Wherever a free-kick is conceded on the pitch, this can be dangerous for the defending side. Obviously, free-kicks in and around the penalty area are more dangerous than those conceded further up the pitch. However, players still need to be conscious of the threat from a quickly taken free-kick, even in the opposition's half. Defending layers can be out of position and even caught arguing with the referee and decent opposition will take advantage of this. Players should challenge the kick (standing in front of the ball) as well as immediately taking up positions where both attackers and space can be successfully marked. Similar disciplined procedures must be employed when defending direct and indirect free-kicks in the final defending third of the pitch.

Indirect free-kicks in the defending third: If an indirect free-kick is conceded just outside the penalty area, a defensive wall should be set up as in the case of a direct free-kick (detailed description below) and all the defenders must have pre-defined tasks and positions. Defenders should always be aware in this situation that the ball must be played another attacker in order to shoot. Thus, they should aim to cut down the shooting space and angle as quickly as possible.

If the indirect free-kick is positioned inside the penalty area which is rare, then all eleven players should be brought back to defend. If the the free-kick is less than ten yards from the goal line, then all defenders should position themselves on the goalline, with the goalkeeper in the centre of the goal. As soon as the ball is touched, all the defenders should move towards the ball in an effort to block any shot at goal. The goalkeeper may be advised to stay on his line in case the shot finds a way through. In this situation, the defenders need to be brave and determined.

Direct free-kicks in the defending third: Having conceded the free-kick, the first step is to make sure every player is involved has a clearly defined role and takes up their position quickly and calmly. This should become second nature through training. For free-kicks near to the penalty area it is advisable to set up a defensive wall of players to protect part of the goal. Whose task is it to build and direct the wall ? If the goalkeeper takes charge, he needs to stand at a post and will leave a large part of the goal exposed to a quickly taken shot and he may also lose sight of the ball. It may be better to allow an outfield player to direct operations using pre-determined hand signals. Their is absolutely no point in trying to position the wall closer to the free-kick. The referee will no doubt move it back disrupting the positioning and leading to the possibility of being cautioned.

The designated player should make sure that one player is placed in line with the post farthest from the keepers position. The players who will make up the wall need to be already pre-planned. The tallest player should go in line or even slightly further past the post to prevent the ball being bent over the wall. The rest of the players should be positioned next to the tallest player according to their size - tallest - on outside to smallest - on inside. It is also important where possible to leave defenders out of the wall as they will be better employed defending in their normal positions.

Another important point is the number of players in the wall. This depends on the positions and distance of the free-kick. More players, say four or five are useful in central positions just on the edge of the penalty area. For free-kicks at the side, one to three defenders may be sufficient. Goalkeepers should not be tempted to pack the wall as too many players will block their view of the ball and may not leave enough players to mark their opponents and cover to space. However many players are used, the goalkeeper should always be in a position where he can see the ball. Figure 3 demonstrates the correct positioning and number of players in a wall for a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area. We can see how all areas of the goal are protected. Note that it is unwise to place players on the goal line to block the shot as this will allow the opposition to take up deep attacking positions without the fear of being caught offside.

The players in the wall must be positioned close together and protect themselves by crossing their arms in front of their lower abdomen as well as slightly bowing their heads to protect their faces. They should avoid linking arms as this lowers protection and makes it harder to break out of the wall. When the attacker strikes the free-kick, the defenders in the wall should avoid jumping as the shot may be played underneath leaving the goalkeeper no chance. The wall should only break once the kick has been taken. One player positioned to the side of the wall, may attack the ball to try to put the attacker off his kick. The wall should attack the ball as a group to narrow the shooting angle.

Concentrating on creating a wall is not the only important factor to be respected when defending free-kicks in and around the penalty area. Correctly marking space and opponents is required and depends on the position of the free-kick. Teams should bring back all their players to defend and have drilled everyone in training on their defensive roles. Figures 4 & 5 give an idea of how to defend during such situations.

Free-kick situation 2:
Firstly, we can see that all the opposition forwards are marked.
The goalkeeper is positioned to see the ball and cover the far post.
Player 1 has two aims, to block any shot aimed at the far post and to cover the space behind him.
Player 2 aims to defend a cross to the back post.
Player 3 aims to pressure the kicker and block any shot.
Player 4 in the wall must stand his ground and prevent the attacker next to him pushing him
to create extra space to bend the shot around the wall.

Free-kick situation 3:
Only 2 defenders are needed in the wall.
Here, the defence has 4 defenders covering the back post area in case the ball is crossed (a
cross is often hit to this area from the side of the penalty area).
2 defenders are covering the central area.
1 defender is covering the central area on the edge of the penalty area.
Finally, 1 defender is positioned next to the wall to cover if the ball is played sideways to
make a better shooting angle.

