There are several ways of coaching players to win back the ball or stop the opposition, but we’ve focused on two of the most common. Previously we looked at soccer drills to coach the block tackle, this time it’s the turn of the slide tackle.

As we said in How to coach the block tackle, there are three reasons why you should coach the correct tackling techniques:

• Mis-timed or poorly executed tackles can result in free kicks (or penalties) against your team.
• They can lead to yellow or even red cards against your players.
• Or cause serious injury to an opponent or the players themselves.

Coaching the slide tackle

The slide tackle is usually used when the attacker and defender are running in the same direction and the attacker’s threat is such that the defender must stop them immediately...

Key soccer coaching tip: to carry out the slide tackle, coach your players to:

• Approach from the side and tackle across the path of the opponent.
• Decide early whether to knock the ball out of play or ‘hook’ it to win possession.
• Be decisive and committed.
• Tackle using the leg furthest from the ball and keep it slightly bent.
• Tuck the leg nearest the ball underneath the backside and ideally slide on the outer thigh.
• Kick through the ball, or get the ball on the shoelaces (instep) and swing the leg around in a wide sweep to ‘hook’ or trap the ball with the foot.
• Meet the ball solidly and make contact with the centre to top half of the ball so it doesn’t roll over the foot.
• GET BACK UP as quickly as possible, whether the tackle has been successful or not.