{"id":20827,"date":"2022-02-25T15:10:49","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T23:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/?p=20827"},"modified":"2023-06-12T12:02:55","modified_gmt":"2023-06-12T19:02:55","slug":"best-defensive-soccer-drills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traceup.com\/best-defensive-soccer-drills","title":{"rendered":"Our Favorite Defensive Soccer Drills"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Defending is an instinct. You have to be a predator, knowing when to bite and when to bide your time. You have to hunt the ball in a pack, moving in perfect sync with your teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But that instinct is still something you have to learn. Defending depends on a set of individual skills that take time and practice to perfect. But it also depends on trust (and communication) between teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All over the field, every player is defending in 1v1 situations, and as part of a larger defensive unit. Every player on every team needs to understand the principles of defending, because every player is<\/em> a defender. And every player needs to understand their role in the team\u2019s defensive gameplan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s important for coaches to use the best defensive soccer drills. We\u2019ve included some of our favorites below. Thanks to some amazing content from Football DNA<\/a>, we\u2019re bringing the best defensive soccer drills, tips and tricks to you, straight from professional coaches!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Principles of Defending<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before we get into the defensive soccer drills themselves, it\u2019s important that players are familiar with these five basic principles of defending:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Delay: <\/strong>Deciding when to press and when to drop off<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Compactness: <\/strong>Distance between teammates <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Depth: <\/strong>The space between defensive lines<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Balance: <\/strong>Defensive support, or \u201ccover\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Control: <\/strong>Deciding as a team when and where to press.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    This video uses those principles to build a framework for how to defend as a team<\/a>, and will help coaches teach their players how to make the right defensive decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    1v1 Defensive Soccer Drills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    There are 1v1 matchups happening all over the field during a soccer game. That means defending 1v1 is a truly essential skill for any player. Thankfully, it\u2019s also an easy one to practice (though certainly not master) with awesome 1v1 defensive soccer drills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    For maximum repetitions, split players into groups of three. Each group plays in a small rectangular playing space. A defender stands at one end, while two attackers face them from the opposite end-line. The attacker \u201cchecks\u201d the ball \u2014 passing to the defender, who returns the ball \u2014 and then dribbles at the defender 1v1. If the defender stops the attacker from reaching their end-line, they win a point. The attacking player immediately turns to receive a pass, the defender joins the attacking line, and the rotation continues. Play for a set amount of time, and the player with the most points wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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