Defending Drills
Defending is when a player positions himself/herself between an opponent with the ball and the goal. Defending is a player using their body position to delay an opponent's progress toward the goal and direct the opponent's movement away from the dangerous parts of the field.
The skill of taking the ball away from an opponent is covered in tackling; however, players should be taught that before they tackle they need to defend. This will reduce the amount of times a player comes up and 'stabs' at the ball, misses, and the opponent goes right around them without slowing down.
Click on each of the following links for a description of the specific drills designed to help develop player's defending skills. On each sheet you will see a description of the drill, diagram of the drill, minimum age to start using the drill, minimum number of players necessary to effectively use the drill, minimum amount of time to allow for the drill, and coaching tips:
If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Larry Conklin at b-lconklin@msn.com.
