Small Group Exercises to Train Defenders

Teams that defend well ensure that their team is always competitive in a game and can initiate the attack for their team.

George Kuntz shows you how to improve your team's individual skills and group defending tactics using small group training. He begins by walking his athletes through proper body positioning for defending an attacker on the ball. He shows you how to apply pressure without the risk of getting beat and how to dictate your opponent's movement.

This DVD includes four basic small group exercises:

• Defensive Mechanics & Techniques - This progression will help program your players to keep their knees bent, eyes up, and read the attacker from the waist down. The exercise progresses to tackling and using your body properly to keep the opponent off of the ball.
• 1v1 Defending Progression - Emphasizes the proper defensive stance and tackling technique. As attackers progress to shooting on a target, the defender's positioning becomes even more crucial.
• 2v2 Defending Progression - Works on directing the attacker to the supporting defender for help with containment. During this exercise, Kuntz identifies the importance of communication between defenders as it relates to defensive coverage movements.
• 4v4 Support Exercise - Focuses on defensive vision, shifting, organizing and switching with supporting defenders that mimics the demands of a full size game.

As each exercise increases in difficulty, Kuntz adds objectives to each exercise for the offense and defense in order to increase confidence, effort and enjoyment for the players.

Build better support for your defense with these proven defensive principles and techniques.

47 minutes. 2010.