Defending Concepts
For an introduction into how defenses work, watch Howard Chang's tutorial--watch it a few times.
https://vimeo.com/209025500
Chang highlights these concepts:
1. Line Spacing -- the team defends by keeping the forward, midfielders and defenders close together
2. Shape (density--expanding and compressing laterally)
3. Setting the line -- keeping people outside the 18 yard box, or 6 yard box.
4. Check for runners -- head is always swiveling to keep track of offensive players
Here are some useful defensive phrases used on the field:
1. "Plus one" This means the defense always has one more player than the offense. Man-to-man defense is untenable in competitive soccer.
In the above example, 7 has a free kick. The opposing team has kept two forwards high, so we keep 3 defenders back. 2 + 1 = 3. Very simple.
Now it is the second half. We are trailing and need a goal. The opposing team has only left one player high, so player 3 moves up to participate in the attack on the corner kick. We only need 2 to defend their foward. 1 + 1 = 2. Simple.
2. "Pressure/cover" The nearest defender steps up to slow the attacking player while the next closest defender drops back to cover passes. We say "Step" when we want a defender to step up and provide pressure. We say "Drop" when we want the defense to give up space to cover a longer pass.
3. "Get Tight/Get Wide" When we defend, the defenders will stay together in a tight line to deny the center of the field, like the fingers of a closed fist. When we have the ball the defense spreads out like the fingers of an open hand, stretching the field to create passing chances. When we get tight, our goal is for the opponent to send the ball wide, which gives us a chance to set our defense and trap the ball out by the sideline. Chang covers this well in the video.
4. "Clear the box" When the ball is pushed out of the 18 yard box, the defense will typically push forward to clear the box of attacking players. Chang covers this also.
5. "Overlapping" When a wing defender goes wide to stop sideline run or prevent a cross, the nearest center defender prepares to step up and cover in case the wing is beat and the attacker drives toward the goal. In this case the entire defense rotates toward the ball leaving the far side midfielder to drop and cover the back post option. So as a right midfielder, when an opposing forward attacks on the left side of the field, I know I need to get back quickly even though this action is happening clear on the opposite side of the field! This "rotation" is key to stopping attacks, because offensive players will sometimes beat defenders 1v1.
In this example attacking (red) Player 7 has made a run down the right sideline attacking the blue goal, leading a fast counterattack. Player 2 steps to provide pressure, but 7 beats 2, turns the the corner and dribbles into the box. The defense MUST deny a shot in the danger zone. The center defender 4 has the first job of backing up player 2 and immediately closes down with speed on the attacker. Defenders 6 and 3 shift to cover the strikers. Not only are the strikers only guarded man-on-man, but now 11 is unmarked--except for the fact that our 7 anticipated this. He knew 2 might get beat and understood his job would be to cover the back side if 2 got beat. 7 hustled back to become the new right defender and this attack can now be defended with a full defensive line. This is defensive "rotation".
6. "Lanes" Defenders track backwards like the blades of a folding fan. The lane spacing gets narrower the closer the line gets to the goal. When attackers run along these lanes, they are easiest to guard.
7. "Keep the ball in front" This is the mantra of the midfielders. They always want to keep themselves between the ball and the goal. As a result, if the attackers get into the box, all the midfielders are in the box, too, forming a double line of defense. Good midfielders don't let the ball or runners get past them to overload the defense. The defensive "not on my watch" mentality where a midfielder takes ownershift for denying passes and shots and supports the defenders 100% is needed. But you can't hang back when we get the ball--that's the difference vs. a defender.
8. "Up" means move the line up.
9. "Out" means move the line up quickly and rapidly, either in transition or for an offside trap.
10. "Shift" means move the line laterally across the field to the side with the ball.
11. "Drop" means move the line back.
12. "Mark" Marking a player means guarding them.
13. "Watch him" means keep an eye on a dangerous player. Maybe move a little closer to suggest that a pass might be picked off.
14. "Close down" This is the concept of getting up uncomfortably close to an attacking player in an attempt to prevent them from turning to pass or shoot. Players typically close down when they are not 1v1 or the ball is dangerously close to the goal. The objective of closing down is to put so much pressure the attacker loses control of the ball and we recover.
15. "Clear it" This means get the ball out of the danger zone in front of the goal. Boot it, head it--whatever, but get it out of the middle! Preferable to the sideline rather than over the end line for a corner kick, but even a corner kick is preferable to a dangerous shot in the box. The alternative to "clearing it" is "playing with it" which is a good way to lose possession and give up an easy goal. Clearing the ball is the defense's number 1 priority. Number 2 is maintaining possession by trying to turn the clearance into a pass. We never confuse those priorities.
