With little regard for their own safety, center backs use their impressive physique and brilliant reading of the game to position themselves in the right spots to clear dangerous balls.

In years gone by, center backs were only expected to help the goalkeeper keep a clean sheet…

But in the modern game, center backs are also expected to be great on the ball and contribute to the team’s buildup play by passing the ball around at the back and keeping possession.

This requires 100% focus throughout the game to be prepared for anything.

Being such crucial position to the team’s success, it can be an intimidating position to play…

But helping to lead the team to victory with a clean sheet is incredibly rewarding.

First up, let’s talk about the key traits a center back must have...

 

7 Traits of a Great Soccer Center back

Keeping a clean sheet and protecting the team’s lead is easier said than done.

With the game being played at lightning-fast pace, center backs need to be switched on and focused for the full 90 minutes.

Any split-second lapse in concentration can result in the a quick goal or two being scored and the game’s momentum being put in favour of the opposition.

Here are a few traits of great center backs...

1. Fearless Bravery

Center backs need to be prepared to put their body on the line and do anything possible to stop the ball from getting into the back of the net.

This requires bravery to head away dangerous crosses.

If they see a ball they believe they can clear, they must be willing to sacrifice themselves for the team and not shy away from potential contact.

2. Able to Read the Game and Take Up Great Positioning

It’s the center back’s positioning and ability to read the game which will have the biggest effect on limiting the opposition’s goal scoring abilities.

By knowing where to be at all times, the center back ensures no opposition player has time or space to take a high-percentage shot in front of goal.

Moving in tandem with the fullbacks and picking up the right opposition player will constrict the space and prevent any dangerous attacks from happening.

Being able to read the game will help them arrive at the ball before their opponents.

3. Communication Skills to Work With Teammates

One of the keys to success is communication.

Fantastic positioning counts for nothing if their teammate is playing everyone onside.

Center backs need to remain in constant communication with the fullbacks, goalkeeper, and the central midfielders on the team.

One of their core responsibilities is to organise the defense and call players back when necessary. Making sure the team is working as a unit down back.

4. Able to Maintain Complete Focus

With the opposition’s strikers buzzing around the box, dropping into space, and looking to bring their midfielders into the play…

Center backs need to stay focused for the entire duration of the match to keep a clean sheet.

It’s a tough ask, but a single lapse of focus leading to a mistake can spell disaster for the team.

By communicating and working in tandem with the rest of the defence, the center backs will force themselves to remain focused and keep their eyes on the end goal.

5. Elite Decision-Making Skills

If the opposition does manage to get into a dangerous position, the center back must know whether to make a challenge or whether to stay stay on their feet and wait for support.

In the heat of the game, these are difficult decisions to make.

Great center backs allow their experience and intuition they’ve built up over many years to take over and guide them to the right decision.

Once they’ve made a decision, they must fully commit to it.

Any hesitation will usually end up with the opposition gaining an advantage and kicking the ball straight past the keeper.

6. Time Tackles and Headers to Perfection

Timing tackles correctly is important to avoid giving away stupid fouls and to win the ball back when the opposition is advancing into dangerous territory.

This requires center backs to be patient and wait for the perfect opportunity to put in a tack or to challenge for a header.

If they time it wrong, the opposition will skip past them and move quickly towards goal.

7. Have a Great Physique

Dominating the center back position involves both outthinking and outmuscling the opponent.

It’s both physically and mentally challenging.

To add to the difficulty, center backs must be ready to compete against any type of player they come up against on game day.

This could be a player with elite speed or a dominant target man.

A great physique with a level head will allow the center back to use their body as a weapon to outmuscle the opposition or to outpace them in a one-on-one.

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The Roles and Responsibilities of a Center back in Soccer

Although they are primarily responsible for helping the team keep a clean sheet, the modern-day center back has a number of other duties they have to perform if the team is to have any kind of success.

Let’s talk about what they are…

1. Help Keep Possession Within the Team

Center backs are often used to switch the ball from side to side.

They will often receive the ball back from a teammate and then pass it on to the fullbacks who will then carry the ball up field.

Doing this effectively requires good skills on the ball and being able to pass quickly and accurately while under pressure.

Depending on their level of skill, at times the center back can carry the ball upfield themselves and break through the press of the opposition’s strikers.

Just make sure not to overcomplicate things as one mistake can result in disaster.

 

2. Help the Team Keep a Clean Sheet

As the last line of defence, the center back’s primary objective during every game is to help keep a clean sheet and prevent the opposition from scoring.

This requires them to work well within the team alongside the keeper, fullbacks, and central midfielders.

For example…

When the ball is in the air, one center back should challenge the striker by jumping up for the header while the other falls back ready to clear the ball to safety if it drops to them.

Or, if the ball is played in behind the defense, the center backs need to be prepared to race the striker to the ball and arrive before them.

