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25 DEFENDING PRACTICES

Defend Better. Win the Ball.

25 practical, tested defending practices designed to develop players’ ability to defend, prevent progression and regain possession.

How do you help players defend 1v1?

How do you develop better defensive positioning?

How do you make your team more compact?

How do you protect the space around and behind the ball?

How do you develop pressing and pressing triggers?

How do you prevent the opponent from playing forward?

How do you help players know when to press, delay, cover or recover?

And how do you turn defending into an opportunity to win the ball and attack?

25 Defending Practices provides coaches with a practical collection of tested practices designed to develop individual defending, team defending, pressing, defensive organisation and decision-making.

Written by a professional football coach and coach developer, this book gives coaches practical practices they can take straight onto the training pitch.

25 PRACTICAL, TESTED DEFENDING PRACTICES

Defending is more than tackling.

It is about preventing the opponent from achieving their objective.

Players need to understand:

Where should I position myself?

When should I press?

When should I delay?

Where should I show the opponent?

Who provides cover?

How do we protect space?

When can we win the ball?

What happens if the first press is beaten?

These 25 practices create repeated opportunities for players to see, decide, act and defend.

MORE THAN JUST TACKLING

Good defending starts before the tackle.

It begins with:

• Positioning
• Awareness
• Scanning
• Distance
• Body shape
• Communication
• Cover
• Balance
• Compactness
• Timing
• Decision-making

Develop players who don’t simply react to the opponent.

Develop players who can anticipate, prevent and influence the game.

DEVELOPING THE WHOLE DEFENDER

Defending practices can develop far more than tackling technique.

TECHNICAL

Tackling.

Intercepting.

Blocking.

Clearing.

Heading.

1v1 defending.

Defensive recovery.

TACTICAL

Positioning.

Cover.

Balance.

Compactness.

Pressing.

Defensive organisation.

Protecting space.

Preventing progression.

DECISION-MAKING

Press or delay?

Step in or hold?

Show inside or outside?

Follow or pass on?

Win the ball or protect space?

Press or recover?

PHYSICAL

Acceleration.

Deceleration.

Changes of direction.

Explosive movement.

Recovery runs.

Repeated actions.

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Concentration.

Courage.

Composure.

Resilience.

Anticipation.

Competitive mentality.

SOCIAL

Communication.

Leadership.

Cooperation.

Responsibility.

Teamwork.

Develop the complete defender.

1v1 DEFENDING

Every defender needs to be comfortable defending an opponent individually.

Develop:

Approach speed.

Defensive distance.

Body position.

Balance.

Timing.

Patience.

Showing the opponent away from danger.

Reacting to changes of direction.

Winning the ball.

Help players understand that good 1v1 defending isn’t always about making the tackle.

Sometimes the best outcome is to delay, direct and prevent progression.

DEFENSIVE POSITIONING

Where you stand can determine what the opponent can do.

Players need to recognise:

The ball.

Their opponent.

The space.

The goal.

Their teammates.

The next pass.

Develop positioning that allows players to protect, press, cover and recover.

COMPACTNESS

Good defensive teams make the pitch difficult to play on.

Reduce space.

Protect central areas.

Stay connected.

Support teammates.

Limit passing options.

Prevent the opponent from finding gaps.

Develop players who understand how distance and positioning between teammates influence defensive success.

PRESSING

Pressing is more than running towards the ball.

It requires:

Timing.

Coordination.

Communication.

Direction.

Cover.

Intensity.

Awareness.

The practices challenge players to understand when and how to press effectively.

PRESSING TRIGGERS

Good teams recognise moments when they can increase pressure.

Triggers can include:

• Poor first touch
• Backward pass
• Slow pass
• Isolated player
• Pass into a tight area
• Ball played towards the touchline
• Limited forward options
• Opponent receiving with limited support

Help players recognise when the moment to press arrives.

PRESSING TOGETHER

One player pressing alone is rarely enough.

