Soccer Rules Practice Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The correct answer is defending third. This term specifically refers to the area of the field that is closest to a team’s own goal, typically the final third of their defensive zone. In this section, the team's primary objective is to prevent the opposing team from scoring by defending against attacks, blocking shots, and attempting to regain possession of the ball.

In the context of soccer, the defending third is crucial because it directly impacts a team's ability to maintain a solid defense and minimize goal-scoring opportunities for their opponents. This area involves strategic positioning and teamwork to protect the goal and disrupt the attacking flow of the opposition.

The other options do not accurately reflect the area of the field that pertains to this specific defensive role. For example, holding generally refers to a player maintaining their position or managing hold-up play, while a throw-in is a method of restarting play after the ball has gone out of bounds. The term attacking third specifically describes the area of the field focusing on the offense, not defense.