Drills for soccer

It’s a well known fact that in the game of soccer, a team’s defense is its basis and the drills for soccer should be designed in a way that they can rise above the defense of opponent team.

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.

The moment players lose the ball’s possession, they should follow it immediately. The player who lost the ball’s custody should be leading the defense. Since this player is next to his rival who has the possession of the ball, he must have the potential to put a lot of pressure on him. When the opponent with the ball gets under pressure, he is most likely to make a bad pass or lose the ball.

Make sure that in soccer practice when one player is chasing the opponent with the ball, the remaining team members can fall back. His entry into your goal area should be postponed as much as possible.

Soccer Drills

Center of the soccer field is the most risky area. So the drills for soccer should be devised in such a manner that they compel the opposite team’s player to move near the touchline. This will restrict his ability to pass the ball and will also limit the directions that he can go to.

The arc of concentration is the most unsafe area where maximum goals are scored. This arc is located at the front of the goal. It starts from the corner post of the goal all the way through the corner of the goal box and goes out 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 defense, balance is the key to success. Over here, the players who are closest to the ball play tight. This means that they stay as close to the ball as possible. Players that are far away 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 in control when they have the ball. To achieve this, move the ball away from your opposition as soon as you can. A whole lot of coaches mistakenly allow the players to control the ball. This means to move with the ball without letting the opponent know and taking it 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 go ahead and incorporate these in your daily drills for soccer that’ll make it all the more easy for players to play a better defensive soccer game. Become a member of our youth soccer coaching community and gain knowledge, tips, articles, newsletters, videos from the world 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.