The rest of the team must respond.

Develop:

First presser.

Second presser.

Cover.

Balance.

Compactness.

Protection behind the press.

Teach players that effective pressing is a team action.

PROTECTING CENTRAL AREAS

The centre of the pitch often provides the opponent with their most dangerous opportunities.

Develop the ability to:

Protect central areas.

Block passing lanes.

Screen forward passes.

Stay compact.

Force play away from goal.

Help players understand how to defend space as well as opponents.

PREVENTING PROGRESSION

Defending is not simply about winning the ball.

Sometimes the first objective is to stop the opponent moving forward.

Can you:

Block the forward pass?

Delay the ball carrier?

Protect the space behind?

Force the opponent backwards?

Force play wide?

Wait for support?

Develop defenders who understand how to control the opponent’s options.

COVER & BALANCE

When one player presses, another player must provide security.

Develop:

Cover behind the press.

Balance across the pitch.

Protection of central areas.

Protection of space behind.

Support between defensive lines.

Players learn that defending is about relationships between players, not isolated actions.

DEFENDING AS A UNIT

Individual defending is only one part of the game.

The team must work together.

Develop:

• Defensive distances
• Communication
• Compactness
• Line movement
• Cover
• Balance
• Shifting
• Tracking
• Pressing
• Recovery

Create defenders who understand how their actions affect the whole team.

DEFENDING WIDE AREAS

Opponents will try to create opportunities from wide positions.

Develop the ability to defend:

1v1s.

Crosses.

Cut-backs.

Overlaps.

Underlaps.

Wide combinations.

Attacks towards the byline.

Help players understand how to protect the goal while dealing with the ball, opponent and space.

DEFENDING CROSSES

Defending the cross requires more than heading the ball away.

Players need to recognise:

Ball position.

Crossing threat.

Defensive position.

Opponents in the box.

Near-post space.

Central space.

Far-post space.

Develop the ability to protect the goal and attack the ball.

INTERCEPTING

The best defenders don’t always wait for the tackle.

They anticipate.

Read the pass.

Recognise the intention.

Move early.

Attack the ball.

Develop:

Awareness.

Anticipation.

Positioning.

Timing.

Interception.

Help players understand that winning the ball can begin before the pass is played.

TACKLING & WINNING THE BALL

When the opportunity arrives, defenders need the technique and timing to regain possession.

Develop:

Standing tackles.

Timing.

Body position.

Clean contact.

Recovery after the tackle.

Attacking the ball.

Winning possession.

The objective is not simply to make a tackle.

It is to regain control of the game.

DEFENDING SPACE

Players must learn to defend space, not simply follow opponents.

Recognise:

Space between players.

Space behind the defensive line.

Space between lines.

Wide space.

Central space.

Space around the ball.

Develop defenders who can identify where the danger is before it becomes an opportunity.

DEFENDING TRANSITIONS

The moment possession is lost, defending begins.

What is the first action?

Can you counter-press?

Can you stop the first forward pass?

Can you delay the counter-attack?

Can you recover?

Can you protect the space behind?

Can you regain defensive organisation?

Develop players who can react immediately when possession changes.

DEFENDING THE COUNTER-ATTACK

When the opponent wins the ball, they may attack quickly.

Defenders must recognise:

Where is the ball?

Where is the space?

Who is closest?

Who recovers?

Who protects the goal?

Can we stop progression?

Develop the ability to defend while the team is disorganised.

DECISION-MAKING IN DEFENCE

Defenders are constantly making decisions.

Press or delay?

Tackle or contain?

Step or hold?

Follow or pass on?

Win the ball or protect space?

Press forward or recover?

Attack the ball or protect the goal?

Players need more than defensive technique.

They need the ability to recognise the right defensive solution.

SMALL-SIDED. HIGH INVOLVEMENT.

Defending practices should involve more than standing in defensive lines.

Small-sided and game-based practices create:

More 1v1s.

More tackles.

