Be A BIG Defender

Another key ingredient in a competent defender is being able to “stay big,” which is just simply stretching out your arms as high and wide as they can go when you’re in front of soccer jerseys
an opposing player who has the ball. Doing this will allow you to tip more passes and block more shots, regardless of how tall you are [just ask Nate Robinson and Yao Ming], easily making you a better defender. However, this is something very similar to staying light on your feet, in that the defender may find himself not doing it and will often have to remind himself to do it until it becomes second nature. Once it does, the opposition will have a harder time passing and shooting over you and will keep the ball away from the opponent you’re guarding.
The only drawback of staying big is that unless you’re in good physical condition, you’re going to expel a ton of energy keeping your arms up for long periods of time. Many college players complain to their friends about the drills that coaches put them through, where they are forced to shuffle their feet around cones while simultaneously keeping their arms stretched out. While it may be tedious at first, learning to become as big of an obstacle in the face of your opponent is vital to your success as a defender and will separate you from the other players on your team that are focused on other facets of the game.