Basic Soccer Fundamentals: Shielding the Ball

While soccer can be a very aggressive and offensive style sport, there are some times when taking the defense is a better approach. Knowing how to shield the ball to prevent the other team from gaining control of the ball is very important. Here are some of the basics to get you started.

Shielding the Ball

When you have possession of the ball, you often have to make decisions on what to do with it. You may find yourself against a defender that is bigger or faster than you. Or there might be so much traffic of other players ahead that it does not make sense to keep going forward and you want to pass the ball to a team mate. Or you may be on the defensive side of the field, and are afraid of losing possession in a position that would allow the other team to score. The goal with shielding is to put your body in between your opponent and the ball, so that you have time to pass the ball or take advantage of a defender’s mistake and get past them.

The first rule of learning how to shield the ball is to always avoid turning your back to an incoming defender. You need to be able to see what your opponent is doing otherwise you may find it very difficult to hang on to the ball. Keep one shoulder pointed at your opponent at all times.

The second rule of learning how to shield the ball is to always be the one in control of the situation. If your opponent is coming in hard, it is often a good idea to be the one that makes the first contact. Otherwise, you risk losing control of the ball. If you feel you are losing control, look for a teammate that is open to take a pass.

Thirdly, when learning how to shield the ball, make sure that you are playing aggressively. Soccer can be a contact sport, and it is ok to use arms, shoulders, body and legs to block an opponent, as long as you do not kick or push. You cannot be afraid to hold your ground or use your body to block.

Practicing Shielding

To practice shielding, you should start by pairing teammates up. One person should be the shielding, and the other person trying to get the ball. The shielding player has the ball to the outside, not between their legs. The person shielding will want to get down low, in almost a sitting position – not standing almost straight up. This will help protect the ball and keep it from being stolen by an opponent. Arms should be held up and away from the body – not tucked in close. Be careful not to push the opposing player. Without a ball, have the players practice the stance and trying to get into each other’s space.

To advance the drill, introduce the ball. With the players in the same positions, have the shielding player hold off the opponent by moving the ball around with the outside of their foot and the inside of their foot, but without moving their position on the field. Switch whenever the opponent is able to steal the ball.

Once both players have had the opportunity to defend the ball a few times, add in a support player. The player shielding the ball holds off the defender as long as possible, but if it gets to difficult then they can pass to their support player. If this happens, have the opponent run and touch a target, such as a cone set up a few yards away, and come back. At the return, the support player must immediately pass the ball back to the original shielding player. Alternate the players’ positions so that everyone gets a chance to play all three spots.

To make the drill more difficult, share one support player between two players who are shielding the ball. This forces the players to strategically plan when they will pass the ball back, and the support player has to hustle back and forth deciding which player needs more assistance.

Learning good shielding techniques is just a matter of practice. Do some drills everyday, and pretty soon your whole team will be shielding pros.