There are many football books about the great goal-scorers and the entertainers of the game. There are even some biographies of great defenders. However, there has not been a book on defending as an art that also explains how a number of great defenders over time have either individually changed the game of football or did so as key members of important teams.  The book begins by highlighting the key principles of defending, not only for defenders but for midfielders and forwards. The main aim of Holding the Line, however, is to show how over the past 50 years, 25 great defenders have made significant contributions to changing the game of football primarily in World Cups and Champions League finals. The reader may also enjoy entertaining accounts of some of the key moments of these important matches in the book, involving these players.  Holding the Line highlights how these players through their styles of play and roles within their teams helped their teams to become successful. By defining the roles of these players within their respective coaching systems the book explains how football has evolved over the past 50 years to its present state of play. A must-read for any football fan or readers interested in the mechanics of play within the beautiful game.