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Article Series: Soccer
Teach Me About Soccer
Basic
Soccer Fundamentals - Shielding the Ball
While soccer can be a very aggressive and
offensive style sport, there are some times when taking the
defense is a better approach. Knowing how to shield
the ball to prevent the other team from gaining control of
the ball
is very important. Here are some of the basics to get you started.
When you have possession of the ball, you often have to make
decisions on what to do with it. You may find yourself against
a defender that is bigger or faster than you. Or there might
be so much traffic of other players ahead that it does not
make sense to keep going forward and you want to pass the ball
to a team mate. Or you may be on the defensive side of the
field, and are afraid of losing possession in a position that
would allow the other team to score. The goal with shielding
is to put your body in between your opponent and the ball,
so that you have time to pass the ball or take advantage of
a defender’s mistake and get past them.
The first rule of learning how to shield the ball is to always
avoid turning your back to an incoming defender. You need to
be able to see what your opponent is doing otherwise you may
find it very difficult to hang on to the ball. Keep one shoulder
pointed at your opponent at all times.
The second rule of learning how to shield the ball is to always
be the one in control of the situation. If your opponent is
coming in hard, it is often a good idea to be the one that
makes the first contact. Otherwise, you risk losing control
of the ball. If you feel you are losing control, look for a
teammate that is open to take a pass.
Thirdly, when learning how to shield the ball, make sure that
you are playing aggressively. Soccer can be a contact sport,
and it is ok to use arms, shoulders, body and legs to block
an opponent, as long as you do not kick or push. You cannot
be afraid to hold your ground or use your body to block.
To practice shielding, you should start by pairing teammates
up. One person should be the shielding, and the other person
trying to get the ball. The shielding player has the ball to
the outside, not between their legs. The person shielding will
want to get down low, in almost a sitting position – not standing
almost straight up. This will help protect the ball and keep
it from being stolen by an opponent. Arms should be held up
and away from the body – not tucked in close. Be careful not
to push the opposing player. Without a ball, have the players
practice the stance and trying to get into each other’s space.
To advance the drill, introduce the ball. With the players
in the same positions, have the shielding player hold off the
opponent by moving the ball around with the outside of their
foot and the inside of their foot, but without moving their
position on the field. Switch whenever the opponent is able
to steal the ball.
Once both players have had the opportunity to defend the ball
a few times, add in a support player. The player shielding
the ball holds off the defender as long as possible, but if
it gets to difficult then they can pass to their support player.
If this happens, have the opponent run and touch a target,
such as a cone set up a few yards away, and come back. At the
return, the support player must immediately pass the ball back
to the original shielding player. Alternate the players' positions
so that everyone gets a chance to play all three spots. To
make the drill more difficult, share one support player between
two players who are shielding the ball. This forces the players
to strategically plan when they will pass the ball back, and
the support player has to hustle back and forth deciding which
player needs more assistance.
Learning good shielding techniques is just a matter of practice.
Do some drills everyday, and pretty soon your whole team will
be shielding pros.
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: 2008
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