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How to shield the ball

Soccer (Individual Skills) / Popular

Use your body to protect possession under pressure.

What coaches agree on

  • Get your body between the ball and the defender: stand side-on with the ball on your far foot and your arm out to feel where they are and hold them off.
  • Keep the ball moving with quick touches instead of standing over it; small constant movement makes you harder to dispossess and can drag the defender out of position.
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  • Shielding is meant to be brief: hold the ball for just a few seconds to buy time until you can pass to a teammate, spin away, or advance.

Common mistakes

  • Standing upright instead of bending the knees and getting low is the single most common way players get knocked off the ball, since it kills their balance and lets the defender push straight through.
  • Overusing the arm, by grabbing the defender, shoving them, or reaching it too far from the body, risks conceding a foul instead of simply holding position legally.