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 Association football tactics and skillsFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are various individual skills and team tactics needed to play effective football. Football is intheory a very simple game, as illustrated by Kevin Keegan's famous assertion that his tactics for

winning a match were to "score more goals than the opposition". owever, well!organised and well!prepared teams are often seen beating teams with supposedly more skillful players, even over time.oaching manuals and books#$% generally cover not only individual skills but tactics as well.

Contents

  #hide%

• $&ubstitutions

• Fouls and poor conduct

• ()ndividual skills

o (.$Techni*ues and skills

o (.+hysical skills

o (.(ental skills

o (.-oalkeeping skills

• -Tactics during a game situation

o -.$eneral principles of attack and defence

o -./ffensive tactics0 attacking

o -.(/ffensive tactics in set pieces

-.(.$Free kicks

-.(.Throw!ins

-.(.(oal kicks

-.(.-orners

o -.-eneral defensive tactics

-.-.$First, second and third defender 

-.-.The 1one defence

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-.-.(2epth considerations

-.-.-The man!to!man defence

-.-.32efending at set pieces

-.-.3.$Free!kicks from short range

-.-.3.orner kicks and other crosses

-.-.3.(+enalty kicks

-.-.4"Forward" versus "collapsing" defences

-.-.52efending with the ball

• 36otable e7amples

o 3.$ombined team play using width and depth0 8ra1il vs )taly, $95: Final

o 3.+enetration and envelopment in attack0 8anks versus +el;, e7ico $95:

o 3.(The two!man combination

o 3.-The three!man move

o 3.3The *uick counter!attack

o 3.4Free!kicks and set!pieces

o 3.5oving into space! the diagonal run

• 4<eferences

• 5=7ternal links

Substitutions#edit%

Main article: Substitute (association football)

)n competitive $$!a!side matches, teams are allowed to bring on up to three substitutes. The rules of

the competition must state the ma7imum number of players allowed to be named as a substitute,which may be anywhere between three and twelve.#% )n non!competitive matches, the use ofsubstitutes must be determined before the match begins, e7cept in friendly international matches,where no more than si7 substitutes may be brought on.

The most tired players are generally substituted, but only if their substitutes are well trained to fill inthe same role, or if the formation is transformed at the same time to accommodate for thesubstitution.

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oaches often refrain from substituting defensive players in order not to disrupt the defensiveposture of the team. )nstead, they often replace ineffective attackers or unimaginative midfielders inorder to freshen up the attacking posture and increase their chances of scoring.

For a team that is losing a game, a fresh striker can bring more benefit in circumventing an opposeddefence line composed of relatively tired players. For a team that is winning a game, a freshmidfielder or a defender can bring more benefit in strengthening the defence against the opposition'sattackers >who may be fresh substitutes themselves?. )n this situation, it is usually imaginativeattacking flair players who are replaced by tough!tackling defensive midfielders or defenders.

)n@ured players may also need to be substituted. For each in@ured player who must be substituted,the team loses one more opportunity to influence things later in the game in their favour.

&ubstitutions can also be used as a time consuming tactic to hold a one!goal lead in the lastminutes.

Fouls and poor conduct#edit%

The following are fouls or poor conduct practices in football0

• +retending in@ury in order to delay play or to get an opponent booked or sent off 

• Teasing opponents to get them out of balance

•  Attempting to influence the referees

• &tealthily touching the ball with the hands

• &tealthily holding the shirts of opponents players

• )llegally stopping players in a counter!attack

• <ecklessly duelling with the opponent's goalkeeper 

• +rofessional fouls

• +urposely slowing down your opponents' speed of play

 Although some fans and players see foul play as a good part of the game >as long as it helps themwin?, F)FA constantly change rules and issue campaigns for promoting "Fair +lay".

Individual skills#edit%

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Example of individual skill: 8ra1ilian striker +ele moving at speed under pressure, lets a pass run past his

opponent, circling around to shoot first time on the other side for a near miss. /fficial F)FA Technical <eports

called the move"audaciously executed, and called for immense skill, timing, judgment and speed." #(%

The importance of a skill depends to an e7tent on the player's position on the field. /verall, footballskills can be divided into four main areas, namely outfield technical, physical, mental and

goalkeeping technical abilities.

Techniques and skills#edit%

• andling

• &printing

• Throw!ins

• &hooting

• eaders

• /ne on ones

• +assing

• rossing

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• First Touch

• +ressing

Physical skills#edit%

• +ace

•  Agility

• &printing

• &tamina

• +ower 

• =ndurance

• Bumping

• 8alance

• &trength

Mental skills#edit%

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 As the last line of defence, goalkeepers must be able to make *uick, athletic saves. ere, the skill of

=ngland's ordon 8anks robs 8ra1il's +ele of a good scoring opportunity in their legendary confrontation.

e7ico, $95:

• )ntelligence >game understanding?

