Defensive soccer drills are a sequence of soccer techniques executed to give the defense the best chance to win a particular situation. These are often under-appreciated skills and are often ignored in favor of tactics with high scoring potential or “flashy” moves on offense. Defensive drills serve an important purpose by teaching players how to be attentive, aware, positionally sound, and efficient at transitioning from an attack into defense.
Defensive Soccer Drills – Covering defender
The purpose of the cover defender is to break up passes to the forwards. The defender should position themself in front of the forward line and intercept the forward pass. His goal is not necessarily to win possession but to prevent it at all costs. You can practice this using a target player with a soccer ball that moves side-to-side or by blocking passing lanes with cones and cones on the ground until they understand where their own player will be at any point during a pass. The defensive player must be in front of them to intercept the pass and maintain possession. They should not play a ball that will end up with their own team camping in front of the goal because for every player, there will be one more that wants to play the ball. In this situation, your target player will start to become a goalkeeper.
Coaching point: Feet off the grass – Defensive Soccer Drills
The purpose of these drills is to teach players how to practice keeping their body weight over their feet during a change of direction. The key is practicing the change of direction without a ball. This is difficult using a ball because it’s harder to see. You can have the target player (or you) move to his outside foot if this helps him to react in time.
Coaching point: Movement – Defensive Soccer Drills
This is an important skill for any soccer player who wants to play defensively, but many players often ignore it. Another good way to practice this skill is to use a cone or a new player every five steps. This will enable the player to move from one point of the field to another more efficiently.
Coaching point: Transitioning – Defensive Soccer Drills
The purpose of this drill is to teach defenders how to maintain possession and have a safe transition from attack to defense. It will help a defender learn how to be attentive, aware, and positionally sound. Every time a move is made, a defender’s job is to check the target player (or someone else in the field) to prevent getting beaten or fouled. When this player is on their side of the field, they must cover a space all the way from their own goal back towards the other goal and do so as quickly as possible. There are three ways to practice this.
First, use cones in front of each player (or target player) and have them set up one cone away from their goal line. The target player can move side to side. The defender should start on the side of the field closest to his own goal line and move to the opposite end, covering the space all the way to their own goal.
Second, have your players set up like in a triangle. The target player (or you) will move side to side. On one side, you will have a defender who moves towards their own goal line until he is level with the target player. On the other side, the player will move away from his own goal line until it is far enough from his own goal so he can cover the space continuously and then back to where he started.
Third, you can use a cone in front of your target player (or you) and have him move side-to-side. On the side of the field closest to his own goal line, a defender should start and move all the way back to his own goal. If he has to cut inside, so be it. He should not play a ball in front of the target player. A defender must be able to do this at speed they are comfortable with.
Coaching point: Practicing winning the ball and scoring – Defensive Soccer Drills
These drills can win the ball and score by limiting the time on offense that players have. Another way is to tell your players that they have 30 seconds to win the ball or other time frames. They will have to get as much quality scoring as they can in that time.
A coach can call out a drill and practice until the coach gives them a new call. The coach can change the color of their shirt or whistle to give them an idea of how much time is left, and they will have to hustle back into defense when this happens. If they are successful, this will allow the coach to increase the time of the drill.
Coaching point: Changing sides of the field – Defensive Soccer Drills
Players must be able to change sides of the field as quickly as possible because this allows defenders to be unpredictable in their movement, and it helps strikers also by giving them more space. The best way to practice this skill is by having a target player run towards his goal line and either backup or cut across. The target player must be moving in a lane on the field.
The defender would start on the opposite side of the field. When the target player moves forward, the defender must follow him to his side of the field. When he starts to switch positions, or when he changes his direction, speed, or stops, the defender must be able to make up ground and get back into their original position. This drill is also called ‘changing sides.’ It is imperative because this can be very effective against a team that likes to play up front.
Coaching point: Short passes – Defensive Soccer Drills
This drill is a low-intensity drill that helps defenders to pick up the forward pass. Some coaches like to use this drill to restore the confidence of their most inexperienced players on defense. It teaches them how to play short and quick passes into space that will not be intercepted or stopped by the opposing defender. The target player will move side-to-side and then move backward if he wants more time or distance between him and the defender.
This drill can be done one-on-one, two on two, three on three (called a three-on-two drill), or five on five. When the target player starts to move forward, the defender must close because the target player will have time and space to make a pass if they do not. The coach can add other players to this drill.
