Placement in Relation to the Attacker

What is the correct placement of a defender who is guarding an attacker who has the ball? Normally, the defender will place himself a bit ahead of the attacker, at an angle so that he is between the attacker and the goal. This is called getting goalside of the ball.

If at all possible, the defender wants to place himself so that he is turned to face the attacker, because this placement allows him to keep a closer eye on the attacker and make more rapid adjustments so that he can stay in the way of the attacker.

The optimal distance of the defender from the attacker is determined by the attacker's current pace and potential speed. Usually, the defender will want to move within about 2 strides of the attacker or closer - and then maintain this distance by retreating using short quick steps.

Of course, occasions will arise when the attacker already has gotten up to speed, and the defender is not fast enough to get ahead of the attacker, so the defender has no choice but to simply run alongside of the attacker. Training on the ways to handle these situations should come after training on basic placement, positioning and footwork.