• Cision >ability to see build!up play ahead to others or ability to see a pass or awareness ofplayers around you?

• omposure >ability to control the game at any critical situation in the match?

• Deadership >able to guide the youngsters in the field and be able to motivate and inspireothers?

• ommunication >can be considered a mental ability?

• 2ecision!making >determine in advance what to do?Goalkeeping skills#edit%

• Bumping >can be considered a physical ability?

•  Agility >can be considered a physical ability?

• 8alance >can be considered a physical ability?

• ommunication >can be considered a mental ability?

• oal kicker  >can be considered a technical ability?

• andling >can be considered a technical ability?

• +ositioning

• <efle7es >can be considered a mental ability?

• 2istribution >e7.Throwing, punting? >can be considered a physical ability?

• /ne on ones

Tactics during a game situation#edit%

General principles of attack and defence#edit%

Width and depth are both principles of offense and defence as follows0 #-%

• Widt in attack! the attacker tries to divide the defence by spreading strike points across abroad front, rather than attempting to force advances through narrow channels. This may involve

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play from the wings, or rapidly shifting into open lanesEopen space when approaching the goal.ainly using wingers, often gaps are made between defenders using the width. These gaps canbe used to feed the ball to strikers.

• Widt in defence! the defender counters, trying to contract and deny width. Attackers are"shepherded" or channeled into narrower or more crowded avenues of approach

• ept in attack! the attacker uses depth by moving men up from the rear, but may use aconstant "target striker" or front man to always be present deep in the defence.

• ept in defence! the defender also uses depth by marking supporting players in theopposing team, and holding back a man as cover for more advanced players, sometimes in a"sweeper" or "libero" role. Therefore, the attacking player with the ball won't have anyone openfor a pass. Alternatively, defenders may abandon depth temporarily to set an offside trap.

• #alance in defence. The defence attempts balanced coverage of vulnerable space.2efenders do not simply cluster on the right side for e7ample, @ust because the ball is there atthe moment.

Offensive tactics: attacking#edit%

• 'Pass and move0 This is the most basic team tactic as soon as the ball has come intopossession of the player, they need to be *uick to decide whether to pass it or not. )f they don'tpass it immediately, they need to move with itG if they do pass it, they again need to move along,following the general ball movement.

This can also be used to mean that once a player has passed the ball he does not remain stationarybut moves into a position where he can receive the ball again and give more options to the player inpossession.

• 'Give and go#or 'com!ination passing%0 This is a basic tactic which is essentially the same

as 'pass and move', and is an essential part of the 'target man' style of play >see below?. Theplayer in possession of the ball plays a pass to a teammate and then immediately seeks to moveinto space. )f the player who passed the ball can 'lose' his defensive marker >either throughpace, movement, superior fitness or a lack of awareness on the part of the defender? he couldthen be free to receive a return pass and advance towards and possibly threaten the goal. Whenthe ball is played by the receiving player immediately back to the first player this is known as a'/ne!Two' >in 8ritish parlance?

&witching sides

• "#itching the attack0 Hsing a 's*uare' or 'cross' pass across the whole width of the pitch toa player in plenty of space is a very effective way of both relieving pressure and building a fresh

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attack. The defending team will be re*uired to ad@ust its positions and this usually createsspaces which can be e7ploited. )n this e7ample, the player numbered $ has moved out ofposition, allowing more space for the opposing player. 8y playing the ball to the other side >thecurved line represents an aerial pass?, the recipient of the pass finds themselves in space whichcan be e7ploited.

• The through !all$slide rule pass%: &sing the space !ehind the opponents defensiveline0 +asses into this area have a number of pros0 )f an attacking player reaches the pass,taking care to avoid offside, he may get a $!on!$ challenge with the goalkeeper, or be in ane7cellent position for a flank attack. =ven if a defender reaches the pass first, the outcome couldstill be good for the attacking team. The defender will face his own goal, which could prompt himto give away a corner kick or a throw!in, make a risky pass to his team's goalkeeper , or beingput under heavy pressure near the corner flag. Typically, teams with faster attackers than theopponent's defenders will try challenging this space, while the defending team in these caseswill want to keep their defenders low when defending in order to give away as little space aspossible between the defenders and the goalkeeper.

