Modern Defensive Schemes

The end of the soccer year is upon us once again and I had the opportunity to watch teams across
the age spectrum play in MTOC, State Cup, and Regionals. What is becoming more and more
apparent each year is that the days of playing with a deep sweeper are far past us. Teams that
continue to play with the deep sweeper are proving unsuccessful as the competition level
increases. This creates a challenge for many coaches as most of us grew up playing in a sweeper
systemthat is if we grew up playing soccer at all.

Do not be too worried if you find yourself unfamiliar with a flat back four as the concepts of a
flat back four can be simplified to a level that is not only easy for us to understand, but also
appropriate for the children to understand. First off, do not worry about the concept of zonal
defense if you are working with U12 players. All you need to concern yourself with is the idea
of 1st and 2nd defender. The 1st defender is the defender closest to the ball who will put immediate
pressure on the ball. The 2nd defender is concerned with both giving cover to the first defender
and being aware of where the 2 nd attacker is if the 1st attacker were to want to pass the ball. The
role of this 2nd defender is different from a typical man marking system because the second
defender is not only concerned with his/her man and the ball (as the 2 nd defender is in both
systems), but now also there for cover if the 1st defender gets beat by the attacker.

That is the fundamental difference that players at the U12 level should know. The 2nd defender
needs to be close enough to the 1st defender that he/she can stop the attacker if the first defender
should be beat by the dribble. At the same time the 2 nd defender needs to be able to become the
1st defender if the attacker passes the ball to his/her teammate. This means the 2nd attacker should
be at about a 30 degree angle from the ball on the side of the ball to which the 1 st defender is
trying to force the attacker. Rather than just winning the ball outright all the time, the 1 st defender
should be containing the attacker and forcing him in the direction of the 2 nd defender. This way,
the 1st defender is forcing the attacker into his/her support and the defense should then be able to
force the attacker to play in tight spaces where the defense has cover and support for each other.
By communicating with the 1st defender, the 2nd defender can make this all very easy. Here is a
check list for the 1st and 2nd defenders. As a coach, you should make sure they are doing these
things:

Defenders need to have the correct stance---be on their toes, with knees bent, one foot
forward, one back, trying to anticipate when to close down their opponent
1st defender needs to bend their run to take away (block the path to) the goal, or force
the ball in the direction of the 2nd defender
The first defender then needs to approach fast, arrive slow---that is they should be in
control when arriving at the ball so it is not easy for the attacker to just run past them
1st defender orders of priority--- a) try to win ball off first touch of opponent, b) delay
progress of opponent by jockeying the player with the ball, and try to force them out of
play or in the direction of the 2nd defender
Once opponent goes where the defender wants them to go, they should tackle with front
foot, not back foot
 1st defender says I have ball and 2nd defender says push left/right
Make sure that the 1st defender gets the head of the first attacker down by getting close
(within arms length) to the 1st attacker ASAP
2nd defender needs to be at approximately a 30 degree backward angle to the 1st
defender on the side to which the first defender is showing the ball towards
2nd defender tells 1st defender which way to push attacker and gets ready to step towards
the second attacker and if the ball is passed to her
The defenders roles reverse will sometimes reverse when the ball is passed and the
previous 1st defender needs to be ready to drop off and cover (now serving as 2 nd
defender)

If you imagine the 1st and 2nd defenders in a 2 versus 2 game as a see-saw that moves up and
down/ back and forth as the ball moves from side to side it will help you picture the movement
of these 2 defenders.

Hopefully, I have not confused you with this description. If you feel you have a grasp of these
concepts, it is safe to discuss the roles of the 3 rd and 4th defenders in a back four system. At the
U13 and U14 level players should be able to grasp the concept of the 3 rd and then the 4th
defenders. The roles of these two defenders are that of balance. That is they need to be aware of
the other defenders and attackers to as to supply cover should the first 2 defedners get beat, but
also to watch for any third attackers runs. The balance players need to make sure the defense do
not get beat on the back side. However, that is not to say they should make the field wide. A good
defense tries to keep the field compact at all times. The 3 rd and 4th defenders need to position
themselves so that they shade towards the ball (and are not marking man to man), but are close
enough to their man to that they would be bale to immediately become a first defender and
prevent progress if the ball were switched to their man. That is, the defenders need to make an
educated guess as to how much space they could cover if the attackers were to switch the ball
across the field with a perfect pass. The challenge is that if the 3rd and 4th defenders stay too wide,
then the defense will be exposed and easily beaten. Similarly, if they are too compressed and not
aware of the backside attackers, the defense will be exposed. Lastly, these defenders should be
constantly communicating to the other defenders as they are able to see the entire field and the 1 st
and 2nd defenders may not be able to do this. A couple bullet points to remember for these
players:

3rd and 4th defenders serve as communicators and players who balance the field in order
that your team does not get beat on the back side
It is important that you do not play your 3 rd and 4th defenders too deep as that will allow
the offense more space and leads to more offensive success
3rd and 4th attackers should try to compress the field to make the attackers job more
difficult
If the ball is switched, these defenders should be able to either intercept the pass or
become a 1st defender without the attacking team having made progress

All at once, this is a lot of information to consume. Teaching your team to play this system of
defense is a process that takes seasons, not practices or even weeks. Please be patient and teach
players the role of one defender at a time. If you do this, players will more easily understand the
roles and you can avoid mass confusion amongst your team.

If you have questions about any of this please do not hesitate to ask me or the development
coaches for further advice or help designing practices. This is often a confusing topic to teach of
you are unfamiliar with it and we are here to make it easier for you and your players.

Positioning of Back Four if Ball on Flank Positioning of Back Four if Ball Central

*Notice the field is compressed in width and depth and the third and fourth defenders could
move over to cover the far side attackers if the ball were to be passed to the far side.