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Napoleon used the word "enemy" in the original quote

Defending Coaching Points In Keep Away Games

Keep Away Game teach Defending players the roles of the 1st and 2nd Defenders in Soccer. Players learn that the:

• Defender closest to the Opponent in possession of the ball instantly moves to becomes the 1st Defender.
• Next closest Defender(s) moves to support the 1st Defender and to become the 2nd Defender.

Role of the 1st Defender

In soccer the player closest to the Opponent with the ball becomes the 1st Defender and:

• Instantly Contains (restricts) - The movement of the opponent with the ball by not letting them play the ball towards the goal the defender's team is protecting,
• Pressures - The opponent with the ball to force them to look down and focus on keeping the ball instead of looking for their teammates who may be open for a pass,
• Delays - The ability of the opponent with the ball to move or pass towards the goal the defender's team is defending, so that the defenders teammates have the time to recover and to help defend, 
• Makes Play Predictable - By positioning their body so that shots are from a narrow angle the their keeper can better defend,
• Makes Play Predictable - By position their body so that passes to the best opponents or  opponents in the "best position(s)" are not possible and only weaker opponent(s) are open for a pass. When the weaker opponents have the ball you usually get it back faster.
• Takes The Ball - If the opponent with the ball puts the ball in a position where they can take it, the 1st Defender takes the ball,
• Waits For Support - Unless the opponent with the ball is shooting waits for support from their teammates (for a teammate to be playing between them and the goal who can defend if the 1st Defender is beaten) before taking a chance to win the ball.
• Denies Service - In soccer "service" is a pass by the 1st Attacker to an attacking teammate in a "better position" than they are in (usually so the receiving player can take a shot on goal).
• Denies Shot - If opponent with the ball is shooting, from a place and distance where they should score, does everything to deny the shot even if their teammates have not had time to recover to help them.

Role of the 2nd Defender(s)

The soccer the next closest players automatically become 2nd Defender(s) (supporting defenders) and:

• Instantly Provide Cover - The closest moves to support their teammate containing the opponent with the ball by playing on a line between the opponent with the ball and the center of the goal. 
• Becomes 1st Defender - If the 1st Defender is beaten the 2nd Defender providing cover moves to become the new 1st Defender against the opponent with the ball. (The beaten 1st Defender recovers to become the 2nd Defender providing cover (support) for the new 1st Defender.)
• Instantly Provides Balance - The 1st Defender "Contains" the 1st Attacker with the ball and the closest 2nd Defender provides "Cover". The next closest 2nd Defender provides "Balance" by playing to protect against attacks by any opponent running in to receive a pass so they can shoot at the far side of the goal. This Defender positions themselves behind the 1st Defender and to protect the far side of the goal.
• behind the 1st Defender and 8 meters wide of the 2nd Defender providing "Cover"
• Marking - The 2nd Defender providing cover may also need to mark (guard) a teammate of the player with the ball who is open to receive a pass,
• Marking - All other teammates of the 1st Defender also become supporting Defenders and mark (guard) opponents to whom the ball can be passed or who can move into open spaces where the ball can be passed to them.
• Deny Passing Lanes - All defending players should also position their bodies to deny passes by the opponent with the ball to opponents in a "better position" to attack and score. (If more than one opponent is open to receive a pass the opponent is the best position to score should be marked (guarded) and opponents who are not in a good position to score or who are not as dangerous should be covered by other defending teammates), 
• Denies Service - In soccer "Service" is a pass by the 1st Attacker to an attacking teammate in a "better position (usually so the receiving player can take a shot on goal).
• Making Play Predictable - All 2nd Defenders should also position their bodies so that the actions of the opponent they are marking become so predictable their teammates can read what will happen next in the game.
  
• Making Play Predictable - All 2nd Defenders should also position their bodies so that passes to the best opponents are not possible and only passes to weaker opponent(s) are possible. When the weaker opponents have the ball you usually get it back faster.

Defending in Keep Away

1st Defender
The 1st Defender in Keep Away instantly acts to deny passes to as many attacking players as possible, usually all the attacking players to one side. The decision of which side is influenced by:

• Passing Foot - If the attacker with the ball can only pass with the instep or outside of their right foot, for example, passing to their right is easier. Denying passes to the right side forces them to either pass with their left foot or to turn to pass to their left with their right foot. Opponents passing to their left with their right foot must turn their body to the left which gives the defender a chance to win the ball.
• Surface of Foot - If the attacker with the ball can only pass with the inside of their right foot, for example, passing with the inside of their right foot to teammates to their left will be easier. Denying passes to the left side will force the opponent with the ball to try to pass with the inside of their right foot to their teammates on the right side. When an opponent must turn their body to pass to teammate one side of them the defenders can read their body language and know what direction they will be passing in.
• Quality of Receiving Player(s) - If the best attackers are on one side the 1st Defender should deny passes to that side, so that the opponent with the ball must pass to weaker opponents on the other side. When weaker players receive the ball the most, the defenders have a higher chance of winning the ball back.

2nd Defender(s)
The 2nd Defender(s) support the 1st Defender and:

• Deny Through Passes - In soccer the 1st and 2nd Defenders want to deny long "through passes" to opponents closer to the goal their team is defending. In Keep Away games without goals the Defenders try to deny passes to the other side of the playing area. Passes to the other side force the Defenders to run more, tire faster and to make more errors. To deny "through passes" the Defenders usually play close enough to each other that the ball can not be passed between them and close enough to the 1st Attacker that the ball can't easily be chipped over them to an open Attacker on the other side.
  
• Deny Passing Lanes - In Keep Away the 1st Defender usually denies passes to one side and the 2nd Defender plays slightly behind and just off of the 1st Defender's shoulder that is closest to the open players on the other side. The 2nd Defender denies passes to as many opponents as possible.
• Deny Service - In soccer "service" is a pass by the 1st Attacker to an attacking teammate who is in a "better position". In Keep Away the 1st and 2nd Defenders want to "Deny Service" passes to the better attacking players and to attacking players in a good position to score. Denying service to better players usually means that weaker players will be open. In Keep Away and training more passes to the players who most need improvement gives experience to the players who need it the most. In games more passes to weaker players usually mans you win the ball back faster.

Coaching Points Menu

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Attacking Coaching Points
    Attacking Versus 1 Defender
    Attacking Versus 2 Defenders
Defending Coaching Points