Young defenders want to dive and slide. That’s reckless. Good defending happens on your feet. The defender pokes the ball away with their foot while staying upright and balanced.
What you need: 1 soccer ball, 2 kids, 15x15 grid marked with cones.
Setup: Attacker has ball. Defender starts 5 feet away.
How to run it:
- Attacker dribbles toward the defender using Touch, Look, Push, Go.
- When the defender is 3 feet away, they extend their leg and poke the ball away with their foot.
- Defender stays upright throughout. No diving. No sliding.
- If the defender wins the ball, they keep it. If the attacker goes around, they’ve won.
- 4 attempts per player, then switch.
What to watch: Does the defender extend their leg or dive their whole body? Leg poke only.
If they’re struggling: Move the starting distance to 8 feet. Less speed coming at them.
If they’ve got it: Attacker gets more dribble moves. Defender has to react faster.