Separate from team strategy and tactics, I'd like to look at tips for defenders who are inexperienced at dealing with attackers individually. There are a couple of obvious points: if you have help, play more aggressively, if numbers aren't on your side--contain, delay and wait for help to arrive. But what other tips can you give someone about individual defense? For instance, I had one former player (originally from England) tell me "feet should never be even, always lead with one in front, the other in back" (so you can push off quicker when the attacker puts the ball behind you. To which a former German player than responded "if you lead with one foot, a smart attacker will just push the ball towards your back--try to edge forward with both feet relatively even." So, you see, my question here is about dealing with one-on-one duels with attackers. What suggestions do any of you have (footwork, balance, defensive feints).
There are different theories about keeping the feet parallel, ie basketball style, and leading with one foot. I consider myself quick enough to beat a dribbler to either side, and so usually play basketball style. I am also quite ambidextrous, which also helps. Otherwise, the theory is that you're better off steering the dribbler to your strong foot, which is probably his weaker foot, and if you're a fullback, the consensus goes that you should push the attacker towards the sideline.
If you keep your feet wide like basketball style.. wouldn't an attacker who is at least average high school level dribbler be able to nutmeg you through your legs? Just wondering thanks
If you lead with one leg and the person with the ball takes it to your back, the trick is not to follow him (as he will then always be in front of you) but to turn away from him (that is, the way you are already facing) and then go after him. You end up turning fewer degrees, and you come in at an angle instead of right behind him. (At least that works for me, but I have short legs so have a decent acceleration.) Another tip: Watch the ball, not his movements - especially after you stand him up. It is easy to fake the body, but hard to fake the ball.
By my name, you probably realize that I'm a sweeper. Therefore, when one of my fullbacks gets burned off the dribble (which happens quite often unfortunately), I'll lead with my foot that is on the inside of the field. Also, I'll cheat a little to the middle so the person can't really go that way. However, I have decent speed so if the person tries to go by me on the outside, I am able to get back with them and block a lot of crossing balls. Even if I'm not able to block all crossing balls, the time it takes the player to cross it gives my teammates enough time to get back and help out. You must realize that I'm a sweeper though. This affects my style greatly. If you play further up the field, i.e a forward or midfielder, you would probably want to be more agressive.
Good tips all--thanks much! Any other individual suggestions besides the footwork debate (spread vs. lead)? I appreciate the tip on watching the ball vs. the man.
NEVER EVER EVER EVER let him get goal side of you if you do you'll make it alot harder for your self. If you defending down the wing the main thing you have to do is to stop him crossing. considing a corner is much better than letting him cross to an unmarked foward.
Watch the ball is the most important piece of advice given here. The other thing is to keep moving your feet, constantly adjusting your position. Then there's the whole seperate issue of tackling- when to tackle, tackling technique, etc.
Sorry, Im gonna be the fly in the ointment! I really dont agree with Toon Toon or microbrew. The most important thing for you to worry about as an outside back is yo stop or slow down the penetration down the wing, and not allow dribble or pass penetration to the middle. Crosses are an outsides best friend IF your kepers good in the air, or IF you can rely on your other backs to mark...... lets face it, at the High School level there are not that many guys who can finish off a cross when they are marked. That said, if you center (GK and Backs) suck, then you want to pick up the ball early as possible and try to close the distance quickly and safely by pressurring them to the outside..... dont rush at them in an attempt to tackle, a good ball handler will ALWAYS win out in the long run - remember he only has to beat you once to create a goal. As for watching the ball while going one on one, don't! Microbrew I hope I get to play against you someday, cause I got a dozen moves that will kill a ball watcher....... does a Yo Yo on a string mean anything to ya. A ball watcher either dives in to quick, or waits too long to make his move. When a guy comes at you watch his knees and hips..... dont just stare at them, look at the ball as well but pay close attention to these two body parts because they move first! When he goes to cut, his hips and knees lead the movement by a fraction of a second.... when its just a fake.... he never fully commits or extends these body parts. As for the most important thing to know, I think it's this. A good one on one defender doesnt just make perfect tackles all day, and he isn't sliding all over the place. A good defender knows that if he can just neutralize his man on the dribble (Make him stop, or pass under pressure), and position himself so he can intercept passes or give immediate pressure to the reciever, his team can do the rest.
I agree go-go. I was always taught to watch the hips. There's lots of moves that hide the ball. Stepovers and the scissors obscure the ball, but no one goes without the hips. As for straight up or sideways marking, depends on who you are and who you are up against. I tend to keep my feet too wide and get the meg against good players so I take the sideway approach on good players. I also look to see if the opposition can use their opposite foot. If not, I'll force them to it with the sideways approach. I also use it to turn them into traffic. If the other guy is a speedster, I play him straight up becuase I'm pretty quick. Either way, I'd rather give up a cross than get beat 1v1. That just causes too much havok on your own defense.
