Do you know that each soccer game has defense as its basis and the drills for soccer must also have the potential to train the players on getting through the opponent’s defense.
Some of the coaches just teach defense or offence to their players. Soccer drills that are appropriate should teach every player to play offence when the ball is in their control and defense when it’s with the opponent.
Players need to run after the ball after they’ve lost its custody. The first one to go after the ball should be that player who lost it. Since he is the closest, it’s imperative that he is able to put a lot of pressure on the opponent who now has the ball. This will have an effect on the rival who has the ball resulting in an awful pass or losing the ball.
Ensure that in soccer practice, when a player is running behind a opponent who has the ball, the remaining players can back him up. His entry into your goal area should be postponed as much as possible.
Center of the soccer field is the most risky area. Your drills for soccer must therefore force the opponent with the ball to move towards the touchline. The potential of the player to pass the ball and various directions that he can go to will be limited.
The region where highest goals are scored is the arc of concentration which is also very risky. 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 it comes to defending, success is achieved by maintaining a balance. In this, the players close to the ball play firm. This means that they stay 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 be able to control the game when they have the ball. To do this, steal the ball away from your opposition as fast as possible. A number of coaches commit an error of letting their players maneuver the ball. This refers to sliding into the ball without touching the opponent and knocking the ball away from 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 include these tricks in your drills for soccer so that your players get to understand the defensive strategies better. Register for our youth soccer coaching community and gain access to knowledge, tips, articles, newsletters, videos from the field of soccer.
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: Drills for soccer.