More interceptions.

More pressing actions.

More decisions.

More transitions.

More opportunities to defend.

Create practices where players are constantly involved in the football.

ADAPTABLE TO YOUR PLAYERS

Every group is different.

Every player is different.

Adapt the practices through:

• Pitch size
• Player numbers
• Numerical advantages
• Defenders
• Attackers
• Scoring systems
• Time
• Direction
• Targets
• Rules

Increase the pressure.

Create more space.

Reduce the space.

Add attackers.

Add defenders.

Change the objective.

Keep the practice. Change the challenge.

DEVELOPING GAME UNDERSTANDING

The best defenders understand more than how to tackle.

They recognise:

Space.

Pressure.

Danger.

Teammates.

Opponents.

Passing options.

Movement.

Triggers.

Transitions.

Risk and reward.

Develop players who can understand what the opponent wants to do — and prevent it.

FOR EVERY LEVEL

These practices can be adapted across:

Grassroots.

Academy.

Development football.

Senior football.

Elite environments.

The coach controls the challenge.

The principles remain.

The level of complexity changes.

FOR COACHES WHO WANT MORE DEFENDING PRACTICES

Sometimes you need another defending practice.

Another way to challenge your players.

Another solution for your session.

This book gives coaches 25 practical defending practices to add to their coaching toolbox.

Use them as:

• Defensive practices
• 1v1 practices
• Pressing practices
• Small-sided games
• Game-based practices
• Competitive practices
• Technical-tactical practices
• Session components

Adapt them.

Combine them.

Build your sessions around them.

FROM TRAINING TO THE GAME

The purpose of defending practice is not simply to produce better training sessions.

It is to produce better defenders.

Players who can:

Defend 1v1.

Protect space.

Stay compact.

Press effectively.

Recognise triggers.

Cover teammates.

Prevent progression.

Win the ball.

React in transition.

Make better decisions.

Take the learning from the practice into the real game.

PRACTICAL. TESTED. READY TO USE.

These practices have been designed for the realities of coaching.

They are not complicated exercises that only work on paper.

They are practical, tested defending practices that can be taken straight onto the pitch.

Set it up.

Explain the objective.

Let the players defend.

Observe.

Coach.

Adapt.

Develop.

25 WAYS TO DEVELOP DEFENDING

25 practices.

25 different challenges.

Hundreds of defensive actions.

Hundreds of decisions.

Every practice creates another opportunity for players to improve their relationship with:

The ball.

Opponents.

Teammates.

Space.

The goal.

The game.

TRUSTED BY PROFESSIONALS

The author’s eBooks are already being used and endorsed by professionals from the game.

Including:

Danny Röhl — Football Manager
Gaël Clichy — Former Manchester City & Arsenal player, Coach
Yohan Cabaye — Former Newcastle United & PSG player, Coach
Martin Devaney — Assistant Manager, Barnsley FC
Marlon Pack — Portsmouth Captain
Kenwyne Jones — Former Premier League player, Coach

Their use and support of the author’s work reflects the practical focus behind the books:

Football ideas that can be understood, applied and developed.

WRITTEN FROM THE PROFESSIONAL GAME

The author is a professional football coach and coach developer, bringing practical coaching experience and a passion for developing players into every practice.

The aim is simple:

Create better practices.

Create better learning environments.

Develop better players.

DEFEND BETTER. WIN THE BALL.

25 DEFENDING PRACTICES

25 practical, tested defending practices designed to develop players’ ability to defend, prevent progression and regain possession.

1v1 Defending.

Tackling.

Interceptions.

Pressing.

Pressing Triggers.

Compactness.

Defensive Organisation.

Cover & Balance.

Protecting Space.

Preventing Progression.

Defending Crosses.

Transitions.

Decision-making.

Game understanding.

Professional coaching insight.

For coaches. Players. Coach developers.

25 practices. More defending. More decisions. More learning.

Defend better. Win the ball.

Get your copy today.