I agree go-go. I was always taught to watch the hips. There's lots of moves that hide the ball. Stepovers and the scissors obscure the ball, but no one goes without the hips. As for straight up or sideways marking, depends on who you are and who you are up against. I tend to keep my feet too wide and get the meg against good players so I take the sideway approach on good players. I also look to see if the opposition can use their opposite foot. If not, I'll force them to it with the sideways approach. I also use it to turn them into traffic. If the other guy is a speedster, I play him straight up becuase I'm pretty quick. Either way, I'd rather give up a cross than get beat 1v1. That just causes too much havok on your own defense.
I think everyone here had excellent advice to offer, even when it contradicted other people's advice, which says one thing -- everyone is different. The best thing you can do is play and play and play, especially in environments where you can afford to experiment and make mistakes, and figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are. But reading books and watching training videoes and watching professional matches doesn't hurt either.
In the early parts of the match, GET STUCK IN on your attacker. Absolutely snap him (cleanly), unless he's got balls of steel, he'll think twice about going into a 50-50 balls with you As for stance, although i'm a keeper, i've always found it best to keep the opposite foot of the side your own forward, and then have the other foot behind perpendicular. So if your on the left wing, ur right foot is forward so you can force him outside. When you do decide to tackle, it doesn't always have to be a bone-crunching tackle (as much as I like to see my defenders snap somebody), there's nothing wrong with a toe poke to disposses him.
Hmm...I was thinking about this thread and they way I defend and now here is what I am going to say: First of all I think that Becks makes an awesome point. Give your check a huge hit at the start of the game, this intimidates them for the rest of the game and sets the tone. Even if you are smaller than the guy as I am usually smaller than my check it sends him the message that it will not be an easy game for him and you are prepared for the game. Second, do watch the ball, that is what I do. Goyourdevils normally says the best advise so I am starting to doubt myself but all the fakes that I do come directly from the hips so I don't know. I have always watched the ball but also used my periferal vision to see as much as possible. For example a stepover fake comes straight from the hips and you fully extend do it so I don't exactly know what you are talking about. On defense one foot slightly forward is the best I think. Not forward a lot but just slightly forward and spread apart a bit. My coach taught me that if ever someone nutmegs you, you just have to obstruct them a little bit, it won't be called, and the ball is yours. You just turn give him a quick shoulder and the ball is yours it is like he gave it to you. If you can't do that it is because you are flat footed. Also, when a guy is coming at you 1 on 1 bounce. Just keep on your toes that is all important if you are on your toes you should be able to beat the guy or force him into making a pass or moving towards the sideline. I think I read here someone saying that if you play one foot forward and they play it to your backside then you turn around and you will be closer to the ball. I think the way that they described this at least they ended up with their back to the ball. In my opinion this is one of the worst mistakes you can make. A good offender as soon as he sees you do this will pull the ball back and cut inside you then you will be completely screwed with your momentum going one way and him going the other. Instead of doing that turn just swivel your hips and hit him with your shoulder you should be able to get him if he played the ball too far, and if not then you will still be right on him. The only other tip I can give you on defense is to be confident. That is important, trust me, the best ball handler on their team will not get by you if you play him the right way. You will never be beat 1 on 1! Also once you decide to commit; commit, don't be half in half out, that is when you are easily beat. When you go for the tackle tackle with your whole body. When you are small at first you learn all the ways of using your body to the best it can be used. The best defense is aggressive when marking before he has the ball. Stay right on your man before he gets the ball and you will never have the 1 on 1 problem again. Watch the ball, tackle hard, the ball will be yours.
Everyone has a good point and it definitely comes down to your own game. If you're fast/quick, invite them to play the ball wide by playing with your feet facing in towards the middle, then circle around in the opposite direction and you should be able to keep them running down the line and block their cross. If you're not as quick, get your shots in early (legally of course, ha!) and play tough. If someone megs you stand them up and either get called for the foul or someone else should be able clean up the mess for you. If you can keep them from getting too close it helps you out, make them stop and dance with several feet between you and them and you have enough time to react. Learn their tendencies in the first few minutes and you can guess what they will do the rest of the game. If everything they do is new, you could be in for a long day, but the dancers don't like physical play, so get in their head early and tackle them hard, follow through with your body "shoulder-to-shoulder" and you will let them know you'll be around all day.
