There are a variety of skills that everyone needs to master in order to be successful playing soccer. You likely have heard coaches or other people in the game calling these skills the “soccer fundamentals” which are particularly important. Some of these skills are fairly obvious. For example, even if you’re a beginner I’m sure […]
Defending
How to Defend a Forward or Midfielder With Their Back to Their Own Goal
Forwards checking back to the soccer ball are often accompanied by a tight marking defender. Midfielders also take on this defensive role against opposing midfielders or forwards checking back. Here, the defender’s main goal is to keep the soccer ball in front of them and not get turned. If the offensive player plays the ball backwards, you […]
The Block Tackling Method in Soccer: Keys and Principles
There are a couple of ways to tackle in soccer, and each carry different advantages. One method is called block tackling as described in the the excellent book Soccer: How to Play the Game: The Official Manual of the United States Soccer Federation. Block tackling is just like it sounds: you place your foot in […]
1v1 Soccer Defending: Key Principles of Individual Defense
In soccer, defending is a team concept. When you’re defending, your entire team, not just the defenders, is working together by communicating and staying compact in order to protect the goal. If just one player is not doing his or her job, your team can suffer a breakdown. This is why 1v1 or individual defending […]
