'Sit down' a defender

’Sitting down’ a defender is where an attacker makes a defender plant their feet and stop them moving forward.

In other words, the defender rocks back on to their heels and looks as if they are sitting down on a chair.

Once an attacker has a defender with their feet planted, it is difficult for them to adjust or provide any power through the tackle, giving the edge to the attacking player.

The best way to engage a defender and make them sit down is to run directly at them. 

It should be on their outside shoulder, if against a drift defence, to stop them moving off after the pass, or inside shoulder against a blitz, making the defence turn their shoulders in and adjust towards the ball.

Body language is another way to engage a defender. Make your attackers look at their opponents in the eyes before receiving the pass, using audible and visual cues to highlight where or who to attack. 

All these little bits of detail can stop a defence and creates more time for the attacking team.

If an attacker or attacking line can get one defender to stop and plant their feet, they will create space. 

Generally, a defence will react to their inside defender – therefore, sitting down a defender will force the rest of the defensive line to slow down, so as not to create dog-legs. 

This, in turn, gives the attack more time, and less pressure on the ball, to make good decisions and therefore execute their attack efficiently.