SCW’s consultant coach Carl Wild provides a first-timer’s guide to regaining possession with a tackle - including the right body position and using contact.
When a player is challenging for the ball, they are attempting to take it from an opponent.
A successful challenge can result in a player fully winning the ball and gaining possession, see the ball go out of play or become available for any player to collect.
It does not necessarily have to result in a change of possession, though this is, of course, the ideal outcome.
The main purpose of challenging is to steal the ball from the opposition. After all, if the opposition does not have the ball, they cannot score.
There are also more nuanced reasons why we challenge.
To stop the opposition progressing
In some situations, a player challenging for the ball will prevent their opponent from advancing and penetrating a defensive line.
In this particular situation, the challenge also allows the team to remain compact and ‘in shape’.
If an opponent is able to bypass a player, it will often result in a team-mate having to vacate their position to engage the opposition player with the ball, resulting in gaps in the defensive lines.
To prevent a shot on goal
In other situations, a challenge can stop an opponent from having a shot on goal.
When this happens, there is even less emphasis on winning the ball - the main focus is to prevent a possible goal from being scored.
This may result in a player taking more of a risk when making the challenge due to the urgency of the situation. This type of challenge is often referred to as "emergency defending" and can often result in a player blocking rather than challenging.
Although the player may take more of a risk in these instances, it is essential that they are also careful in their actions, as an incorrect challenge can result in a foul being committed.
If that happens inside the penalty area, it will give the chance they are trying to prevent back to the opposition.
To create a transition
The desired outcome when making a challenge is not to just remove the ball from the opposition, but to complete a full transition of possession.
Doing so can provide an effective platform to start an attack, in the same way that an interception can.
"If the player focuses on the opponent, it will be easy for them to be deceived..."
Given that the opposition are set up to retain possession and maintain the attack, if the ball can be taken from them and used quickly, the fact that they are not organised defensively can be exploited.
It is essential that players learn how to challenge for the ball in the right way.
If players execute a challenge incorrectly, it can result in either the player committing a foul or their opponent getting past them.
Get in position
Before attempting to challenge for the ball, the player needs to ensure that the opponent is not able to beat them. They do this by getting in the right position.
An individual press leads up to a challenge. When pressing, players should remember the four Ss:
Challenging is essentially the final stage, or the ‘show down’ element, of a press.
Concentrate on the ball
Once they are in the correct position to attempt to take possession away from their opponent, a player must fully concentrate on the ball.
If the player making the challenge focuses on their opponent instead, it will be easy for them to be deceived by some form of skill or feint.
It is important that a challenging player remains balanced with a stable foundation. If their opponent is successful in shifting the player’s body weight one particular way, the attacker is then in a position to exploit the space in the opposite direction and get past the defender.
Therefore, the player making the challenge needs to concentrate on the ball and not be distracted by movements, or false movements, of their opponent.
Look for an opportunity
Once in the correct position and fully focused on the ball, the next step is for the player to look for an opportunity to win the ball.
There is not a definitive list of triggers that coaches or players should use, but there are definitely some specific prompts that can be looked for.
One of these is a touch of the ball from the opponent that does not go where they wanted it to; for instance, away from them and towards the defender.
Such a touch will provide a defensive player with an opportunity to get to the ball either just before or at the same time as their opponent, giving them a chance to win possession.
Another prompt is when the attacking player attempts to move with the ball into another space. This can provide the player wanting to win the ball with an opportunity to step across into that space and block it.
They will also be in a strong position to take possession away from their opponent as they will be positioned in a solid stance, while the attacking player is on the move.
Make physical contact
Once the player actually challenges for the ball, they need to be prepared to make physical contact with their opponent.
To give themselves the best possible chance to win the ball, they need to ensure their full body weight is behind the tackling foot, keeping the knee and ankle locked.
Doing so will provide the player with a strong platform as well as the power and strength to be the winner in a duel for possession of the ball.
In some instances, other parts of the body can be used while challenging. For instance, when coming from the side, an arm across the opponent’s body can be used to slow down their momentum and help produce the strength needed to take the ball away from them.
Another way in which a player can challenge for the ball and take it away from an opponent is through a ‘pinch’.
Here, there is less emphasis on trying to win the ball off the opponent for yourself - the focus is simply to make sure they no longer have it.
There is no need for strength or power, but the timing does have to be perfect. The player needs to identify the correct time where they can get a toe on the ball to push it away from their opponent.
This form of challenging usually occurs in dangerous situations, such as when the opponent is close to the goal or when the opponent is on the move and it is difficult to get close enough to them to be able to fully challenge for the ball.
Challenging for the ball is usually the final element of the defending process, stopping the opposition and gaining possession.
There are other ways in which this can be done – intercepting or forcing a mistake, for example – but being able to challenge for the ball is arguably the most important element of individual defending.
When a player challenges for the ball, it is because they are in a 1v1 battle and know that if they lose that encounter, their direct opponent will be able to advance towards goal.
A team-mate will then need to leave their space to engage this opponent, leaving gaps in the defensive structure. Therefore, the ability to challenge for the ball is an essential element that a player needs to be able to complete successfully.
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