The extract below is from a
manual that will help you understand
team and individual
principles of defence. It also provides a selection
of simple drills and games to help you communicate the key concepts to
your players.
download the complete manual
Introduction
What
you will usually see with younger soccer players is everyone
going for the ball
at once.
As
the players get a little older the more aggressive steal the ball
consistently from the less aggressive, and the less skilled, simply by
running straight at them.
This
works at the younger levels but as the players develop and the
skill differential decreases this type of play actually becomes a
detriment. Overly aggressive players who try to simply run down their
opponents and strip the ball at the travel level often times find
themselves missing completely and watching the backs of their opponents as
they head down field.
This
is not to say that aggressiveness is not important, merely to say that
controlled play, especially on defense, is what we want to teach them at a
young age so that they carry it forward with them as they progress.
What
we need to get across to our youngsters is that defense, like the entire
game, is dependent upon their teammates, as well as themselves, to do
their job.
You
will hear the terms First Defender, Second Defender
and Third Defender used in this manual and in any any coaching course that you take. The First Defender is the
person nearest the attacking ball carrier. The initial job of the first
defender is not to steal the ball, but to delay the opponent until his
teammates arrive to help.
The
Second Defender is the second person to arrive at the
scene. The job of the second defender is to provide cover
for the first defender. That is to cover up any mistake that the first
defender might make.
When
the second defender arrives on the scene, the job of the first defender
changes from delay to pressure.
The
job of the Third Defender is to provide balance. The
positions and jobs of all three defenders is shown in the simple diagram
below.... |
SUMMER SPECIAL!
Quote 'July1' at the checkout to get a massive 20% discount - only during
July.
