Learning how to defend correctly is one of the skills that, not only defenders, but all soccer players in a soccer field should know how to execute correctly. Not everything in the game is about scoring goals and attacking the other team. In fact, the best soccer teams in the history of the game have been characterized for having super strong and solid defenses.
Some very successful managers like Jose Mourinho, base their game tactic on pure defense, waiting for the opponent’s mistakes to get ahead in the game, to later defend that lead with everything they’ve got. Probably not the most beautiful way to win a soccer game, but definitely very effective. It is not a coincidence that one of the most famous quotes that soccer players use is:
” Great attacks win games, however, great defences win championships”.
Being this quote completely true, I’ve never seen a great Champions League or World Cup winning team that didn’t have a good defense. However, I’ve seen great teams winning this tournaments that had very good defenses, but not so great attacks.
In today’s article you’ll read absolutely everything you need to know to improve your defending game considerably. However, if you want to become a better defender, you’ve got to become a better soccer player overall first. Let’s begin by reviewing one of things that has helped me improve my game a lot during the last years.
The 4 skills every soccer player should develop
We’ll go step by step. Before turning you into an awesome defender, we’ll make you a generally overall better player just by knowing this. Basically, there are 4 skills or areas that every elite professional athlete develops. This are: physical, technical, tactical, and mental. Being able to develop all 4 skills at the same time is what sets apart elite athletes from non-professional ones.
Physical
Probably the skill that all athletes put the most time into every single day. Going to soccer practice and the gym everyday to improve your physical conditions, your stamina, and your strength are definitely things that will help you be closer to your goal.
The problem is that most soccer players limit themselves to only developing the physical aspect . Remember, being able to execute all 4 areas at the time is what separates elite athletes from the rest. If you only train physically, then you are no different from the rest.
Technical
The technical side includes all the things that are special to soccer. Passing, shooting, dribbling, heading, are all technical aspects of the game. This is also an aspect that is very common practicing for all soccer players. Normally, at training all teams will start with some physical conditioning exercises and then move on to practicing technical drills for, passing, shooting, dribbling, ball control, etc.
As a good soccer defender you need to make sure to develop a great balance between technical and physical. Having extremely good physical conditions is useless if you have a horrible technique and vice versa.
Tactical
Now this is where great soccer players start to differentiate themselves from the crowd. When we talk about the tactical side we are seeing all the general strategy carefully planned by the team for the game. As I mentioned in the beginning sometimes coaches might plan a defensive tactic for the game, waiting for the other team to make mistakes.
Being tactically intelligent is one of the things that a good player and defenders should have in order to be successful at this position. Always reading where the game is going, what to do with the ball, and how to manage the time during the game are all things that characterize a very tactical player. This is a skill that, if developed appropriately, will help you and the team win games even if you are not physically or technically gifted.
Mental
By far the most important of the 4 skills to develop for any athlete. This is the game-changer that sets apart the elite from the common mortals. Most soccer teams only practice the 3 first aspects and totally ignore the mental aspect of the game.
I would like to give an example from this which is the national team of my country: Panama. In Panama there are super talented soccer players. What our problem really is, and the reason why it was so hard for us to qualify for a world cup, was because players where not mentally prepared to perform at the highest level. Everytime they were losing they lost their heads, acted unconsciously in the field, and even started fighting with each other. Without that problem, we would probably had qualified to a world cup a long time ago.
Elite soccer teams practice physical as well as mental conditioning. For elite players, developing strengths like composure, confidence, readiness, leadership, and teamwork are all as important as the other 3 areas of the game. In my article “How to Improve Confidence When Playing Soccer” you can read the tips they teach the pros to be more confident in the field.
35 Tips to Become a Better Defender
Now that you know how to improve as a soccer player in general, it’s time to learn how to actually be a better defender in soccer. Learning how to defend in soccer is such a fundamental ability for this game I came up with 35 tips that you can implement right away to elevate your defensive game to the next level.
Some of the following tips are general defending tips, no matter if you play full-back, center-back, or any other position in the field. Other tips are specifically for full-backs, some others specially suited for center-backs and lastly we name some of the most common defensive mistakes. Finally, we have great defensive advice from the best defenders right now at the end of the article.
