Soccer Defending Tactics: One on One Defending

In various instances throughout a game you will find yourself in a one on one situation where you will be called upon to stop your opponent from advancing. One on one defending is a very crucial Soccer skill and will be need to be developed if you hope to help your team win games.

Stopping an opponent from getting past you is a soccer technique every player must work on. Having this ability will easily increase your value to your team and make you a better soccer player.

To help you improve your soccer defending ability I have comprised a few pieces of helpful advice that you can apply to practice and game situations:

1)      Don’t dive in!

• You have to be patient while defending in Soccer. Don’t dive in on your opponent and try to take the ball away at every chance possible. All it takes is one quick movement from the attacker and you will be left embarrassed, out of position, and responsible for putting your team under unnecessary danger. Be patient, keep a little distance, stay in front of the attacker and when he shows too much of the ball, take your chance. Go in hard and win the soccer ball!

2)      Keep your feet moving.

• It is extremely difficult to defend an opponent when you are flat footed. Always keep your feet moving. Focus on staying in front of the attacker, moving side to side with him, staying between him and the goal. The quicker you can move laterally, the harder to it will be for your opponent to get past you.

3)      Stab him in the Back!

• Whenever an opponent turns their back to you while in possession of the Soccer ball, you need to move in. Put pressure on the back of them and force them back towards their own goal. Don’t dive in, but put enough pressure to force them away from your goal. They are less dangerous with their back to you; you must capitalize on this. Don’t be disappointed because you didn’t win the soccer ball. Forcing them away from your goal is the number one priority.

4)      Put them on their bad foot.

• If you know the preferred foot of your opponent, try to force them onto their weaker foot. This will reduce the chance of them getting past you, making an accurate pass, or getting a quality shot on net. 

A complete soccer player is good at defending, regardless of the position they play. If you want to be a top level player, you need to work on your defence.

Focus on applying these Soccer tips to game situations and you will be on your way to becoming a quality one on one defender. Remember, defending can be fun once you get the hang of it.

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