Effective youth soccer coaching is crucial for developing essential skills, especially in defending. By focusing on Youth Soccer Teaching Tips, coaches can teach players key techniques that enhance their game. This guide highlights vital youth soccer teaching tips for defending, helping young players build confidence and teamwork on the field.

Train Toward:  ALL players becoming immediate Defenders when our team losses ball possession!

FIVE HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE DEFENDING PLAYERS

FUNdamental SOCCER THEMES…

Five R’s for DEFENDING TECHNIQUES

1.  Read the Game (Glance)

2.  Run to Defend  (1^st Block the Goal then Pressure the Ball)

3.  Ready Stance (Sideways-on

4.  Reject Advancement (Delay)

5.  Regain Possession of the Ball (Poke or Tackle)

READ the GAME —  (Glance).

Memorize:  ‘Ball in flight  — Look left and right’.

Train toward:  Taking the eyes off the ball during the serve.

Seeing the present situation and anticipating future options.

RUN to Defend — To first block the Goal and then pressure the ball/opponent

Train toward:  Walking, Jogging or Sprinting at the appropriate time to help COVER.

READY STANCE instinctive position assumed when the opponent has the ball.

-BALANCED             – Playing on the balls of the feet, not flat footed

-MENTALLY ALERT – Ready to move in any direction

-SIDE-WAYS ON – Overplay to right or left shoulder to make play predictable

-THERE YOU GO – Force dribbler in direction you want him to go

Train toward:  Staying on your feet and shuffling sideways.

REJECT ADVANCEMENT – SHEPHERDING

-Forcing the 1^st attacker to go in the direction you want him to go

-Moving the 1^st attacker towards a less dangerous area or teammate

-defending 1/3 = force away from goal & toward the goal/touch lines

-midfield 1/3= force toward teammate and/or touchline

-attacking 1/3- force towards opponents goal

Train toward:  Knowing ‘when’ and ‘when not’ to Shepherd

REGAIN POSSESSION of the BALL  — POKING or TACKLING

–POKING– Faking and making attempts at the ball

-SLOW           – Slow down the dribbler

-LOW              –  Bend knees and go sideways into the Ready Stance

-FRONT FOOT- GO! – ‘Poker’ fakes and makes attempts at the ball

Train toward:  Making convincing attempts at the ball.

–TACKLING– Taking the ball away from the opponent  by

-SLOW           – Slow down the dribbler –get between the ball and the goal

-LOW              –  Bend knees and go sideways into the defensive stance

-FRONT FOOT – GO!  To the side of the ball –blocking side movement

-BACK FOOT- GO!  –  To the middle of the ball like a push pass

Train toward:  Making only shrewd and assured tackles.

REMINDER – –

IT TAKES TIME TO LEARN EVERYTHING!

Final Notes: Thank you for taking the time to read this and Sharing with your soccer community. Please send your thoughts and ‘words-of-wisdom’ on this subject to me at: koachkarl@fundamentalsoccer.com Thank You..!

Your FUNdamental,

Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)

• Emeritus Director of Coaching – California Youth Soccer Assoc. 1979-2012
• Author – Internationally Published FUNdamental SOCCER Books Series
• Producer – highly acclaimed ‘FUNdamental SOCCER -Practice’ DVD.
• Clinician at: www.fundamentalsoccer.com
• Store at: https://fundamentalsoccer.com/?post_type=product

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