The tips are broken into the following bulleted list:
- General Defending tips
- Tips for full-Backs
- Tips for center-backs:
- Common mistakes:
General Defending tips
#1 Giving no time to react
One of the best words to describe a good defender is “suffocating”. You have to be a player that gives no space and no opportunity for attackers to think. The moment an attacker gets the ball you need to be intense and get near them and not give them any space at all. Great defenders are tireless and that is exactly what you have to demonstrate every single day. Be that defender that attackers don’t want to play against.
However, you need to be careful with this one. It’s not about running straight forward like crazy to the attacker just for the sake of running and saying that your being “intense”. Always move intelligently and accordingly to the play. The closer you get to an attacker, the more cautious you have to be.
Also, it’s not about being too close to your opponent absolutely always. You’ve got to make the call depending on every play. For example, if the attacker is coming at you at a great speed make sure to have a distance from him. If he is standing or at a slow speed, it is the moment to be closer to him. Just make sure you are tireless and to never give the attackers time to breathe.
#2 Correct positioning and stance
It is fundamental for any defender to always have the correct positioning and stance towards the attacker. Like the picture above, always try to approach the attacker at an angle and never squared and straight forward to them. It is important to stay in this position because of two reasons:
- It prepares yourself to be ready for any move the attacker can do. In case he moves quickly to either side you’ll be able to react quickly and stay well positioned against him.
- Forces the defender to move towards the side you want them to move. Sometimes you might want the defender to always move to their weak foot, so you would position your body at an angle where you cover that foot. Other times, you might want the attacker to move towards the middle because it’s more congested with your team’s players, so you would position at an angle to cover him from going outside.
Again, when positioning in your soccer stance, you always need to be aware of your distance with the attacker and the direction he is going. It’s useless to take a correct defending stance if your positioned too close to a player which speed is faster than yours for example.
#3 Developing your patience
Patience is key for any defender to develop their patience. The reason why it was so hard for me to defend correctly when I started this position is because I wasn’t patient enough. Constantly, I hesitated and lunged too quickly towards the ball. When this happens, it is easy for any attacker to get past you.
It is a lot better for defenders to be patient and wait for the striker’s mistake to take the ball away from them, than trying to force the mistake by yourself. If you stay well positioned and in a good stance for enough time, attackers will precipitate and eventually loose the ball. However, there are some times where you can anticipate to the ball quickly, but those are less likely to occur.
#4 Anticipating their next move
As a defender you need to get to know your rival: How he moves? To what side he likes to dribble the most? What is his strong foot? Remember to always be patient but, in your mind, you always have to try to anticipate what is the attacker’s next move, without lunging too early.
For example, if you see that during the whole game an attacker has been cutting to the inside, then it would be great to position yourself in a way that, when he cuts inside again, it will be easy for you to take the ball away from him. Try reading his body language and act accordingly, just be careful with any type of fakes.
#5 Using your body correctly
Defender is one of the position that requires one of the best uses of your body as possible. This position can sometimes be very physical and you need to make sure to use your body in a way it helps you win the ball from the attacker without committing a foul. Learning how to use your body correctly to either win or protect the ball from your opponent is vital in this position.
You should learn to use your arms to keep the defenders away from the ball. If both of you are running towards the ball, but you are slower than the attacker, try opening your arms (without committing a foul) to keep your rival from getting to the ball first. Opening your arms is also important if you want to kick the ball away and you have an attacker right behind you.
#6 The eyes on the ball… and the defender
In soccer football it is very popular and common to hear people saying that the best defending tip is “keep your eyes on the ball’. It is true, you need to keep an eye on the ball most of the time because players like doing lots of body feints to trick you. But, in soccer, there are countless skills players like to use to trick you either by moving the ball or their body.
It is important for every defender not to only always keep an eye on the ball, but also to always read the attacker’s body language in order to anticipate and position correctly for their movements.
#7 Defending with your heart
Defenders are warriors. The best defenders I’ve ever seen are the ones that defend with their heart. They risk their physique, give absolutely everything they got to defend the colors of your teams. There is nothing more motivating for the team than a defender that gives a totally admirable defending spectacle.
