The principle of Delay is a key defensive strategy aimed at disrupting the opposing team’s momentum and buying time for teammates to recover and organize. When a defender applies delay, they don’t necessarily seek to win the ball immediately but instead focus on slowing down the opponent’s attack. This involves positioning themselves to block direct paths forward, staying balanced, and moving laterally to “jockey” the attacker without diving in or committing too quickly. The objective is to force the attacker into a predictable or less dangerous area of the field, ideally towards the sidelines or away from the goal. Effective delay allows the defending team time to regroup, fill in defensive gaps, and establish a solid shape, making it harder for the attacking team to penetrate.