To coach and organise free-kicks practice, the coach should employ similar methods to those used for corners. Also, make sure all players are involved in the practice. It may be useful prior to practice, to utilise a tactical blackboard to explain player roles. Practice free-kicks without and then with opposition and from different positions and distances from goal. When a 11-a-side game is played in training, the coach may want to stop the game from time to time and award a free-kick to analyse the player's reactions and the way they carry out their tasks.

There are several important points at all levels of the kick that the coach must observe and analyse.

Positions & numbers: Analyse the positions of the goalkeeper, the wall and the other free defenders. Is there the right number of defenders in the wall and are they positioned correctly (tallest-smallest) in relation to the free-kick ? Who is in charge of setting the wall up ?

Marking: Analyse the marking of space and opponents by each free defender. Is the marking tight or is the player often caught ball-watching ?

Technique: Are the defenders protecting themselves correctly ? Do they stay still in the wall or do they jump to block the kick ? Is there a free defender who puts pressure on the kicker and tries to block the kick ?

Mental: Evaluate the capacity of the players to adapt to the different free-kicks. Are they determined in challenging for the ball and is the communication and discipline good ?

Players often lose their concentration when the ball is cleared out for a throw-in. The coach must instil in his players that they immediately take up their defensive roles and not lose mental concentration when the ball goes over the touchline. All the attacking players must be tightly covered in the vicinity of the ball including the player taking the throw-in. The player receiving the ball should be placed under immediate pressure. Younger defenders should be taught that a player receiving the ball direct from a throw, can move in from an offside position.

Many teams use the long throw when in a deep attacking position. On these occasions defenders should mark the player who is about to receive the throw-in from both in front and behind. The defender in front should try to jump and win the ball - he will also restrict the attackers view. The goalkeeper should position himself in the front half of the goal to increase his chances of directly intercepting the throw-in. All other players should get back into their own penalty area, in order to leave as little space as possible for attackers and to have strength in numbers.

Finally, a defender can stand in front of the thrower and jump to make him throw the ball higher which is less dangerous for the defence. The major advantage the defence has over the attack is the lack of surprise as all the defenders can see the throw coming. Figure 6 shows the possible defensive positioning and marking of a team (in red) at a long throw-in, respecting the above points. Here space and man-to-man marking is used.

There is a simple but effective rule to respect during a penalty kick. The fastest defenders should position themselves where the "D" line crosses the line of the penalty area in order to be first to the ball in case of a rebound or save. Also, equally position the defenders around the penalty area in order to have every area covered.

At all levels of football, it is well known that teams having just scored a goal, temporarily lose their concentration and the resulting kick-off can lead to a goal being conceded. Similarly, at the beginning of the game, a team can also be caught cold. This demonstrates the need for good concentration in defence. A team should not give away the tactical advantage of having all it's players in it's own half. It is advisable to allow only two forwards to attack the man with the ball when the ball is kicked off.. The other players should maintain their positions and concentrate on their defensive tasks. A tactic which can sometimes work involves two players positioned on the halfway line next to the centre circle. As soon as the ball is kicked off, one player attacks the opposition players in the centre circle, whilst the other anticipates that the ball will be played backwards and sprints into the opposition's half to immediately put pressure on the opposition.

As with kick-offs, the major advantage of the defending team at a goal-kick is due to all it's players being positioned on the goal side of the ball. This should guarantee that every opposition player is marked and that no space is left. Players should position themselves whilst the ball is out of play and keep their concentration. Some players may position themselves correctly but lose concentration during the stoppage. Finally, as soon as the ball is kicked, the receiving player must be put under immediate pressure. The best way to evaluate and coach a team in training, is during 11-a-side games. The coach can look at his team's positioning and actions and correct when necessary. Fig 4 shows the possible positioning of a team (in red) at a goal-kick.

Fig 7: Goal-kick situation 1/ The goalkeeper is well positioned to intercept any long pass over the top of his defence. 2/ The two centre-halves are closely marking the opposition forwards. 3/ The two full-backs are not too far forward to be vulnerable due to the space behind them. 4/ The midfield is well-balanced and close to the opposition midfield players. 5/ The two centre-forwards are well positioned to put pressure on both the centre-halves and fullbacks in case the keeper decides to take a short goal-kick.

In conclusion, correct defending at set-plays will reduce the risk of conceding goals. Devoting a great deal of time to practising set plays in training will no doubt help a team. However, there are several important points to be respected:

- All defending players should display strong mental skills: application, discipline, concentration, communication, courage...
- Each player must be assigned and know their own role and tasks and apply themselves 100%.
- The coach should plan each set-play practice session with care and observe and analyse the performances of his players.
- All set play practice sessions should be realistic and include active opposition whenever possible.

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