Defending set pieces

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 5

1. 
   
   Get organised quickly. As soon as the corner is awarded, the whole team should get ready to do their jobs. Use a mixture of man-to-man and zonal marking. The position of your players will be determined by the side that the corner is being taken from, the player who is taking the corner – e.g. right/left foot, in-swinger/out-swinger etc – and the position of your opponents.
   
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2. 
   
   Get your strongest headers of the ball to man-mark the opposition (usually 3-5 players depending on the opposition’s tactics). They should all be just in front of their opponents (goal side) and making sure they are ‘touch tight’, that is close enough to touch them at all times (watch John Terry).
   
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3. 
   
   Put a player on the back post and a player covering the zone at the near post. This player should be half turned so he can see the ball and any opponents who might make a late run into the box. Then put a player in the diagonal space between the front post and the penalty spot (on the six-yard line) to deal with any opposition standing in front of the goalkeeper.
   
   
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4. 
   
   Have two players on the edge of the box marking any opposition in this area, again looking to be half turned, “touch tight” and alert to win the 2nd ball from any clearance. Keep one player up front to provide an outlet if you win possession and to occupy two defenders (this is important when launching a counter attack).
   
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5. 
   
   When the ball comes in, be sharp, react before your opponent and make sure you’re first to the ball. Clear the box well and then make sure you push out as a unit. This will ensure that you do not leave any opponents on-side if you do not retain possession and the ball is played back into your box.
   

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