3. Keep Everyone on the Same Page

As mentioned earlier, to keep a clean sheet the center backs should help organise their teammates and also remain in constant communication with them.

This helps the fullbacks and midfielders in front know what’s going on and whether they should drop back or push forward.

By talking to the keeper, the center backs can avoid mistakes from occurring by clearly communicating their intentions.

Their organisation skills are particularly important when the team is attempting to play the opposition offside.

 

4. Win Their One-on-One Battles

While center backs can have different attributes, they are usually physically dominating as they need to battle the opponent’s strikers throughout the match.

As a physically demanding position, center backs need to be tough and strong to compete.

This will give them the tools they need to make great tackles and go in strong to challenge for headers when the time requires it.

 

5. Never Losing Focus

We talked about this before, but it needs repeating...

With so many possible situation arising, center backs need to be switched on for the entire duration of the match.

Any lapse in concentration can lose the team their clean sheet.

Center backs must be constantly alert to the movements of the striker they’re marking and also tracking where the ball is and where it could end up.

On top of this, they need to be watching out for any players sprinting from deep into the box.

They will then be able to anticipate the ball flight and judge whether to make a challenge or stick with the player they’re currently marking.

6. Put the Opponent Off Their Game 

Center backs should also be knowledgeable of the ‘dark arts’ of the game…

This will help them to win their one-on-one duels by throwing the opponent off their game.

For example, putting in a couple of heavy tackes right at the start of the game lets the striker know that they’re going to be in for a tough match.

And by sticking close to the striker and not giving them a moment to think, the center back’s close attention can irritate the striker.

At time, centerbacks may also need to commit strategy fouls which help the team reset and regain their shape.

7. Provide an Aerial Threat in the Box During Corners

The only attacking duty of a center back is during corners when they are expected to push up and use their aerial skills in the opponent’s box.

While their giant leap and towering height is useful defensively, it can also be an attacking threat when corners are whipped into the box.

Then it’s straight back to defence!

5 Tips for a Soccer Center back

Due to the chaos of a fast-paced game like soccer, a center back needs to stay disciplined and focused throughout the game to keep a clean sheet.

To assist them on the journey to dominating the center back position, here are a few tips that will definitely improve their performance…

1. Get in Sync as an Entire Unit

We’ve talked a lot about winning one-on-one battles in this article, but understanding how to play as part of a unity is just as important.

Improving the individual skills will make no difference if he/she isn't able to work in sync with the other players around the center back on the pitch.

Team defensive stability is key.

Practice working alongside the teammates so that they can start functioning as one, stepping up in sync to play the opposition striker offside.

With a lot of practice, it will soon become second nature.

2. Become a Master Reader of the Game

Having the skills to read the game and understand where to be at any given time is an important part of playing the center back position.

These skills come to a player with time and experience on the pitch as well as study.

Two easy things players can do:

Attempt to predict where the ball will end up every time you play and train.

Study the positioning of the favorite players.

These are both important for growth and development.

 

3. Evaluate and Understand Your Enemy

Deep knowledge of the opponent is important.

If the player competed against them before, he/she should know how they like to play and which moves they are most likely to attempt on the pitch.

If the player hadn’t, should try to work this out as soon as possible.

Armed with that information, the player can force the opposition towards their weaknesses and away from their strengths.

4. Practice Tackling and Defending One-on-One Situations

A key attribute of a center back is the ability to win a tackle cl4. Practice Tackling and Defending One-on-One Situationseanly and fairly.

This requires practicing her/his tackling to make sure that he/she wins the ball the majority of the times you contest an opponent.

Once again, timing is key.

Be patient and stay on the feet for as long as possible before judging the most opportune moment to strike and put in the tackle.

To practice, defend one-on-one against strikers with a variety of skill sets during training.

The more he/she do this, the better she/he will get.

Since it’s such a physically demanding position, a great way to improve as a center back is to simply work on the physical abilities.

While understanding the game and what positions to fill takes a significant amount of time, the center back can work on the body and see improvements in a very short space of time.

Here are a few things he/she can do:

Increase the muscle mass to better compete with large, strong strikers.

Develop the leaping ability to win more headers.

Improve eating habits to shed weight and increase speed.

These are all simple things to do, but they require a large amount of dedication!

 

Conclusion

A mentally tough center back who fears no striker is needed for long-term success.

Being able to consistently battle away possession from an opposing striker and then calmly pass the ball on to the midfielders in front is a rare but important skill.

They inspire teammates by putting their body on the line during crucial moments in the match to head the ball away from danger.

As we can tell, center backs lead by example.

By training hard, preparing his/her-self for anything, and following the advice above, your kid will soon notice he/she is reading the ball much better and the skills are improving daily.

Source: http://www.soccercoachingpro.com

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