The most important part of a good soccer team is a strong defense. Without a strong defense your team will not make any good results.
It doesn’t matter how many goals your team scores if your players doesn’t know how to prevent your opponents from scoring.
By making use of these defensive drills you will definitely improve your soccer teams’ skills in defense.
There are several defensive drills you should consider while teaching your players how to play in defense.
However, knowing what type of drills you should focus on can be little tricky, especially if you are new to the “soccer coaching world”.
To help you out I have created this article where we are going to focus mainly on the defensive aspects of soccer. Now, let’s mainly concentrate on the drills.
There are three common defensive soccer drills you should use while teaching your players how to defend:
Group Defending
Purpose
The drill comprises several features of the actual or live soccer situations and makes the players work together. Firmness is the most important role of group defending.
Drill Set Up
Separate your players into defenders and attackers. Each attacking player should have one ball. You may use cones or similar to create the rectangle.
Performing the Drill
Team without the ball (blue team) is playing as defenders while the other team (red team) are the attackers. Notice that the red team should have 2 more players than the blue team.
The red team should try to keep the possession of the ball by actively searching for free space inside the rectangle.
The blue team should try to mark as many players as possible. However, there will always be 2 unmarked players.
Variations
Restrict the amount of touches.
Equipment Needed
Cones, balls, colored bibs.
Summary
During the defensive drill the team which is currently defending should all pack in tightly around the box which will make it harder for the attackers to find passing alternatives.
Turnovers
Purpose
The main purpose of this drill is to practice on your team’s defense and counter attacks. The drill focuses mainly on the defenders and in the way they construct a counter attack.
The main objective is to gain possession of the ball from the attackers and this should be well practiced by the defenders so that they get to know their roles, positions and responsibilities.
Drill Set Up
Separate your players into attackers and defenders. Decide whether you should play with a 3- or 4-line defense.
Attackers should play in groups of three. Their mission is to get past your defenders and finish with a shoot at goal.
Performing the Drill
Attackers are given ball position and they have to dribble through the defense and score.
The defense should have four defenders and a goalkeeper and the attackers have to find their way through the defense and score without losing ball position.
The defenders should be able to gain ball position at all costs so as to prevent the attackers from scoring.
Variations
You could vary this drill by restricting the amount of passes between the attackers.
Equipment Needed
Cones, balls, goals, colored bibs.
Summary
Even if your focus is mainly on improving your team’s defense, I can ensure you that your attacking players will benefit from this drill as well.
Central Defense
Purpose
Wondering what the real point of all of this really is? That’s easy: you’re improving your defenders cooperation.
Remember that soccer is really all about cooperation and teamwork. If you’re not a team player, you will not get very far in the world of soccer.
Drill Set Up
Divide your players into defenders and attackers. The attackers should have one ball each. To create the ring you could use cones or some other similar object.
Performing the Drill
Attackers are arranged in circle and their main task is to keep the ball away from the defenders.
Defenders will be placed in the circle and if the attacker loses the ball he should become a defender in and the defender who caused him to lose the ball takes over his possession.
Variations
You may vary this drill by adding 1 or 2 more defenders.
Equipment Needed
Cones, Balls.
Summary
Emphasize the importance of cooperation to your players!
Final Words
A team that doesn’t have a good defense will rarely win any matches. Strong defense is the key to winning soccer matches.
A team that doesn’t focus on that will have big problems in the long run, because they just can’t build a winning effort.
The opposing side will crush them without a good defense. If you want to spare you and your teammates that type of date, you will want to work on your defensive skills.
Don’t wait until team practice times either – you should always be training alone on top of your group training sessions.
It might seem like a lot, but if you want to be a standout soccer player, you really want to make sure that you are focusing as much as possible on the real prize: growth and progress!
Now that’s winning!
