The most important beginning skills to teach a defender are placement, positioning and footwork in a 1 v 1 setting. Why are these skills so important? Defense by definition is a reactive state, where the attacker causes the defender to take steps to stop some action. Because of this, the defender be able to move quickly in all directions.

The player must be able to stop and restart his movement in reaction to actions by the attacker. To do this, the player must be in a balanced position as often as possible, and the feet must be trained to move in the quickest and most efficient manner possible.

The defender also must maintain the optimal distance from the attacker to give himself time to react before the attacker had gotten around him and is heading for goal.

Once properly placed in relation to the attacker, the defender must learn to position his body/legs in a manner which will block the attacker's best scoring options while also allowing quick reactions on his part. Next, the defender must learn to use his body to channel the attacker into less favorable areas of the field while patiently waiting for an opportunity to steal the ball. Of course, he also will need to learn techniques for winning the ball when the chance arises, and learn how to recover in the event that he is beaten by the attacker