Key Points of a Good Soccer Defender

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Your main task as defender is to ensure that your opponent’s does not get any scoring chances near your penalty area. In this article I will inform you about the key points you will need to master in order to develop your defending skills during your practice.

The first point of a successful soccer defender is to keep strong focus on the ball during the whole game. By knowing where the ball is you will be able to faster regain possession of it.

As a defender you will not have so much time to decide what to do with the ball. In order to make something useful with it you need to have a plan before you’ve actually received it.

For example, let’s consider that you are facing your opponent 1 vs 1. In these situations you need have a plan for what to do if the opponent gets past you or if you manage to steal the ball from him. Defending in soccer is similar to playing chess. You need to always be one step ahead of your opponent.

The second point of successful defending is to have good ball skills. The more ball skills you have the better you will be as defender. It is crucial to learn different type of dribbling and passing.

Your mission while playing as defender is to keep the ball outside the 18 yard box. Once you regain the possession of the ball you may start a contra attack or give an opening pass to one of your teammates.

Soccer is a physically demanding activity, and this remains true even during your practice. To ensure maximum performance you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle to ensure that you are up to the task. Eating healthy food (especially raw foods) and consume plenty of fluids will be some of the crucial points whether you will perform well or poor.

To develop your skills as defender you need also to participate in numerous defending drills. These drills can either be individual or as a part of a group. A good practice is to both mix individual and group drills.

By mixing the drills you will be able to carry out different tactical maneuvers with ease. When you are familiar with different types of defending techniques, your performance will naturally improve.

There are a lot of things you can do in order to become a successful soccer defender. However, it is important to mix a healthy lifestyle with the points mentioned in this article to maximize your potential for success.