Soccer is the world’s most popular sport. The rules are easy enough to follow and the basic skills are easy enough to master. As such, there are many youth soccer programs and young soccer players. If you want to teach a new soccer player defensive skills, or just brush up on them for yourself, here are some suggestions to help you on your way to become a great soccer defender.
These following tips will go a long way towards helping your defensive skills:
1. Talk. Communicate to your fellow defenders. When confusion happens and two soccer players are both covering the same offensive player, an opponent might be open and in position to score a quick goal. To prevent this from happening, make sure you talk to your teammates and know who is responsible for which offensive player.
2. Listen. While playing defensive soccer, your goalie should be communicating with you. If you are too focused on a single player, there might be a different scoring threat coming from the far side of the field. The goal keeper can see the whole field from his perspective. He/she will be aware if you are playing out of position and need to move.
3. Move. When the ball is on your half of the field, stay on your toes and get ready to move around. You will need to run up and advance towards players if your goal tender tells you to. Or perhaps the goalie will recognize that coverage is needed on the opposite side of the field, so you need to be prepared to sprint over that way.
4. Run hard. If you have the chance to challenge for a 50/50 ball (which means anyone has a chance at getting the soccer ball), you need to sprint to it. If an offensive player is streaking in towards the goal, you will need to be quick and try to stay ahead of that player.
5. Positioning. Always make sure you are staying between an offensive player and the goal. If you are behind a striker and they are closer to the goal than you (assuming no off-sides), then you need to make sure you get around and do not give up the opportunity for a quick strike.
6. Use the off-sides rule. In soccer, if the ball is passed and an offensive player is behind the furthest back defender (think closest to the goal), the offensive player is called “off-sides” and the ball is turned over to the other team. As a defender you can take advantage of this rule by pushing further up the field when the ball is on that half. This way, if/when the other team gets the ball back, they aren’t close to the goal and ready to strike.
7. Always keep your head moving. Constantly monitor the field and be prepared for any offensive threat. If you keeping moving your head and looking all around, then you are more likely to recognize if a fellow defender needs some help or if an offensive player is trying to gain a positional advantage.
Follow these tips and you will be able to develop your defensive soccer abilities in no time. Remember to stay alert, communicate with your teammates, mind your positioning, and move quickly to react on any play!
