Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Refereeing, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: attackers, bettersoccercoaching, Inter Milan, lucio, midfielders, www.youtube.com
When you are working with your defenders spend some time on ball control and playing the ball away with purpose.
If they are under pressure it is better to kick the ball into the nearest touch to give them some time to regroup. Simply hacking the ball up the pitch can be the wrong option because they don’t know where or how far the ball will go. This creates potential problems for the team.
Explain to your defenders the need to look for a pass to relieve the pressure to link with the rest of the team. They should be allowed to show off their skills with the ball as well as your midfielders and attackers.
The emergency hoof away from goal should only be used when all other options are blocked or impossible to perform.
Watch this compilation of Lucio at Inter Milan and how he puts the ball out or wins the ball and turns attack into defence. He doesn’t aimlessly boot it up the pitch, giving the ball back to his opponents.
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer Skills, Soccer Training | Tags: defending, defensive header, how to head, midfielders
Something for you to work on… in youth matches when the opposition has a goal kick if the midfielders can get to the ball first and head it without letting it bounce they put their team immediately on to the front foot and the opposition on to the back foot.
When you watch the professionals see how they take the pressure off the defence by heading it before it bounces through to them. Also if you have to head a ball that has bounced, all the pace has been taken off it and the player finds it hard to get it any distance.
Young players are often worried by heading the ball so you need to gradually get them heading. They can practice by throwing the ball in the air and heading it between partners.
Heading a ball
1. Watch the ball
2. Keep eyes open
3. Head the ball on the forehead
4. Aim for the middle of the ball.
Watch this clip of how to head in defence:
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