Positionally, outside backs play slightly higher up the pitch than central defenders. One of the most important guidelines for outside backs is to never be deeper than the central defenders. This is because central defenders, who are defending players running directly to goal, need to have the freedom to stop retreating towards their own goal and let an opposition player run into an offside position. An outside back sitting too deep ruins this. Since outside backs are defending players in wider positions further from goal, they shouldn't need this last resort. If they get beat, one of the central defenders should be able to slide over and offer cover.
Remember to 'show' the attacker into areas you want them to go. Generally, this means inside when higher up the pitch (the middle third, which is very crowded) and outside when in the defensive third, away from our goal. We never want to allow a wide player to cut inside into a shooting position near our goal. This option must be taken away. Remember that even if the attacker wants to go wide, and you are showing them that way, they still have limited space in which to work, and you can use the touchline to your advantage. When isolated 1v1, it's also important to remember that you don't always need to cleanly win a tackle. Sometimes it's fine to give away a throw in by poking a ball out of play, or even a corner by blocking a cross. It's always better to give away a corner than to allow a cross into the box. Corners give us time to get into good defensive shape. You should also consider it a 'win' if the attacker turns away from goal and plays a negative ball, even if they keep possession. This slows down the attack and, again, lets everyone else get into good defensive shape. We want to avoid letting the opposition attack us at speed, so anytime we force them to slow the pace, we have increased our chances of defending successfully.
At the U13 level and above, outside backs should think of making attacking runs both with and without the ball as a part of their role. An outside back who overlaps the midfielder ahead of them causes confusion among the opposition. Defenders expect to defend strikers. Midfielders expect to defend midfielders. Strikers don't really expect to defend, but when they do, they only expect to defend against defenders playing the ball in their own half. When an outside back overlaps or carries the ball into the opposition half, it sets off a chain reaction of confusion - usually because the opposition strikers have failed to defend (see pic below). Most strikers either aren't great at defending or don't take it very seriously, since they are doing it in a low-risk area, far from their goal. Outside backs can take advantage of this. Running past the half-hearted defensive efforts of a striker forces opposition midfielders, who are already occupied with your midfielders, to deal with you, presenting our team with a numerical advantage. Well-coached teams will adjust, but you can still take advantage of momentary confusion to connect with midfielders and strikers.
Outside backs new to this sometimes freeze up when they find themselves with the ball at their feet, 35 yards from goal, and a mass of players in front of them. Remember that in this situation, the opposition is more concerned than you are. Their goal is under threat. Try to keep moving forward or play the ball forward. There is not much point in taking the risk to overlap or carry the ball well into the other team's half, only to stop and play a safe 7-yard pass to a teammate right next to you. When you overlap or dribble, do it to attack. You are going to lose the ball sometimes; you will have teammates behind you who will try to slow down the subsequent counter-attack so you can recover. This is a risk that is worth taking.
Finally, remember that when the ball is on the other side of the field, you have to prioritize the danger to our goal. Look at the graphic below. There is no reason for the left back (in yellow) to still be marking a player so far from both the ball and our goal, when there are bodies much closer to goal who need to be marked.
Pinch inside. If the other team plays a miraculous 60-yard ball all the away across the pitch to the wide player on your side, you'll have time (when the ball is in the air) to shift back out there and defend. But that's a ball you won't see until you are in college - and it really isn't that dangerous anyway, because the player it's going to isn't directly threatening our goal.
Watch a few minutes of Bayern Munich right back Philipp Lahm:
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