Developing Defensive Skills and Tackling

Effective defending is about positioning, anticipation, and tackling. Begin with shadow drills, where you focus on mirroring a partner’s movements without touching them. This improves your ability to track opponents. Next, practice jockeying: position yourself at a 45-degree angle to the ball carrier, maintaining a low center of gravity to stay agile. Spend 10 minutes daily perfecting this stance. For tackling, work on timing by practicing standing tackles with a partner in controlled settings. Focus on using the inside of your foot to cleanly dispossess the ball. Slide tackling should only be practiced on soft surfaces and with proper technique to avoid injury. Dedicate another 15–20 minutes to interception drills: have a partner pass the ball between cones while you try to anticipate and cut off the pass. Over time, incorporate 1v1 drills to simulate in-game defensive challenges and build confidence.