Soccer drill to get defenders covering all options
When young defenders are absorbed in a game they are often drawn away from their position, moving to where the ball is being played. A good tip is to tell your midfielders to keep an eye on the wings and see if by switching play from one side to the other they can catch out defenders who have gone missing.
Incorporate these skills in your soccer training drills, so your players are always ready and the opposition midfielders are less likely to catch your defenders out.
During your next training drill session spend some time showing your players how to cover the whole width of the pitch. Whatever age they are, it is never too early to develop their soccer brains, you can teach them the skills and walk them through a few moves to show them where the attacking threat will come from.
If you look at the diagram, the player on the ball has a number of options to pass to his team mates in front of him.
On the defending team, defenders D1 and D2 have picked up players to mark. D3 has a player to mark but is also well placed to cover a through ball. They must go to the player they are marking if the pass goes to them or run back to cut out the ball played between D1 and D2.
D4 is covering the left winger and the space behind the defence. They must make sure they keep their position and not go too far over to try and cover the area D3 is covering. D4 does not need to stay tight on the winger as they will have time to adjust their position as the ball travels across the pitch.
Soccer coaching tips
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