The long through ball

• The long through !all0 This is a long, and usually high, pass from a teams' own half, overthe heads of the other team's defence. )t is intended for the attacking players to chase and it isimportant that they remain in an onside position until the ball is kicked. The tactic works best withstrong and fast forwards who will have a good chance of winning back the ball, taking controlover it, and eventually getting a shot on goal. )n the diagram, the ball >red line? is played in frontof the furthermost forward, the dotted blue line showing their run. )n this e7ample, a through!ballpass along the ground would be picked up by one of the defenders >black team? because thegap between the two central defenders is too small.

• &sing the space !et#een the opponents defensive line and midfielder line $the hole% 0 A common build!up of attacks is to pass the ball into the space between the opponent'sdefenders and midfielders. 6ormally, an attacker with his back to the goal will receive the pass.e will seek to turn with the ball, or distribute it to a player facing the goal, who optimally also isin front of the opponent's midfielders ! or even on the move into the space behind the opponent'sdefenders.

• Triangular movement0 This is a movement tactic that allows a safe and *uick shifting of theoffensive flanks while maintaining control of the ball. )n a triangular play the ball is passedbetween three players to form a triangle. The triangle is then shifted to a different position whena new player is added. any triangles can be created with various combinations of players withthe intention of slowly moving the ball forward and never really compromising possession. Thistactic works well when trying to gain control in the midfield. owever, it can also be used for pureattacking purposes. The effectiveness of this tactic lies in the fact that defenders are unable to*uickly 'adapt' to the other attacker's style of play.

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• "#apping of the #ing men0 &ometimes, a team with two fle7ible >position wise? wide menwill allow them to interchange as the game progresses. The aim of this is to confuse thedefenders who are assigned to mark them, thus maybe leading to opportunities as the defendertries to find their man in set pieces >corners, free kicks etc., where the man may be in a totallydifferent position and thus evade his grasp?. Also, if the wingers are different types of player >onefavouring crossing from deep positions whilst the other is prone to trying to dribble past their

marker for e7ample?, then it might be to e7ploit a weakness in the opposing defender.

• "trong "ide Overloads0 An offensive attack can pressure the defense on to one side of thepitch by running most of its attackers and midfielders to one side letting a wing player ordefender come to the opposite side with little or no coverage. The ball is then crossed or passedto that unmarked player for a free or near free shot.

• &sing a target man0 This tactic is useful when the team possesses a *uality striker who hasthe ability of taking on the whole defence on his own. e will usually occupy two defenders, thusmaking the defence more vulnerable. ombined with two fast wingers, this tactic may give the -!man defence potential problems. The team may also benefit from a target man at set pieces.The target man, can use giveEgo tactics described earlier, can attempt to "knock down" high

passes to teammates or can simply try to outpower and outmuscle opposition defenders tocreate scoring opportunities for himself.  Alan &hearer , 2uncan Ferguson, hris&utton, =mmanuel Adebayor , Duca Toni, =mile eskey, Ban Koller , hristian 8enteke, 6ikolaŽigi ć, Ilatan )brahimovi ć, +eter rouch, 2idier 2rogba, /livier iroud, and iroslav Klose areall e7amples of strikers adept at playing this role.

Offensive tactics in set pieces#edit%

'ree kicks#edit%

'ree kick trickery at #ork ( )*+, ( -rasil vs C.echoslovakia: Bair1inho and Tostao of 8rasil @oin the end of

the defensive wall, then move off as <ivelino's powerful shot strikes through the gap. 2avid 8eckham made his

first international goal for =ngland from a set!piece kick. #3%

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Free kicks and dead!ball restarts come into play following a foul or other infractions. )ndirect freekicks must be touched by another player before any shot is taken. 2irect free kicks can be madedirectly on goal. /ffensive players attempt numerous tricks to beat the defenders, who often form asolid wall of players directly in front of the goal. Attackers may attempt to blast the ball through thedefensive wall, or curl it over or around using spin. A less common idea is to hit the ball powerfullyand straight along the floor, since the defenders in the wall usually @ump to try and prevent a shot

being lifted over their heads. 2avid 8eckham, <onaldinho, Iico, Buninho,  Andrea +irlo,<obertoarlos, Francesco Totti, Dionel essi,  Jlvaro <ecoba, ristiano <onaldo, <ivaldo, <i*uelme, &tevenerrard, Wayne <ooney,&e@ad &alihovi ć, <og;rio eni,  Alessandro 2el +iero, Thierryenry, <oberto 8aggio, 2iego aradona, Frank Dampard, Wesley &nei@der ,Duis &uare1, hristian=riksen and areth 8ale are widely known to score from free kick positions.