Coaching point: Passing out of the back – Defensive Soccer Drills
Defense is very important in soccer, but coaches often overlook it. Coaches should know how to deal with all situations, especially on defense. If a defender can pass the ball out of the back, it will be easier for them and help their team better attack the offense.
Timing is critical when making a pass out of the back. When playing defense and you have your weight on your back foot ready to tackle, if you try and move forward at the same time, you will lose your balance and/or speed.
The target player will go back to their own goal line and cover the space as much as possible. When he moves first, the defender should move back to their goal line. The defender should not always pass the ball to the target player, they can make a long pass or even a short pass so that the target player can receive it in front of the defender’s goal. The target player must be able to handle the ball with their feet.
Coaching point: The wall – Defensive Soccer Drills
This is a drill that helps defenders to deal with short corner kicks or a quick throw-in. This drill will help them make sure they are in the right position and set up a wall. There can be as many as five or six lines of players on each side of the field for this drill. A line of three players should start at the top left corner flag and move to the top right corner. They should be about two yards apart from each other. The second line of players should be two yards behind the first line. The third and fourth lines should be at least five yards behind the second line.
The fifth and sixth lines should stand about ten yards behind the third line. There must be a target player on both sides of the field on each end, making diagonal runs towards their own goal or away from it to make a cross in the air or pass it with their feet to a teammate. On offense, you can also have one player out in front of everyone else.
The defenders must make runs towards the ball. When the cross comes in, they must charge in and get close to the ball. They need to make sure that they are right behind the player in front of them. Then they will have to control any crosses and kick them out of bounds when it is safe for them. The players on offense can make small runs or long sprints.
Coaching point: Turning and sprinting – Defensive Soccer Drills
This drill is for defenders to make one 90 degrees turn and sprint to the opposite side of the field as fast as possible. They will need to be in their own zone by taking up their starting position. After making a full turn, they must catch their breath and sprint back to their starting position without stopping. If the coach does not want the players to stop, they can make another 90-degree turn and immediately run back to their starting position.
This drill is like one that is called a zigzag. The only difference is that this drill has players sprint in the opposite direction instead of shuffling. When doing the zigzag, you have to stay low on your sprints and lunges because it is critical to follow directions. For the zigzag, players have to go low like they are doing a hurdle.
Zigzagging is very good for helping defenders when they are going backward and forwards in their own half. It’s also helpful to players when it comes to covering a longer than 90 degrees, and it’s good for helping them make turns quickly when they need to get back into position.
The only position the defenders do not have to turn, and sprint is in their own half.
Coaching point: Running back to the goal line – Defensive Soccer Drills
The purpose of this drill is for the defender to cover a long distance in a short amount of time. It’s good for helping defenders when they are coming back from being out of position. When running back, the defenders will need to play defense first, but they should do it as if there were no defenders and score on their own goal.
The drill is done in at least two lines on each side of the field. On the first line, two targets are making diagonal runs towards their own goal. On the second line, defenders are running towards their own goal. The defender will need to sprint past all of their teammates and stop in front of the target player closest to their own goal. They should track the ball while they are going back and then sprint as fast as possible when they know where it’s going.
The defender will do this in the opposite direction to get back to their own goal. The defender should have a target player on the opposite end make a diagonal run towards that end. On the first line, two targets are making diagonal runs towards their own goal. On the second line, defenders are running towards their own goal. The defender will need to sprint past all of their teammates and stop in front of the target player closest to their own goal. They should track the ball while they are going back and then sprint as fast as possible when they know where it’s going.
The defender will do this in the opposite direction to get back to their own goal. The defenders will need to have someone running at a diagonal line with them on the opposite end. When the target player comes into view, they should be ready to turn and sprint towards their own goals. They should practice sprinting all the way back to their own goal without stopping.
Coaching point: Fast turns – Defensive Soccer Drills
In this drill, the defenders will have to get used to making a 90 degree turn quickly. They can do this by practicing the turn with their eyes closed or practicing in a small area. The defender will need to make sure they do not run into anyone while doing it and watch where the ball is going at all times.
The defender should start at the top of the penalty box and make a quick 90 degree turn into the center of their own goal box. Then the defender should make a half turn to sprint to the top corner flag. The defender should then do a full turn and sprint back down to the bottom corner flag. Then they will need to make another 90 degrees turn into their own goal box. The defender should make a half turn and then sprint back up to the top of their goal box and then run all the way down to the center of their own goal box. The defender should then make a quick 90 degree turn and sprint up to the top corner flag.