The Art of Defending
This is the third installment of our “The Art Of” series where we cover the most important skills in football — dribbling, goalscoring, and defending.
Last time, the focus was on goalscoring.
“Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.”
— Sir Alex Ferguson
Defending is often overlooked but is actually the foundation for many elite teams. It’s how they stop attacks, regain possession and create chances. Of course, you need quality defenders to do this well.
Some of football’s most notable defenders, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva, Virgil Van Dijk, Georgio Chiellini, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique and William Saliba (from this new generation), all have varying styles but are known for giving their teams solid foundations at the back.
Foundations of good defending
The foundations of a good defender are aerial ability, positioning, anticipation, composure and communication. The best defenders have a good ability to read the game, know when to tackle, and cut out passing moves from the opposing team before danger materializes.
In the modern game, the best defenders have high athleticism. They don’t just stop attacks, they also possess technical skills that allow them to play the ball out from defence and contribute to the attacking phase when appropriate.
These qualities collectively contribute to a good defensive foundation.
Virgil Van Dijk stopping an attack with a well-timed tackle.
How to develop defensive ability
Defending is an art that can be developed with regular practice. If you’re trying to become better defensively, the best areas to focus on are positional awareness, tackling, and anticipation drills. You can also beef up your physique by working on strength, speed, and stamina through targeted exercises. Although these will provide you with a good physical foundation, it’s important to remember that good defending isn’t only about being physically dominant but also requires a lot of brain work (i.e. ability to read the game).
William Saliba using his body to guide the ball away from the attacker without tackling.
If you want to take it a step further, you can also immerse yourself in the tactical aspects of defending so that you can understand different attacking team shapes. This will help you predict attacking moves and improve your game intelligence. You’ll start making better defensive decisions much faster.