What is a Stopper in Soccer?

A stopper is a defensive position in soccer that helps the team prevent goals by their opponents. 

More so at the professional level, the stopper position has slowly been fading away from the game of soccer. Today, the stopper can be interchanged as the center-back on a soccer team.

I noticed the best stoppers are physical players who are not afraid of contact with the attacking players. They throw their body into every play they can.

What is the Role of the Stopper?

The primary role of a stopper in soccer is to prevent the opposing team from scoring by marking and tackling the opposing team and disrupting their attacking play.

Some of the specific responsibilities of a stopper include:

1. Marking and tracking the opposing team’s attacking players and ensuring they do not get behind the defense.
2. Winning aerial duels and anticipating passes over the midfielders and crosses from the wingers.
3. Communicating with the other defenders and organizing the defense, especially when dealing with counterattacks.
4. Clearing the ball out of danger when the opposing team is attacking.
5. Distributing the ball to the midfielders or forwards when the team is in possession.
6. Being a safety net for the goalkeeper.

What Happened to Stoppers in (Pro) Soccer?

Stoppers are no longer used in professional soccer because soccer strategies have evolved a lot in the past decade.

Historically, teams would rely on their stoppers to prevent goal attempts.

However, modern strategies and soccer formations focus more on regaining ball possession, which means strikers and midfielders have taken more hybrid roles.

Defensive positions no longer need to wait for the offense to cross the centerline before their defense “activates”.

For youth soccer teams, having a dedicated stopper position is a great way to learn defense and also stop the attack if the opposition is aggressive on offense. This will teach the fundamentals about positioning, making tackles, and communicating.