The Steering Wheel: How to Force Dribblers Where You Want Them

Imagine a fast attacker is running straight at you. They have the ball. They are looking right at you.

Your brain might tell you to run forward and kick the ball.

Don't do it.

If you rush straight at a player, you are acting like a bulldozer. Bulldozers only move in straight lines. A smart attacker will simply tap the ball to the side and run right past you. You will be left kicking the air.

Instead, you need to use "The Steering Wheel."

This is a simple defending trick. Instead of running at the ball, you use your body shape to steer the attacker exactly where you want them to go.

How to Hold the Steering Wheel

To steer an attacker, you have to change how you stand.

If you stand with both feet on the same line, facing the attacker like a flat wall, you cannot move quickly. The attacker can go left or right, and you will get stuck.

Instead, try this:

1. Put one foot forward and one foot back. Your body should be turned sideways, like you are riding a skateboard or a surfboard.
2. Bend your knees. Get a little bit low to the ground. This helps you balance and move your feet quickly.
3. Angle your hips. Point your chest and your hips toward the sideline, not toward your own goal.

By standing this way, you are blocking one path and opening another. You are telling the attacker: "You cannot go to the middle of the field. But look, there is a nice open path toward the sideline. You should go there."

Most of the time, the attacker will take the invitation. They will run down the path you left open. You have just steered them.

Why the Sideline is Your Best Friend

Why do we want to steer the attacker to the outside?

The middle of the field is dangerous. If an attacker gets into the middle, they can shoot at your goal or pass to many different teammates.

The sideline is safe. When you steer an attacker to the side, three great things happen:

• They run out of room. The white line of the sideline is like a wall. If they touch the ball over the line, the ball is out and your team gets a throw-in.
• They have fewer choices. Near the sideline, they cannot pass to their left (or right) because that space is out of bounds.
• You know where they are going. Since you blocked the middle, you know they have to go down the line. You do not have to guess anymore.

How to Move While Steering

Once the attacker starts running down the side, your job is to run with them. Do not try to kick the ball yet. Just slide sideways. Keep your body between them and your goal. Keep your one-foot-forward stance.

Use these three simple rules to keep control:

• Keep your distance: Stay about one arm's length away. If you get too close, they can push past you. If you stay too far, they can easily kick the ball around you.
• Watch the ball, not the body: Attackers will wiggle their shoulders, shake their heads, and step over the ball to trick you. Ignore their body. Only watch the ball. The ball cannot make fake moves.
• Let them make the mistake: You do not have to kick the ball to win. Often, if you just keep steering them, they will get nervous. They will eventually run the ball out of bounds or make a bad pass because they are running out of space.

You do not need to be the biggest, strongest, or fastest player to be a great defender. You just need to be smart. Stop bulldozing, start steering, and let the sideline do the hard work for you.