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Why "Push Up" Soccer Fullbacks?
Why Should Soccer Fullbacks "Defend Deep"?
Should You "Push Up" When You Attack?
Or Should You "Defend Deep", or Something In Between?
Pluses and Minuses

Note From David. When I started coaching Rec youth soccer, the conventional wisdom was that it was best to "Push Up" your Fullbacks when you attacked so they could support the attack and keep opponents away your goal due to the "offside" rule. After all, that is what the "good" teams did. I did that for years. It was only when my U-14 team was soundly beaten by a weaker team that used a smarter formation, a smarter Style of Play, and Defended Deep that I considered changing. (Basically, I was out-coached and it was embarrassing. Fortunately, it caused me to stop being stubborn and opened up my mind to new ideas). It's amazing how we can become set in our ways. At young ages and on short fields, it's easy to get away with Pushing Up slow Fullbacks, but against a smart coach and on a long field, you can get killed if you Push Up slow fullbacks - this may have happened to your team. If you have a U-8 or U-10 team, you can probably get away with Pushing Up, even if you have slow Fullbacks, but keep an open mind because by U-10 or U-12, things might change and you might need to re-evaluate.

When I started pointing out that it wasn't necessarily best for all Rec teams to "Push Up", I was met with great skepticism. Now, so many coaches have benefited from "Defending Deep" that it is much more accepted as a "Style of Play" that works best for some teams. If you decide to Defend Deep, tell the parents why and feel free to refer them to SoccerHelp so they can read the success stories from coaches who have Defended Deep.

Here is the basic way to decide which is best for your team: You should Push Up your Fullbacks if they can Push Up without giving away goals on breakaways. But if the opposing Forwards are faster than your Fullbacks and you are giving up goals on breakaways, then consider some form of Defending Deep, or be more conservative about Pushing Up (perhaps Push Up your Fullbacks to the Penalty Box Line, or to the top of the Penalty Box Arc, or halfway to the Center Circle, or Push Up one and have the others stop at the Penalty Box Line - do what your players can successfully do and what gives your team the best chance of being successful and having fun).

Defending Deep does NOT mean just leaving all your FB's in front of your goal. You should usually have them at least Push Up to the Penalty Box line and you might have one or more of them Push Up farther. How far they should Push Up will depend on circumstances (how good and fast your opponent is and field length) and your player's abilities, speed and stamina. There is more about this below and there are several articles about it on Premium.

Defending Deep allowed my U-14 and U-16 Rec teams to have more fun and we had a great record. As I recall, we only lost 1 game in 2 seasons. Defending Deep and not playing a "controlled passing Style of Play in the Defensive Third" was easier to coach and allowed me to play kids who were slow and unskilled, but brave, at Fullback. To this day (about 8 years later) two of my favorite players of all time are kids who were slow and unskilled, but SOOOO brave. They were kids the other coaches didn't want because they were unathletic, slow and couldn't pass the ball or dribble well. If they Pushed Up, they got killed by Forwards who were twice as fast, or if I asked them to try to play a controlled passing Style of Play, they couldn't. But when they Defended Deep and just cleared the ball straight ahead, they did great and I told my MF's and Forwards that they HAD to win those balls, and that helped them learn to be more aggressive, position better and become better players, rather than waiting for the perfect pass to hit their feet - they had to learn to expect "passes to space" instead of to their feet. My 2 slow Fullbacks were so brave - they never backed down, never gave a clean shot, and took pride in body blocking shots (I would always give them a "blood patch" when they did). I'm proud of the fact that I was able to find a Style of Play that allowed those 2 boys to be successful and have fun and good memories. They would request to be on my team, and I was proud to have them, and we went 15-1 that year. I smile when I think of them. On the other hand, if I had tried to make them play a Style that they just weren't capable of, they would have been unhappy, their teammates would have resented them because they would have turned over the ball a lot, and we would have lost a lot of games.

David at SoccerHelp.

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SoccerHelp Tips

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The following is from Premium Should You "Push Up" When You Attack? Or Should You "Defend Deep"?

"Your advise about not pushing up the fullbacks worked very well. I'm convinced now that, at the recreational level, Pushing Up your defense is very overrated. We had very few goals scored against us when our fullbacks "stayed home." The idea of using Premium practice games during practice, rather than drills, also worked very well. I had a lot more fun coaching this year, and I'm sure the girls had a lot more fun playing." Coach Jack, U-10 and U-14 Girls, Nevada, USA

The term "Push Up" refers to Fullbacks or Midfielders moving forward toward the Halfway Line when you attack, so they can support your attack.

Defending Deep is a more conservative defense than aggressively "Pushing Up". "Defending Deep" refers to leaving your Fullbacks deep on your half of the field, usually within your "Defensive Third" and sometimes within your Penalty Box (you can give them specific boundaries to stay within, such as to not come past the top of the Penalty Box Arc unless it is to kick away a loose ball). "Defending Deep" means to only push up the Fullbacks as far as they can go and still recover - it doesn't mean you have to leave them in the Penalty Box, but that they play conservatively and don't give up goals because they can't recover in time to defend a fast counterattack.

