Defending Drills

Great defenses win championships. Our Defending Drills section covers the fundamentals of individual and collective defending to turn your team into a fortress.

Learn how to teach the core principles: Pressure, Cover, and Balance. We have drills for 1v1 Defending (body shape and tackling), Pressing Traps (hunting in packs), and Zonal Defending (sliding as a block).

FAQs: Coaching Defensive Principles

What are the 3 main principles of defending?

1. Pressure (Stop the ball). 2. Cover (Support the pressing player). 3. Balance (Protect the space away from the ball). Drills should always reinforce at least one of these concepts.

How do I teach 1v1 defending?

Focus on “Delay and Deny.” Teach defenders to approach fast, arrive slow (break down), get low (side-on stance), and wait for the attacker to make a mistake rather than diving in.

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