Defending 1v1 / 2v2 - Key Points & Considerations

Each session within these pages contains individual coaching points relevant to that specific session. The below are general, defending (matched up) related coaching points, presented in line with the FA's 4 Corner model.

Defending 1v1 / 2v2 / Matched Up - Key Coaching Points (FA's 4 Corners)

Technical	Psychological
Body shape - side on, on your toes, ready to recover or make a tackle or block - don't get caught "flat". Show your opponent in the direction you want them to go (onto their weaker foot, your stronger foot or into an area of the pitch they don't want to be / away from goal). Don't dive in to win the ball - wait until it's there to be won (opponent takes a poor touch for example) Get an arm up in front of you to hold off the attacker Keep your eyes on the ball Timing of the tackle Positioning in relation to your team mates (one player presses the ball, the other covers) Angle and direction of closing run (arc your run to block a pass down the line for example)	Individual decision making - recognise when to try and win the ball and when to hold up the play or force the opponent into a certain part of the pitch. Communication between players (who will press the ball, who will cover, who will track a runner etc.) Confidence to play a defensive role against a good attacker Concentration - defending effectively requires enormous concentration - lose focus for one moment and you can concede a goal. Awareness of where the danger is (runs from opponents off the ball, the player with the ball, where the space is etc.) Mental recovery skills - a defensive mistake can lead to a goal, own goal or penalty conceded. How do you help your players bounce back from these situations?
Physical	Social
Strength to hold off an attacker using your body & arm / make a challenge Speed and fitness to keep pace with an attacker or get into the right position to cover. Balance & agility to tackle, recover and block Speed at which you close down an attacker - too much momentum and you overshoot, too little and they have too much time to play.	Working as a team Encouraging team mates to be work hard and not blaming others for mistakes. Communication Have fun!

Considerations for Setting Up Defending Matched Up Sessions

A few things to think about for any defending matched up session...

Size and shape of area - a smaller area is going to make it much easier for your players to effectively defend as there is less space for the attackers. You may want to start with this if you are looking to build basic technique and confidence early on, enlarging the area as the players gain the required skills to make it more game-realistic. If, however, you are looking to work on your players' defensive recovery runs for a ball in behind, you may want a much larger area where that can be practiced.
The make up of the teams / groups - Have you made sure in 1v1 practices that players aren't constantly failing because they're up against a player of vastly higher ability level to them? Mix it up, definitely give challenges (having everyone equal ability in 1v1 practices doesn't give your players the skills they'll need for games when they may well face a much stronger opponent) but make sure everyone has the chance to have some success.
Avoiding queues and lines - this goes for virtually any kind of session, especially in cold weather and especially for younger players.
Developing everyone - are you trying to develop everyone equally on this topic...? If so, go with rotation of roles (probably more at the younger age groups) or are you trying to develop patterns of play with specific groups of players to whom those patterns are relevant (perhaps more with older players)?
Make things game realistic - having players practise the techniques involved in defending is useful to introducing the topic and building an understanding of what's involved, but on match day they will have opponents making overlapping runs, team mates around them to support them (or not!) and potentially the pressure of a result hanging over their heads! To prepare your players for this, you can move on from the technical introductory practices and allow them to practise working on defending in more game-like situations. Kids love playing matches, so letting them do that, whilst giving them a topic to focus on within that match is a great way to coach that topic. If required, you can add in restrictions or conditions that allow the players to find themselves in situations where they are defending 1v1, 2v2 and as a unit. Individual challenges can help them hone their technique in these game situations.