . . . keep reading

1 v 1 Technical Defending Soccer Drill

Building on a theme of 1 v 1 defending here we can set up a half pitch soccer practice to work both the attackers and defenders in a 1 v 1 situation. The key elements for the defenders to focus on in this drill are, making challenges at the right time, keeping the attacker off their stronger foot and showing an attacker a preferred way. . . . keep reading

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