Do You Know Them All? A Complete Breakdown of 5 Types of Corner Kick Defense

The most common method for defending corner kicks is to use a Y-shaped zone.

However, in reality, if you look at the F-League and European leagues, you’ll see a wide variety of defensive methods.

This article provides a comprehensive explanation of all types of corner defense.

Types of Corner Defense

Corner kick defenses are mainly divided into the following three categories.

Let’s take a look at each one.

Positional Defence: Overview"I don’t know how to defend in futsal!" If you have this concern, this article provides a comprehensive breakdown of futsal defence. Beginners are encouraged to read through it to gain a solid understanding of the overall defensive structure....

Zone DF

Y-shaped (2-1-1)

Even within Zone DF, there are two approaches: one where each player is assigned an area to defend, and another where they guard the passing lane.

Defending by Covering Zones

This DF does not focus on marking opponents, but instead defends the zone assigned to each player.

The method of assigning zones to each player varies from team to team.

Defending by Guarding the Passing Lane

Since humans are not good at multitasking, focusing entirely on either the front or the rear (left or right) rather than trying to cover both results in higher performance and ultimately a wider defensive range.

Also, if a player steps forward to challenge a ball coming from behind, it might provoke an own goal, so it is safer to leave the ball at the back to the player positioned there.

As a precaution, here is a video showing an example of conceding a goal due to stepping out backwards.

Box Type (2-2)

While it has the advantage of more easily covering the space further back compared to the Y-shaped zone, it also has the disadvantage of leaving the middle more exposed.

One of the advantages is that it is easier to deal with passes to the last row.

Man-to-man DF

There are two types of man-to-man DF: one where all players mark from the start, and another where players start marking just before the opponent moves.

All Man-to-man

Man-to-man DF places importance on the following three points:

Let’s explain each one.

Each Player Covers Their Own Mark

Often forgotten, but the kicker (red number 1) is covered by the near-side player (blue number 1).

If the opponent blocks and attempts to free their mark, a switch of marks should be executed.

Positioning

Maintain a spacing that prevents being outflanked, positioned on the same line as the far post and the opponent.

Maintaining a Body Orientation that Keeps Both Your Mark and the Ball in View

Be mindful of maintaining a body orientation that allows you to see both your mark and the ball within the same field of view.

If that’s difficult, consider shaking your head or stepping back slightly, among other adjustments.

Man-to-man Where Marking is Initiated at the Last Moment

The initial positioning is similar to the Y-shaped zone, but as soon as the opponent moves, marking is initiated one by one in order.

By directly dropping blue number 2 back, the risk of blue number 3 being blocked by red number 2 and being unable to move forward can be mitigated.

This One Covers It All: Classic Corner Kick Triangle and Three OptionsThis article explains the most commonly used basic corner kick set play in futsal: the classic triangle....

Mix

Triangle +1 (Triangle One)

A mixed DF combining a triangle (zone) and +1 (man-to-man).

It is named after the well-known Triangle Two DF in basketball.

Extremely effective when there is a powerful shooter in the rear (red number 4’s position) while it also has the drawback that the middle becomes exposed.
In particular, there is a very high risk of receiving a float pass to the second player followed by a headed shot.