Close your eyes and think of these moves and how your body is oriented. Scissors fake, lets say a single for now. As you round the ball, you are trying to convince your defender that you are going to the side to which you are stepping.... do your hips actually turn that way....... hmmmmmmmn just slightly, but not all the way.... not commited. You don't actually turn your hips all the way untill you go your intended direction. As a defender, if you watch for this full "commitment" of the hips, you can see the move just a little sooner than if you watch the ball.... try it a few times. What happens is you see the movement, stick your leg out, and next thing you know you've either forced the player to turn away sharply, or you have just stuck the ball. Think your way through a double scissors, a step fake and then a cut, even a hesitation dribble..... a player can't fully commit their hips, (at speed that is, you can always do hip-swivel fakes at slower pace), until they are ready to "go" in their intended direction. The best defenders always are made from former forwards....... do you know why now? They know what it takes to make all the things happen, and they know what to look for.
I like some of the stuff I'm reading here. Here's something I was thinking about. As a defender I try to either force the opposition to one side or be where he wants go before he gets there. As I think about this, it has very little to do with the ball. It has everything to do with the player (and his hips are attached). I keep thinking of the nutmeg, my Achillies Heel. I agree with hambone that obstruction is the best way to beat it. Once again, that is just watching the man and being where he wants to be before he gets there.
when i used to play on the field, i would stay away from the attacker just enough to pressure her to pass or kick. make them slow down so that you can beat them if they dribble too far in front.
Why would you want the attacker to pass or shoot doesn't that defeat the point of defending? Keep your eye on the ball it does not matter about his hips he can do a friggin dance but he can't do bugger all with out the ball. Don't let him get goal side of you Get the Ball Don't back off Don't dive in Conceed a corner or throw in if you have to.
and don't forget this philosophy... "When in sh!t, give it a hit...(really far away out play if need be)"
My favorite was what one old time english league player said to another right before an FA Cup championship game: "You sir, may get past me, and the ball sir, may get past me, but you and the ball shall be going no where together this day sir." Gotta love the english sense of properness in that otherwise brutal anouncement!
As soon as you go to ground you make it easy for attackers. I used to play as a creative midfielder and attacker before converting to defence this season and as an attacker I loved people who dive in. If you dive in the attacker only has to nick it away and he's clean in. If you stand the attacker, you force him to do something special. Also all the best defenders have good enough anticipation to stop most problems before they happen. if you canread the game well, then you're already halfway there.
Just a little on 1 on 1 tackling mechanics ( the standup block tackle.) It is all about timing and form not about being physical or big or even contact with the player. It is about winning the ball, then starting your teams attack. The idea is not to crash into the dribbler. The idea is to win the ball from the dribbler. You don't go for the tackle when the dribbler has close control of the ball. You do close space on the dribbler that is pressuring the dribbler. Meaning if the dribbler is alone you close that open space within two yards of the dribbler. That alone limits the dribblers options, his view of the goal and also limits his passing options. So this pressure on the dribbler comes first before the tackle if he has close control of the ball. Then you position yourself to be ready to tackle. You get into a side ways position, and again you wait for the moment where the dribbler does not have close control of the ball. Then at that time you go for the tackle. So it is a lot about the timing of the tackle knowing when to tackle and when not to tackle. You never go straight into the player. Your not looking to bang into him just take the ball away from him. Then you can start your teams own attack. You come in from an angle to the left or the right of the dribbler not straight into the dribbler. You tackle using only the inside of the foot with a bended knee not stiff legged. You want to hit the center of the ball so your tackling foot should be slightly off the ground with the heal down, and toes up ankle locked. It looks very similar to the form you use for push passes. You hit the center of the ball, and the tackling foot follows through riding up the ball. That gives the ball top spin. You want to put top spin on the ball to help the ball go over the dribblers right or left foot depending on the angle you took. You want to put the ball behind the dribbler off the dribblers left or right shoulder. Then you go to the ball and win the ball and start your own attack. If you don't hit the ball over the dribblers foot the first time. Immediately tackle the ball again, and keep tackling until you do win the ball. When you tackle you want to hear the noise of your foot hitting the ball, not your foot hitting the dribbler. Do not turn your inside of the foot after the touch. Keep it square with the ball just like you do with the push pass. The tackling foot the side of the foot faces in the direction you want the ball to go. Also the non tacking foot points the direction you want the ball to go. Eye on the ball and tackle coming in from an angle, hitting the ball with the inside of your foot so it goes straight over one of the dribblers feet with your top spin follow through. You don't want to hit the ball into the dribblers body. Last thing is you don't go for a tackle unless you have a team mate supporting from behind just in case you miss. Richie
My advice is never poke at the ball. Either go for it 100 percent or don't. I learned this the hard way.
Richie that was a very good explanation on tackling, can I fly you out to do a clinic for my high School boys? Serioulsy though that was the most clear, concise explanation given here, thank you from all of us amatures on the subject, and I hope you don't mind if I use some of this when I go to get my next USSF license!