DEFENDING THE SKILL OF MARKING
The skill of marking is one of the major parts to a defenders game. Being close enough to put pressurer on the striker, but to being to close in the wrong situation. Marking can be a complex organistation of players or as simple as picking the closest individual and staying close to him or her. There are generally 2 different types of marking: 1) Zonal Marking 2) Man Marking. They both have there strengths weaknesses, depending on the squad of players the manager has to work with.
KNOWLEDGE OF THE ATTACKER
This can be vital if want to be effective against an attacker. Remember what this player done to try and get the upper hand in the game last time you played him or her, equally you can watch video footage, ask other people that has seen that particular player play. Having some background information can be the difference between a clean sheet or conceding a goal. Things to look for when analyzing how a player plays are:
- Are they left or right footed.
- Do they drop short to get the ball, more often then going long, or is it the other way around.
- Do they have a favorite trick.
- Is there a pattern in their off the ball runs.
- Do they like to play in the wide channels.
- Do they like to try and beat the offside trap.
- Does the player like to play little filicks
All these can help you identify how a player will perform helping you to be one step ahead of the opposition
PRESSURING
How much pressure you put on an attacker depends on the player it self. How does that player like to play:
- Do they like to use their pace. If so you might want to give that person a yard or 2 extra giving you the extra time to recover if the player tries to make run in behind you.
- Does the player have great amount of skill allowing you pressure tightly, but if you get to close the player has the ability to roll off you.
- If the player get the ball into feet in a big amount of space he may try to turn you because he has no fear of a second defender.
- It important that in tight situations. e.g. in corners, 18 yard box. That you get close to the player that you must mark.
MENTAL ASPECT OF MARKING
As a defender marking you must not panic or make a rash decision. e.g. Not diving into a tackle, not over committing. When defending you cannot get up in the situation diving into a tackle when you should be jockeying. It is important that it stayed calm and make informed decisions. Such as if I launch into this tackle and don't succeed do I have cover. When marking a crafty striker that plays off the shoulder you need to be concentrating all the time as one slipup he will be in behind you. You need to be continually aware of what is going on around you, e.g. what runs strikers are making and are midfielders bombing forward. When defending one-on-one you need to make a decision that both the ball and the man cannot pass together, if under the pump you may need to body check an opponent and pick up smart yellow card that will in the end help your team recover.
ZONAL MARKING
Zonal marking is a complex system with the idea that defenders should move as one. Each defender has a predefined area in which they take priority in. As the team shifts around during general play the formation of the defence stays as a single unit, maintaining their shape. As an individual you are in command of your area and you only need worry about if an opposition player moves into your area, then that player takes your priority. The zonal marking system is based on a foundation that the defensive formation will move as one singular unit. The unit must stay compact, this reduces space for the attacking team to work with giving you an increased chance of winning the ball through pressure. Take note of the Italian teams as they perform this system extremely efficiently. It is important when defending as a unit in the zonal marking system that players do not wonder into other people's areas as this can throw the entire balance of the team out. This system takes a very disciplined team to be able to perform this approach effectively. If performed correctly the zonal marking system can be extremely energy-saving to the defensive team allowing the energy to be used in support and movement when attacking.
MAN MARKING SYSTEM.
The man marking approach is much more reliable in junior and non professional environments. It is relatively easy to execute, when the team loses the ball as an individual you pick up the closest opposition player. It takes great discipline as an individual to perform this, as the game turns into a little one-on-one battle betwen you and your opponent. The advantages of this marking approach is that it easy to see who makes mistakes and where mistakes are coming from, thus making it easier to fix them. It also allows the manager to pick and choose which players mark which opposition players, hopefully resulting in a better match up for your respective team. Put simply the man marking approach means that you pick up the closest player and do not let him beat you or do anything positive that will hurt your team.