how to tackles defender passing ball by attacker

ANSWERS
Cam HughesCoach, England

When attackers press hard, a defender's first job is to buy time, not win the ball outright. Show across the body rather than diving in — that slows the passer down without committing you to a tackle you might lose. If the press is too hot to play through cleanly, a firm clearance down the line or back to your goalkeeper is a good result, not a failure; it gets the danger away from the circle and lets your team reset. Only go to win the ball when you are goal-side and can poke or block it rather than lunge in from the front. In training, build the picture gradually — passive pressure first so defenders learn to read it, then real intensity once they can judge when to delay and when to commit.

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