Typically, in sports those players who are scoring the goals, points or runs are the ones who steal the spotlight and receive the most accolades. Not only are these players highlighted more than others, but these moments receive more media coverage than their defensive counterparts. When coaching a team, I always begin the yearly periodization by focusing on the defensive structure of the group and good individual techniques for defending. In my experience, if a team is well organized defensively then they always have a chance to win. You can say that I am guided by the motto, “offense wins games, but defense wins championships.” 

With this said, today we will turn our attention to the often overlooked but invaluable art of defending. My aim is to simplify a complex moment of the game, in this case football, and explain it with three specific options that the defender has in this phase of the game: disrupt, delay and destroy. Let’s tackle these principles in order of appearance. 

To disrupt an attack means that the defender interferes with the fluidity of the opposition’s attack. This can include using your body to nudge a dribbling player out of balance or poking the ball just enough so the opponent cannot get into a dangerous area. Disrupting the attack of the other team does not necessarily mean that you will regain possession of the ball, it is just a way of preventing the opponent from comfortably attacking key areas of the pitch. A successful disruption can result in our team having more time to get in better positions to continue defending, and eventually win the ball on an upcoming action. 

Disruption has to do with a player’s action around the ball, whether it is a passing or dribbling situation. The idea is that the movement of the ball is not at the pace that the opposition would like. However, delaying is also applicable to player actions away from the ball, especially in counterattack situations. In the transition moment the defender must quickly decide between two options: do I press the ball, disrupting or destroying the attack? or should I drop, delaying the other team’s forward progression?  

We can define this principle of defending as getting in positions to slow down the attack. Defenders must also be aware of closing penetrating passing lanes as they approach their own goal, this will invite the attackers to pass laterally or backwards, away from danger. Lastly, successfully delaying the attack in a counter situation will ensure that the rest of my team has extra time to get in favorable positions to defend.  

Our third and last principle is destroying the attack. This would be the ideal option for any defending situation, as it entails completely stopping the opposition’s attack. Again, to destroy an attack can also mean that my team does not regain the ball, we can destroy an attack by sending the ball for a throw-in or clearing it behind the other team’s back line. To destroy an attack means that the opposition must completely re-start their attempt to penetrate and my team is able to re-set. Naturally, the best way to destroy an attack is by taking the ball from the opposition with an interception or a successful individual tackle, and this should always be the final objective of the defenders regardless of the option they pick. However, a common mistake for defenders is overcommitting to a tackle consequentially leaving open space and unbalance in the team. Defenders must be patient and pick their moments wisely. 

To conclude, I would like to share a quote from one of the best coaches of all times, Sir Alex Ferguson. He said, “hard work will always beat talent, whenever talent is not willing to work hard”. The defending phase of the game is often dependent upon the intangible attributes of a player, such as passion, effort and pride. A defender needs to work hard and work smart. I hope that this text has helped in providing a guide on how to achieve just that.