Defending
This session is designed to improve the ability to defend in various game situations. The practices develop from 1v1 through to 3v3 and team defending. MORE
Defending as a back four
This session is designed to improve the individual players within your defence and the defence as a unit. The practices cover key aspects such as pressuring techniques, cover and support positions and the shape of the defence in relation to the ball. MORE
Prepare to defend in small groups
in Defending, Email newsletters, Small Sided Games
If you want to start the new season well and win more games, the importance of defending cannot be stressed enough. Tell your players that without the ball they are not going to have the chance to score, so they need to think about how they are going to get it back first – and that means good defensive play. MORE
Back me up, buddy
Teamwork is vital when the opposition has the ball and that means any player defending in a 1v1 situation should have a buddy behind him providing cover. MORE
Corner rebels
in Defending, Small Sided Games
An end-to-end game that trains your players to successfully defend corners and to counterattack straight out of defence while your opponents are still upfield MORE
How to build a wall
If you want your team more resistant to set-pieces, this useful exercise will encourage them to form a wall capable of withstanding direct free-kicks MORE
The forward player defending corners
in Defending, Set pieces
One position you should give a great deal of thought to is the defending player nearest to the corner taker. A strong player in this position offers a number of defensive outlets MORE
Cool as Kieran
in Defending, Tactics, World Cup 2018
A fun game that will encourage your defenders to be calm on the ball and confident in their passing, just like England’s Kieran Trippier MORE
5 tips for defending the long ball
in Defending, Email newsletters, Tactics
The long ball over the top of the defence can be difficult to defend against in youth soccer, so I’ve put together five drills and activities to help you coach defending against teams that play long ball tactics… One of the best ways to stop long balls is to get strikers to press high up... MORE
World Cup decisions
in Attacking, Defending, Small Sided Games, World Cup 2018
Use this fun World Cup themed game to teach your players to make quick decisions in a game. It will test teams with several different attacking and defending scenarios. MORE
Side orders
Force the opposition sideways into the wide areas when they are in possession to keep the main threat away from goal with this session. MORE
Steal the ball
in Defending, Small Sided Games
It’s all about positioning in this lively intercepting game aimed at teaching your players how to nick the ball back from the other team while it’s still in midfield MORE
Recover to counter
in Defending, Small Sided Games
This is all about recovering quickly to stop the opposition counter attacks penetrating the final third in two different sessions MORE
Position decisions
in Defending, Small Sided Games
This session is about defending counter attacks when the players are out of balance or disorganised MORE
High and low pressure
If your team defends as a unit it can win back possession effectively anywhere on the pitch. MORE
Player positions in a diamond defence
in Defending, Email newsletters, Tactics
The defensive diamond works well with formations like 4-4-2, 3-5-2 – and creates a diamond between the centre backs, goalkeeper and a defensive midfielder or pivot. MORE
Key defensive areas – the whole unit
Bangor City first team manager Kevin Nicholson looks at defending in and around the penalty area in a variety of situations. This session tackles defending as a unit. MORE
Key defensive areas – individual and pairs
Bangor City first team manager Kevin Nicholson looks at defending in and around the penalty area in a variety of situations. This session tackles defending as an individual, a pair MORE
Work the back four
This is a defending tactics session in which we structure the back four against opposing attacks with different formations. It is an excellent session when preparing for matchday. MORE
Defending in threes
In the final part of our recent series on defending we look at defending as a unit. This practice improves the shape and positioning of defenders when defending in threes. MORE
Coach defensive values
This session looks at defending principles with technical execution determined by tactical cues. MORE
How to defend when your team has a lead
in Defending, Email newsletters, Tips and advice
A cool defender does the simple things well when defending a lead, ushering danger away from goal rather than jumping in recklessly. MORE
Deflecting the ball
In a perfect goalkeeper’s world, every shot would be cleanly caught and brought into the body. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. So when called upon to deflect the ball safely away from the goal, the correct technique is essential. This session involves all your players boosting this core goalkeeping skill. MORE
How to stop the opposition’s best player
It’s important when playing against a player that scores a lot of goals that you stop the space. If you’re playing against somebody that hits the goal from all areas of the attacking third, you’ve got to get really tight. The trick is to arrive when he receives the ball so that he hasn’t got... MORE