16. "Shadow defense" This style of defense is not "closing down". Rather it is staying in front of a player to make sure they don't get past you, generally being a nuisance and slowing them down so the defense can set their line. Shadow defense is used on counterattacks when the defense is not a man up and can't afford to get beat. Again, the goal is to slow down the attack until help from the cavalry (midfielders) arrives. When we shadow, we guard to one side, leaving the outside more open than the inside. We want them to try to beat us around the outside. We never give up the inside. When the attacker tries to beat us, we may choose to close down and steal the ball if they dribble too far ahead. Usually that is when we have help arriving from the midfield.
https://vimeo.com/209025500
Chang highlights these concepts:
1. Line Spacing -- the team defends by keeping the forward, midfielders and defenders close together
2. Shape (density--expanding and compressing laterally)
3. Setting the line -- keeping people outside the 18 yard box, or 6 yard box.
4. Check for runners -- head is always swiveling to keep track of offensive players
Here are some useful defensive phrases used on the field:
1. "Plus one" This means the defense always has one more player than the offense. Man-to-man defense is untenable in competitive soccer.
2. "Pressure/cover" The nearest defender steps up to slow the attacking player while the next closest defender drops back to cover passes. We say "Step" when we want a defender to step up and provide pressure. We say "Drop" when we want the defense to give up space to cover a longer pass.
3. "Get Tight/Get Wide" When we defend, the defenders will stay together in a tight line to deny the center of the field, like the fingers of a closed fist. When we have the ball the defense spreads out like the fingers of an open hand, stretching the field to create passing chances. When we get tight, our goal is for the opponent to send the ball wide, which gives us a chance to set our defense and trap the ball out by the sideline. Chang covers this well in the video.
4. "Clear the box" When the ball is pushed out of the 18 yard box, the defense will typically push forward to clear the box of attacking players. Chang covers this also.
5. "Overlapping" When a wing defender goes wide to stop sideline run or prevent a cross, the nearest center defender prepares to step up and cover in case the wing is beat and the attacker drives toward the goal. In this case the entire defense rotates toward the ball leaving the far side midfielder to drop and cover the back post option. So as a right midfielder, when an opposing forward attacks on the left side of the field, I know I need to get back quickly even though this action is happening clear on the opposite side of the field! This "rotation" is key to stopping attacks, because offensive players will sometimes beat defenders 1v1.
6. "Lanes" Defenders track backwards like the blades of a folding fan. The lane spacing gets narrower the closer the line gets to the goal. When attackers run along these lanes, they are easiest to guard.
7. "Keep the ball in front" This is the mantra of the midfielders. They always want to keep themselves between the ball and the goal. As a result, if the attackers get into the box, all the midfielders are in the box, too, forming a double line of defense. Good midfielders don't let the ball or runners get past them to overload the defense. The defensive "not on my watch" mentality where a midfielder takes ownershift for denying passes and shots and supports the defenders 100% is needed. But you can't hang back when we get the ball--that's the difference vs. a defender.
8. "Up" means move the line up.
9. "Out" means move the line up quickly and rapidly, either in transition or for an offside trap.
10. "Shift" means move the line laterally across the field to the side with the ball.
11. "Drop" means move the line back.
12. "Mark" Marking a player means guarding them.
13. "Watch him" means keep an eye on a dangerous player. Maybe move a little closer to suggest that a pass might be picked off.
14. "Close down" This is the concept of getting up uncomfortably close to an attacking player in an attempt to prevent them from turning to pass or shoot. Players typically close down when they are not 1v1 or the ball is dangerously close to the goal. The objective of closing down is to put so much pressure the attacker loses control of the ball and we recover.
15. "Clear it" This means get the ball out of the danger zone in front of the goal. Boot it, head it--whatever, but get it out of the middle! Preferable to the sideline rather than over the end line for a corner kick, but even a corner kick is preferable to a dangerous shot in the box. The alternative to "clearing it" is "playing with it" which is a good way to lose possession and give up an easy goal. Clearing the ball is the defense's number 1 priority. Number 2 is maintaining possession by trying to turn the clearance into a pass. We never confuse those priorities.
16. "Shadow defense" This style of defense is not "closing down". Rather it is staying in front of a player to make sure they don't get past you, generally being a nuisance and slowing them down so the defense can set their line. Shadow defense is used on counterattacks when the defense is not a man up and can't afford to get beat. Again, the goal is to slow down the attack until help from the cavalry (midfielders) arrives. When we shadow, we guard to one side, leaving the outside more open than the inside. We want them to try to beat us around the outside. We never give up the inside. When the attacker tries to beat us, we may choose to close down and steal the ball if they dribble too far ahead. Usually that is when we have help arriving from the midfield.
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