Defending
The defensive soccer drills and games in this section will help you coach your players to work as a unit at the back. We look at how your players should organise themselves, what are their roles and responsibilities as defenders, and how they should react in different defensive situations.
With work, you should be able to coach your players to control the game at the back and to start great passing moves leading to goals at the other end.
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
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
in Defending, Small Sided Games
This session is about defending counter attacks when the players are out of balance or disorganised MORE
in Defending, Practice plans
If your team defends as a unit it can win back possession effectively anywhere on the pitch. MORE
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
in Defending, Tips and advice
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
in Defending, Tips and advice
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
in Defending, Tactics
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.
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in Defending, Practice plans
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
in Defending, Tips and advice
This session looks at defending principles with technical execution determined by tactical cues. MORE
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
in Defending, Practice plans
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
in Defending, Tactics
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
in Defending, Practice plans
The supporting defender is vital for cutting off attacking options. This session introduces the idea with a defensive overload. MORE
in Defending, Warm Ups
This is an excellent warm-up that gets players into the groove for pressing, tackling, and movement off the ball, great for match days or before training for a five minute warm up. MORE
in Defending, Midfield
Pits the wits of defenders and attackers against each other in 1v1s within the main game. Plus use sweepers to give midfielders a ‘get out’ clause when their way ahead is blocked MORE
in Defending, Practice plans
Play a normal game and then look at 1v1 situations. This will give you a chance to coach correct technique and reward good play. If 1v1s are limited then add a man-marking rule where players pair up with an opponent. The players are now only allowed to tackle their opponent. This will ensure that plenty of 1v1 action takes place. MORE
in Defending, Tactics
This is all about defending in small numbers where it’s common for one or two defenders to find themselves in situations where they are exposed to an overload of attackers. MORE
in Defending, Tactics
This game is all about winning the ball back as quickly as possible by closing down and pressing opponents all over the pitch but ideally high up the pitch. MORE
in Defending, Set pieces
This session looks at the roles of defenders and the goalkeeper in corner kick situations. It’s vital that, when setting up to defend a corner, each man knows his exact task, working as an individual and as part of a bigger unit within the penalty area. MORE
in Defending, Small Sided Games
Pits the wits of defenders and attackers against each other in 1v1s within the main game. Plus use sweepers to give midfielders a ‘get out’ clause when their way ahead is blocked MORE
in Defending, Small Sided Games
A very good session for getting players to cover the back because one team has no goalkeeper. The opposition can look for different ways to score especially shooting early or chipping the defence. Great for match play. MORE
in Defending, Tactics
Getting defenders to work as a unit is a great way to stop goals going into the net at your end of the pitch. Use this session to coordinate against a strong attacking team. MORE
in Defending, Other, Tactics
The practice allows you to start to introduce the idea of how multiple units on the field start to work and interact with each other. It also introduces the idea of recovering once the ball passes you on the field. MORE
