How to Coach the Principles of Defense in Soccer

When defending against the opposition, there are certain principles that should be adhered to in order to enjoy the maximum possibility of winning back the ball. These defensive principles are depth, pressure or delay, cover, balance and consolidation. Without these principles, a team's defensive efforts become more reliant on luck and individual responsibility rather than a concerted tactical effort to prevent shots and regain the ball.

Things You'll Need

  • Players
  • Field
  • Goals
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Instructions

  1. How to Coach the Principles of Defense in Soccer

    • 1

      Coach depth in a team by making sure the players understand the need for positioning at the ball, near the ball and away from the ball at all times. This can be done in general practice games, ensuring that players know how to keep a good team shape on attack and defense.

    • 2

      Coach pressure by using 1v1 games. Pressure is the act of getting close enough to the player on the ball to make them put their head down and focus on the ball. Once this occurs, the defender can then begin to think about tackling for the ball. Coach the idea of delay by playing 2v1 games to one goal, with two attackers against one defender. Delay is the idea of not immediately pressuring the ball because of being outnumbered in the presence of other attackers. Delay means positioning near the player on the ball while also tracking back and towards the middle to account for the off-ball attackers.

    • 3

      Teach the principle of cover by playing 3v2 games to goal. The covering player defends behind the pressuring player and towards the middle of the field at angle. The distance between the pressuring and covering player should be no more than 10 yards

    • 4

      Coach the principle of balance by playing 4v3 games to goal, with four attackers versus three defenders. The balancing player plays behind the covering player at an angle, and covers the back post area of the goal. When the ball is being played centrally, the nearest defenders to the pressuring defender may end up as being both covering and balancing players, especially in a back three arrangement.

    • 5

      Taech consolidation in any format by ensuring that all defending players play and move as a tight unit up, down, left and right with the movement of the ball. This cuts out the spaces available to play through, and reduces the chances of being penetrated by a pass or dribble.