Teaching 1st Defender without Opposition

Chris Johnson 144,794 Views Rating 3.76 (71 Reviews)

This soccer defending drill is excellent for teaching young players how to defend when they are the closest player to the opponent with the ball.

Soccer Drill Diagram: Teaching 1st Defender without Opposition

Soccer Defending, Soccer Teaching 1st Defender, First Defender Soccer, Teaching First Defender

This soccer defending drill is excellent for teaching young players how to defend when they are the closest player to the opponent with the ball.
Drill Setup

  1. You will need the attacking third of a field with a full-size goal. The goal is necessary to focus on the defensive player's positioning between the ball and the goal.
  2. Split the team into two groups of defenders who start on both sides of the goal.
  3. Two attacking players are positioned outside the penalty area on both sides of the field, with a ball.
Drill Instructions

  1. On the coach's command, the first defender from each line closes down the attacker.
  2. The defenders should focus on a fast, controlled approach while positioning their body between the ball and the middle of the goal.
  3. At this point, the defenders are not trying to win the ball but working on the speed of the approach, body posture, and positioning.
  4. Let every player go 4-5 times or until they are comfortable with approaching the attacker.
Drill Variations

  • Have the defenders start with the ball, pass to the attacker, and focus on the same items above.
Drill Coaching Points

  • Fast, Controlled approach to close down space quickly.
  • Good body posture with bent knees, slightly leaning forward with the weight on the balls of the feet, hips slightly turned so that the defender is not flat, hands up, and eyes on the ball.
  • Make sure the defender's body positioning is between the goal and the ball.
Soccer Drill Skill Focus

Top Rated Soccer Drills


7v7 Scrimmage

Chris Johnson 150,748 Views Rating 4.4 (5 Reviews)
It's always good to finishing a soccer training session with a 7 vs. 7 scrimmage to focus on team play.

Sharks and Minnows

Chris Johnson 550,272 Views Rating 4.3 (166 Reviews)
The Sharks and Minnows dribbling drill focuses on using the body to protect the ball by placing their body in between the ball and the defender.

1v1 Diamond Shooting Drill

Chris Johnson 468,601 Views Rating 4.3 (10 Reviews)
Spice up your shooting combination drill by finishing with a 1v1 to goal. Add a fun little twist, and the kids love it.

Pirates of the Pugg

John Bychok 697,425 Views Rating 4.27 (384 Reviews)
This drill is an excellent drill for younger players ages 8-11 and focuses on dribbling technique in traffic which requires vision and awareness.

Alien Tag Soccer Game

Chris Johnson 329,521 Views Rating 4.27 (11 Reviews)
Alien tag is a great Under 4 soccer game for 3, 4, 5, and 6 year-olds. Your kids will like flying around and crashing in their spaceship.

4v4 Soccer to a Small Gate

Chris Johnson 237,416 Views Rating 4.24 (75 Reviews)
4v4 in soccer is the smallest game focusing on all aspects of a full sided soccer match.

The Flag Game - Dribbling in Tight Spaces

Chris Johnson 189,872 Views Rating 4.23 (48 Reviews)
The flat game soccer drill is designed to focus on young soccer players learning to dribble in tight spaces.

Four Corners Passing Game

Chris Johnson 773,599 Views Rating 4.2 (284 Reviews)
The Four Corners Soccer Passing Game is a great soccer passing drill to focus on changing the point of the attack, and timing of runs and passes.

1v1 Competition

Chris Johnson 328,795 Views Rating 4.2 (147 Reviews)
This drill is great to focus on 1v1 play. It is flexible and can be used to work on the offensive side or the defensive side.

Ouch!

Chris Johnson 675,829 Views Rating 4.18 (268 Reviews)
A FUN soccer drill for younger players (U6, U7, and U8) to introduce dribbling, looking up and correctly striking the ball at a target.