Just look at the italian defenders for example. Since always, italians have been considered some of the best defenses in soccer. Not necessarily because they are super skilful and technical, but mainly because they leave the soul in the field, and give absolutely everything they have to defend their country’s jersey.
#8 The ball or the man… not both
This a defensive mindset every defender should print into their DNA. In here again, it comes into play the correct use of your body and patience. This is a great defensive technique to use against fast players. You simply wait for them to make a move and put yourself infront of them to make it almost impossible for them to get to the ball.
Be careful when you do this because it is very easy to get a foul called against you. In order to avoid this, always show intentions of playing the ball and not obstructing the defender.
#9 Always playing outside
When you have the ball, always try playing outside with your full back or winger, and not to the middle. This tip is specially good for beginners because playing securely through the middle with a teammate without risking the ball is very difficult. Only top level players like Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique are able to achieve this perfectly.
As you can see in the picture, if you pass the ball to other center back he will be attacked by two forwards of the other team. It is an area congested with enemy players, so it is just better to pass the ball to the outside or putting a chip forward to your strikers. In this way you don’t risk the ball, you keep it away from your goal, and it is a lot easier to execute.
#10 No risking the ball behind
Something everyone hates is a defender that likes playing and risking the ball in their own field. This is not an area you can try new skills you learned in youtube the day before because, usually, defenders are the last man, meaning that if you lose the ball probably the other team will score.
When in doubt, keep it simple and kick the ball out to a corner, sideline or to your forwards! What makes a great defender is his simplicity and effectiveness to play the game.
#11 Imposing yourself with security
All defenders need to make the attackers feel their presence. You need to make sure that every time they are going to get the ball, they know you are going to be right next to them.
This is done in many ways. One of them is lunging towards the ball with power and conviction as you can see in the picture. You can try playing a little bit rougher and physical. It is very important that every time you are going to approach to the opponent you do it with confidence, security, and conviction. In this way, you impose your presence as a defender in the field and they will think it twice before trying to get past over you.
#12 Always on your toes
One of the keys to have a correct defending stance is to always be constantly moving on your toes. When you are in this position, you have the possibility to react a lot faster to anything the opponent does. If the attacker starts sprinting, for example, you could easily start sprinting towards the ball too because you are on your toes and positioned in an angle towards the player.
In the other hand, if you are flat-footed your reaction time will be much slower. It will feel as if you were glued to the floor and you’ll only be able to see when the attacker gets past you.
#13 Covering the ball for a foul
This is one of the most useful defensive techniques you can use when you are in trouble. If you don’t have a clear passing option and you are being pressured by an attacker, try covering the ball as in the picture looking for a foul. You’ll give the team a chance to reorganize and start the game from behind.
#14 Perfect slide tackles
Slide tackles are one of the most important defensive techniques in the game. There is nothing more beautiful than a perfect, clean tackle to get the ball away from an attacker. This like the “defender orgasm”. Plus, it helps motivate the team a lot. Here are two great tips to make the perfect slide tackle:
- Take advantage of rainy days. When the pitch has a low grass and is very wet makes slide tackles are a lot easier to do. If you are at a dry field or an Artificial Grass pitch I would recommend not doing this technique. I actually wrote on article about why Artificial grass is such a bad playing surface. Click here to go to take a look at it.
- Slide tackling requires you to be brave. Understand you are risking the physique and go full into it. If you don’t put everything into it and do kind of like a “shy” slide tackle, it will probably not work and you run the risk of getting hurt.
# 15 Intimidating attackers
There are some players out there that don’t like the physical game and might shut down if you play a little bit rough with them. I’m actually an attacker, but I know by own experience that defenders are always trying to get into our heads. That is exactly what you’ve got to do. It just feels so good to totally shut down the best player of the other team.
You need to be careful with any type of intimidation. Anything light like a little push, a strong lunge towards the ball or some exchange of words to get into his head will work. There are two possible outcomes to this: the player shuts downs because he doesn’t like the physical game against you or he totally looses his head and does something stupid. In both you win.
Remember that at the beginning I said that the mental part plays a big role in the game; this is the time you use it. One of the players that executes this near perfection is Sergio Ramos, and he is one of the best defenders in the world because of this. Just be careful not to be too dirty or your team might end up playing with 10 players.
