Soccer Marking System - Zonal vs Man to Man Defense

soccer marking system
When do we use defensive systems? First off, defensive marking systems in soccer cannot be applied under every condition.


If the defense is under severe threat or is outnumbered, there is no point in talking of zonal or personal defense. When a team is defending a set piece or is in close proximity to its own goal, the rules of defensive systems no longer apply. In those cases, one must emphasize on good individual positioning and intelligent decision-making. For example, if a defense is outnumbered 3 to 2, the fullbacks need to be thinking of how to delay the opposition.

Zonal defending is based on the idea that the defenders should move as a unit. Each one has a (more or less) definite position or role in the defensive formation. If the players shift around in the course of a play, the formation's shape must remain the same. Zonal defense is a very energy-efficient way of pressing the ball.

The main principle of zonal defense is that all the fullbacks move uniformly as a block (this is where the term Block defending comes from.) In the diagram below, we can see how a zonal defense might deal with an enemy attack. By staying in compact form, the fullbacks make it very difficult for their opponents to play the ball directly through the middle. In the second part of the diagram, you can see how the defensive block of players shifts when the ball is passed to the opposite flank. Notice that when attacker 1 moves across the defensive line, he is not followed by defender A, even although he is closest to him. This is another important principle of playing Block defense: players should never cross or make runs in front of each other. This is very important for the two stoppers who constantly have to adjust and make sure that the ball can never be played between them. The third part of the diagram shows how the system works when the ball is in the middle of the pitch. At this moment, the defensive block is centered and has left both flanks uncovered. Fullbacks playing on the outside need to be especially cautious when the ball is in the middle. Take for example the gaping angle left by defenders C and D. There either needs to be pressure on the ball when the opponents have it in the middle or the outside defenders will have to retrieve.

Zonal defenses use a fairly simple rotation system, as you'll se in the following play. Defender A has just been beaten by Attacker 1. The nearest defender to the ball (B) immediately puts pressure on the ball (Attacker 1.) Steps 2 and 3 show how the entire defensive line shifts over in direction of the ball. More precisely, they exchange their marks in a way which preserves the team formation. The beaten Defender A runs behind the defensive line as soon as he can (Step 5.) From that position, it is easy for him to cover (Step 6) holes (Step 4) left by "the shift."

The man-to-man defense (also known as personal defense) is a method used by teams to apply collective pressure on the ball. Every defender has an individual mark, a designated enemy player with who they stick. The main advantage of man-to-man defense is that it gives the coach, the ability to control over who his defenders mark. He can easily match up his own personnel according to the enemy.

In the below play, Attacker 1 has just beaten Defender A. At this point (Step 1) Defender A is out of the play so his nearest teammate (B) is supposed to put pressure on the ball. The problem is that Defender B is already marking Attacker 2. Notice how Defender B positions himself so that he is covering both Attackers 1 and 2. This process buys time for the beaten Defender 1 to recover (Step 3) and pick up Attacker 2, who most likely would go forward (Step 2) once his marker has left him. Another important thing to notice is that the two far-sided defenders drop back as soon as Defender A gets beaten. This ensures that they can provide potential backup (in case Defender B gets beaten as well.)

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