Definition: The act of remaining close to a certain opposing player, particularly when defending corners or free-kicks, with the aim of stopping them scoring or contributing to a goal. Defending players are assigned to mark a player from the opposing team and it is their duty to remain close, clearing the ball if it comes their way.
It is also possible that a player, often a defensive midfielder, can be given the job of man-to-man marking an attacker for the whole match, following the player throughout the 90 minutes.