#16 Prevent them from using their strengths
Soccer is more about intelligence than anything else. You need to identify the strengths of your rival and not let him use them by any means. For example, if you are facing a fast player, you need to do whatever it takes to don’t let him use his speed. Maybe you’ll have to play a little bit closer to him so he won’t have space to start running.
The best way to know the strengths of an attacker is knowing how they play. I think taking a look at my article about How to be a Great Forward in Soccer will help you understand how attackers think and play.
#17 And use your own strengths
Every soccer player has its strengths. Maybe you are very tall, or maybe you are short but very fast. You need to adapt your game according to your possibilities. If you are a short guy but very fast, probably it won’t be a good idea to try to compete against all the tall strikers as a center back. You’ll probably do better playing as a full-back against fast wingers for example.
Ask yourself: What is a strength I have that I can use to take advantage of his weaknesses? How can I adapt my game according to my possibilities?
#18 Moving attackers into congested areas
Remember that I said that by standing at an angle towards your attacker you can force them to moving where you want? You have to use this to your advantage when the center of the field is congested with players of your team. If this is the case, approach to them at an angle that doesn’t let him play to the outside and that makes him cut to the middle where all your teammates are. In this way, you increase the chances of taking the ball away from the other team.
#19 Tactical fouls
This is a technique that you need to know when and where to do it, and execute carefully. It is perfect to do at a counter attack where your team is badly positioned in the field. A slight pull or a soft contact to make the other player loose balance will work. You’ll sacrifice for the team earning a yellow card, but avoiding the other team’s goal.
At the end of the day, that is what a defender does: sacrifice for the team.
Tips for Full-Backs
#20 Ultimate physical conditions
In my article “Most skilled soccer positions”, I wrote that the most physically skilled position in soccer is full-back. Either you are left or right back, you are probably one of the players that makes the greatest physical sacrifice in the field. In your position, you are responsible for defending fast wingers and also contributing to the attack when possible.
It is a constant back and forth, up and down the field. If you don’t have your physical conditions on point, you’ll end the game like me in the picture above. If you play in this position, make to work everyday on improving your stamina, endurance, and your physical conditions in general.
#21 Learn how to make perfect crosses and passes
Full-backs need to be the total geniuses when making great crosses. You are frequently contributing to the attack on the sideline, so you need to be able to put great crosses for your strikers. Remember, it is not your job to penetrate the penalty area and try to score the goals by yourself (although sometimes that might happen). Instead, you are the player in the team that is known for making great assists to the forwards.
Two players that execute this near to perfection are Dani Carvajal and Marcelo from Real Madrid. They are constantly adding themselves to the attack and making great crosses and passes to their forwards. Even sometimes, you’ll see them go all the way and score awesome goals. They do all of this without forgetting to defend.
#22 Overlapping the winger
This is a key factor and a movement that is very hard for defences to defend. When your winger has the ball, overlap him by running besides him in the sideline. By doing this, you create a 2 vs 1 situation against the other team’s full-back which can end up in a dangerous goal opportunity for your team. Great full-backs are a nightmare both in attack and defense, overlapping is a tool that will help you have achieve that. Just remember to come back and defend after that.
#23 Always remember your first responsibility
It is easy for any full-back to totally forget about defense and attack constantly during the whole game. We all want to score goals, it is inside all of us. However, to be a great full-back you need to always remember that your first and most important responsibility in the game is to defend.
Overlapping, making great crosses, and passes are all useless if you don’t know how to defend correctly. You are a defender that contributes to the attack, not an attacker that contributes to defense.
#24 Do not be the playmaker
If you keep making mistakes in the back, like making bad passes or loosing the ball costanly for example, then the reason is probably because you want to be the playmaker. A defender in your position is the last person in the field that needs to create game. Your only duty is to keep it simple.
Most of the things you can do to help the team in offense are runs without the ball or great crosses, not putting great through passes or anything similar.
#25 Keep an eye on the line
The situation in the picture above is something you want to totally avoid. As you can see, the full-back didn’t stay in line with the defense, giving space for the attacker to stay out of the offside. The player with the ball then puts an easy pass to the space and the attacker is completely alone with the goalkeeper to score.