Recreational coaches often believe they must "Push Up" their Fullbacks when they attack because that is what they see Travel Teams and professional teams do; the difference is that Rec teams often have slow Fullbacks who can't run as fast as the opposing Forwards and Pushing Up slow Fullbacks can result in the opponent getting easy goals on breakaways. You can't make slow players become fast. Fullback can be a good spot for slow, brave players who Defend Deep.

There are two reasons to push up your Fullbacks: one is so they are in position to "support" your attack, and the other is to create an "offside trap" that keeps the opposing Forwards away from your goal. The danger of pushing up your Fullbacks is that the opposing Forwards may be faster than your Fullbacks. If they are, your opponent may leave his Forwards near the "halfway line" (or near your Fullbacks) and have his Fullbacks or Midfielders kick "through balls" into the open space between your Fullbacks and your goal, so his fast Forwards can get "breakaways" and easy shots on your goal. The longer the field, the greater the danger, since the "halfway line" is farther from your goal. Pushing up on the attack requires either fast Fullbacks or a great "Sweeper" (a Sweeper is a fast, tough player who plays behind the Fullbacks as the last line of defense, and whose job is to back up the Fullbacks and stop breakaways by kicking the ball away from the opponents).

If you have fast, tough, skillful Fullbacks, you may want to have them "Push Up" when you attack, so they can support your attack. But if the opposing Forwards are faster than your Fullbacks and if there is a risk of giving up goals on "breakaways" before your Fullbacks can "recover" to defend your goal, you will probably be better off to "Defend Deep". The longer the field, the greater the risk is that you will give up breakaways if you Push Up if your opponent has fast forwards -- it is less risky to Push Up on a short field and more risky to Push Up on a long field. It is safer to Push Up against a weak opponent than against a strong opponent who has a fast forward. Your Fullback's stamina is also a consideration -- if they are tired they will react more slowly and it is more dangerous to push them up -- even if you prefer to push them up, during a game you might want to let them Defend Deep some if they are tired. It is less risky to Push Up at young ages and against an unskilled team because young teams are less likely to get breakaways. Play the Style that allows your team to be successful and that your players are capable of playing and can have fun playing -- don't try to make them to do the impossible. An alternative to Pushing Up all your Fullbacks is to leave one behind to Defend Deep while the others Push Up, or to use a formation that includes a designated "Sweeper".

How To Decide How Far To "Push Up" Your Fullbacks To Support Your Attack.

Most teams "Push Up" their Fullbacks some when their attackers have the ball and are attacking on the opponent's half of the field (i.e., when the ball is far enough away from your goal that the opponents can't quickly get into scoring range). "Defending Deep" means to only push up the Fullbacks as far as they can go and still recover - it doesn't mean you have to leave them in the Penalty Box, but that they play conservatively and don't give up goals because they can't recover in time to defend a fast counterattack.

Why Defend Deep? Defending Deep prevents your opponent from beating you with a fast counterattacking style of attack and forces your opponent to play a controlled-passing style of attack, and most Rec teams aren't very good at that.

The question to ask is: How far can your Fullbacks safely Push Up but still recover to be in position to defend your goal if there is a fast counterattack by the opponent? This decision will be based on the speed and awareness of your Fullbacks (by awareness I mean are they paying attention so they can quickly fall back into position if the opponent launches an attack?) and how fast and skillful the opposing Forwards are. At the very least your team might Push Up to the Penalty Box line - that's a good place to start because it's clearly defined, they can see it and stop there. Even Pushing Up to the Penalty Box line or to the top of the Penalty Box Arc gives you some advantage because your Fullbacks are in position to kick away long "through balls".

There is more to this Premium article, including 4 the factors to consider when deciding how far to "Push Up".

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Additional Attacking Links From Premium "Attacking Navigation Page" (there are over 40 articles about attacking on Premium):

Importance of a Realistic Attacking Plan and How To Select an Attacking Style

Attacking Plan

Styles of Play

Positioning Tips for Rec Teams U-8 and Older

Should You Push Up When You Attack?

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DVDs I Recommend: (The links go to the Detailed Review of the DVD)

For U-4, U-6 Coaches: Coach Doug SoccerHelp Method of Coaching Ages 3, 4, 5 & 6 DVD

For How To Teach Skills: Soccer Success One On One Coaching (Basic and Intermediate Skills) DVD, Mia Hamm Soccer Secrets DVD and Gold Star Sleeve Ties, England Skills Uncovered DVD, Training Girls and Women To Win 3-DVD Set

For Motivation, Fun and Foot Skills (experienced and travel players age 9 and older): GOL! (Brazilian Soccer Foot Skills and Ball Control Training) DVD

For Rec Girls: Mia Hamm Soccer Secrets with Gold Star Sleeve Ties

For Moves: Coerver Play Great Soccer 2-DVD Set, GOL! (Brazilian Soccer Foot Skills and Ball Control Training) DVD

For Travel Team Players: GOL! (Brazilian Soccer Foot Skills and Ball Control Training) DVD, Coerver Play Great Soccer 2-DVD Set, England Skills Uncovered DVD, Training Girls and Women To Win 3-DVD Set.

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