A major function of stoppers is to limit the movement of attackers by anticipating and intercepting their passes. This requires the ability to read the opponents’ strategy and predict their likely movements. A stopper also relies heavily on the guidance of the sweeper, who generally occupies the space slightly behind him and so might have a better view. A sweeper calls out commands to the stopper, such as ordering him to move forward to fill a gap in the defense.
A key defensive strategy is tackling. A stopper executes a block tackle by placing her foot on the ball as the attacker attempts to dribble past. A sliding tackle consists of launching forward so that the foot makes contact with the ball, knocking it from the opponent’s control. Stoppers must be aggressive enough to perform hard tackles but also must be disciplined enough to avoid recklessly attacking an opponent, which puts the whole team at risk of a penalty.
