Defensive Principles

Every sports team needs principles so that the players and coaches understand what their team stands for and what their team represents. This offers a sense of guidance and direction for the team and how they conduct themselves for everything that they do. Embedded in this, teams need tactical principles that are implemented and taught by the coaches. Today, we will endeavor to discuss the THREE defending principles that can be easily used in ANY team sport. Here they are from 1-3.

#1) DENY -> This principle is all about not allowing your opponent access to penetrate into your defensive zone. This involves denying shots towards your own goal. Players must be ready to step in the way of shots and block-off shooting lanes towards the net. This defending principle also involves taking away, from your opponent, their opportunity to penetrate into open space. This is prevented by taking proper angles towards the playing object (ball, puck, disc, etc) and taking proper defending angles when approaching an attacker. Broadly, this principle involves denying your opponent space/time itself. In essence, don't give your opponent time to do as they please when in possession - force them to make a decision. Lastly, this principle encompasses that as a defensive unit, the players should look to take away the most threatening angle towards their own goal. This is done by stopping the most immediate threat - this is the person who possesses the playing object.

#2) RESTRICT -> This principle essentially means "bend, but don't break". Here, defensive players should restrict the forward progress of any attacking player (i.e.- close down space, use fair and just body contact, and take proper defensive pursuit towards the attacker). Restricting your opponent from a defensive perspective also means that players should restrict how much space the opposing team/players have when they possess the playing object. The more time the opposing team has, the more likely it is that they will make a proper decision and put your defense on the back-foot. Lastly, defensive players should restrict the first/most immediate pass. The person in possession of the playing object is, of course, the most immediate threat, but the first and most direct pass that the player in possession can make (often passing forward) is indeed the most threatening pass as the ball moves closer to your goal instead of further away.

#3) PREDICT -> This principle is all about making sport-related guesses and taking small calculated risks. Players will often telegraph where they are going, where they will be passing, and when they will be shooting unless of course, they are incredibly deceptive with their body movement. Here, defensive players should look to predict the most obvious action of the attacking player (i.e.- what is the easiest pass they will make? Where is the space that they are likely going to move into? Which angle will they take to move forward? etc). Additionally, defensive players should predict the PLAYER rather than the PLAYING OBJECT. The reason for this is because if a player predicts the playing object, they will find themselves chasing the object rather than maintaining good defensive position. Additionally, the playing object can take deflections, weird bounces, and go in different directions than originally intended. If you predict the playing object, you may find yourself on your heels sooner than later. If defenders predict what the attacking player might do, it may be more beneficial as defensive-minded players can often read what an attacking player is intending to do. Look at the attacking player's chest, hips, arms, legs, and feet - The opposing player's body shape and movement often will allow a defensive player to predict more precisely what their next action might be. Lastly, defensive players should predict the opposing player's intention and react when and if the opposing player makes a mistake.

We have now learned all of the defensive principles that coaches should implement into their sports teams. It's important that these principles, and principles alike, are not just verbalized by coaches, but REINFORCED time-and-time again. If you want to keep points off of the scoreboard, these defensive principles are a sure-fire way to aid your team in excellent defensive solidarity. Best wishes to all coaches and players. It's time to stop attackers in their tracks!