You must be aware that defense is the foundation of any soccer game and the Drills for soccer should also teach them to conquer the opposite team’s defense.
Some of the coaches just teach defense or offence to their players. Correct soccer drills require each player to play defense when the ball is with the opposing team and offense when the ball is with them.
The moment players lose the ball’s possession, they should follow it immediately. Any player who fails to keep the ball with him should be the one to run after it first. He is the key player here who can get his rival having the custody of the ball under immense pressure as he’s adjacent to him. As a result of this, the opponent team’s player having the ball’s possession will end up making a terrible pass or giving away the ball.
In your soccer practice, you must make it a point that other players in the team fall back when one of them is following the opponent. They should try to delay him from entering into their team’s goal area.
Center of the field is a critical region. So make you drills for soccer in a fashion that forces the rival team member with the ball to progress towards the touchline. This will restrict his ability to pass the ball and will also limit the directions that he can go to.
The arc of concentration is the most unsafe area where maximum goals are scored. This arc is in the front of the goalpost. It kicks off from the corner post of the goal right through to the corner of the goal box and then makes its way to the touchline. So, incorporate soccer exercises to coach your players on moving the ball out of this area as the probability of the opposition scoring a goal are maximum here.
When its about defense, success comes by balancing. Over here, the players who are closest to the ball play tight. This implies that they should be as close to the ball as possible. Players who are farther from the ball play lose. This puts across the fact that they deal in positions that help them cover everyone and not just a single player.
Your team will have the edge when they possess the ball. To do this, steal the ball away from your opposition as fast as possible. A whole lot of coaches mistakenly allow the players to control the ball. This suggests that the player maneuvers the ball away from the opponent with touching him.
If it so happens that they miss the ball here, they will be back on the ground and opposition would get the opportunity to pounce on your goal.
So, make these a part of your drills for soccer so that your players are able to play a far better defensive game. Register for our youth soccer coaching community and gain access to knowledge, tips, articles, newsletters, videos from the field of soccer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized expert in youth soccer coaching. He influences well over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his unique coaching philosophy, and makes it really easy to explode your players’ skills and make training more fun in record time. To download your free youth soccer coaching guide, visit: Soccer Coaching