Believe it or not, this happens very often in soccer. So, if you want to be a better defender, always keep an eye with the rest of the defense and stay in line with them. In fact, in some teams they make the full-back be a little bit more forward than the center-back.
Tips for Center-Backs
#26 Having composure on the ball
As a center-back, you are the last man in the team. If you lose the ball it can be very easy for the other team to score. This can put you into a stressful situation. Something that characterizes great center backs is the composure they have on the ball. They never get desperate with it, and always know how to deal with it calmly.
#27 Great leader
It is not a coincidence that most of the times the team’s captain is the center back. That is because they are the field players that have the best view over the field. They are able to see all the game from behind. To be a great center back, you need to constantly be talking to your teammates to help them feel oriented in the pitch. You are the back bone of the team and you need to act accordingly.
#28 Good Ball Distribution
Every play of your team during the game starts with you. At the beginning I said that to be a good soccer player you need to be good tactically. Well, that applies specially for center backs. You need to be able to read the game correctly and distribute the ball to the correct teammate to start a new play towards the other team’s goal. Don’t get confused, you are not the play maker, you are just the player that establishes from where the play will begin.
#29 Keep it simple
The worse thing that a defender can do is being “fancy” back there. Your job is to keep the game as simple as possible. When in doubt, just kick the ball out, and let all that creative stuff to the attackers.
#30 Great at reading the game
As I said, you are the commander in the field. Read the game correctly and give the right instructions to the defense.
Common Mistakes Defenders Make
#31 Standing flat-footed
Remember that the correct defending stance is: Approaching at an angle, low, and on your toes. A common mistake is to defend flat-footed, too squared, and frontal towards the defender as you can see in the picture. If you defend in this way, it is easy for the attacker to nutmeg you. Also, if they make a quick cut or change of the direction to the sides, you won’t be able to react rapidly because you are not in your toes.
#32 Playing rough and not smart
I’ve faced defenders like this during my whole life. They think that by using brute force they will be able to take the ball away from the opponent, when that is not the case. Remember that soccer is a game for smart people. Not saying you can’t be rough, but you’ve got to be smart first, and apply all the things mentioned in this article; not just going out there kicking people.
#33 Not being intense
As a defender you must breathe on the neck of every attacker. Not giving them time to think, or to act is what will elevate your game. If you are not intense, you are giving the initiative to the attacker. A great example of this is Atletico de Madrid. Their manager, Simeone, always prints that intensity into his players, which is one of the reasons why Atletico is one of the teams with the best defenses in Europe.
#34 Exceeding on your functions
As a defender, your main function is to defend. The moment you want to go forward and attack every time, the moment you want to become the playmaker, you are risking your team’s defense. When you want to do more than you actually have to do, you become bad at what is your true role in the team.
Soccer is a team game. If you chose to defend, then commit to it and get better at that. Not saying you can’t attack or do more than you can, but the chances of that happening in a game are seldom. Just keep focused on defending.
#35 Lunging for the ball too early
One of the mistakes defenders make is just lunging for the ball without putting any effort or focus into it. Be patient and wait for the best moment.
Advice from Pro Soccer Defenders
- Hector Bellerin (Arsenal): “Being an attacking right back, the most important thing is to recognize when to go attack and when to stay. Overlapping helps me a lot because in the center of the field is usually crowded with players. Any type of sport can help you improve coordination, so try practicing other sports different from soccer. Training the brain to have the ideal mindset has helped me developed as a soccer player too
- Rio Ferndinand (Manchester United): “Most of the kids today forget that they have to work hard. They want to get all the new boots and fancy things without going through that process. If you don’t work hard you’ve got nothing, go home.”
- Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid C.F): “Always remember that the most important job of a defender is to maintain our goal in zero. If beyond that you can score goals, then great, it makes you different, but always remember what is most important. The key is to keep your head with the same mindset of the first day you played soccer. You should be a player characterized for being passionate, having a strong character, and hungry for achieving more.”
- Djibril Sidibe (AS Monaco) : “The most important is to look at the ball and adapt accordingly, so you can control your opponent. If the attacker is fast we step back and give him space. If he dribbles we wait for him to get tired to take the ball away. Staying focused will help you improve as a defender.”