Thro#(ins#edit%

ow throw!ins are best handled depends on where it is0

• )n one's own half the aim of a throw!in may be to retain possession in order to build up thene7t attack. The throw may or may not go toward the opponents' goalG the most unmarkedplayer may be a full!back who is behind the ball. &uch a throw followed by a *uickly taken

'switch' pass can be an effective tactic. Hnder pressure however, the ball is often thrown up theline, toward the opponents' goal line to gain as much ground as possible.

• )f the thrower is unmarked, a simple tactic is to take a short throw to the feet or chest of amarked player who immediately returns the ball to the thrower.

• )n the last third of the pitch a player with a long throw can put pressure onto the defenders bythrowing the ball deep into the opponents' penalty area, resulting in somewhat similar tactics toa corner kick situation, but with the added advantage of avoiding the offside trap, as an attackingplayer cannot be offside from a throw in. +layers well known for their long throwing skillsare <ory 2elap,iorgio hiellini and orten amst +edersen.

Goal kicks#edit%

 A goal kick is an important 'set piece' that will occur many times in a game and yet few teamspractice it. )f taken *uickly the kick may be taken short to a full!back who has run into a wideposition. Although this may gain little ground it retains the all!important possession of the ball. Alonger kick to the midfield is more common and it is vital that the midfield unit are in a position toreceive it.

Corners#edit%

 A corner kick >or "corner"? is a real goal scoring opportunity and it is essential to know who is thebest at taking a good corner from both the left and right side of the pitch. A good corner will be aimedhigh across the goal and may be 'bent' towards or away from the goal. At least one of the forwardsshould be on or close to the goal line when the kick is taken.

 Another tactic on a corner is to let the best shooter stay in the back "trash" position and have thedefence worried about those up front. The player taking the corner kick makes a small pass back tothe trash shooter who has time and space to take a good shot.

General defensive tactics#edit%

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2efenders need to cooperate closely to cope with fast moving attackers. ere, one of the tightest defences in

World up history, Hruguay $95:, is broken by a rapid three!man combination move0 Bair1inho ! +el; ! Tosto.

The final defender, atosas of Hruguay has no support as Bair1inho makes his final sprint.

 All eleven players on the pitch have a defensive role. Which roles they are assigned, depends ontactics. )n principle, there are two ways of defending, 1one defence and man!to!man defense. )n a1one defence, defensive players mainly move in relation to each other, whereas a man!to!mandefence mainly moves in relation to opposing players. Whenever defensive players are given, orgive themselves, a larger degree of freedom, hybrids of the two are seen. #4%

'irst/ second and third defender #edit%

The first defender  has the main responsibility for what the opponent in possession does, seeking toobstruct dangerous passes. The initial few seconds after a team has lost the ball are important, asthe newly!defending team in these seconds will be poorly organised defensively. Wise first defendingwill contribute to the defending team managing to organise before the opponents attack.

The first defender should usually be the player closest to the opponent holding possession, butneeds to be at the defending side of him in order to do an effective @ob. e or she should keep adistance of about metres, although the ideal distance will vary with each situation. The point is topressure the opponent as much as possible without giving him a large possibility of a dribble. As a

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dribble isn't as dangerous when the defending team is well organised, the distance may be shorter inthese cases. Analogously, the distance should be increased if the defence is poorly organised.

)n certain cases, the first defender should attempt a tackle. /ften, however, this will increase theprobability of being dribbled and passed.

The direction in which to move towards the opponent with possession of the ball may be the shortest

direction. owever, it may be of value to curve the defensive run, in order to channel >also called"show"? the opponent in a certain direction. )f the defensive team is well organised, he should bechannelled >"shown"? towards the centre of the pitch. )n the case of temporarily poor defensiveorganisation, however, he should be channelled towards the line.

The second defender  is for security if the first defender is passed. )n that case, he takes over asfirst defender, and ideally one of the third defender s takes over as second defender. The teamshould be organised in a manner to make this transition as fast as possible. The typical idealdistance between the second and first defender is about si7 metres, but this will vary strongly fromsituation to situation. The most important factor is the opponent's speed. )f he's moving fast, thedistance should be longer. )f he's standing still, the second and first defender may in some cases @oinforces and work as two first defenders.

The @ob of the third defender  is to provide deep cover. e is generally in a stand!off position relative

to the first and second defenders and tries to view the "big picture", keeping watch for newopponents moving up, and covering vulnerable gaps if the first and second defenders are bypassed.The s$eeper  role is sometimes conceived as that of a third defender, but every defensive player notimmediately engaging the ball has the obligation to ad@ust his positioning to guard against dangeroussituations and to plug vulnerable gaps. While the role of first and second defenders are rathersimilar, the third defenders' role is very different in 1one defence and man!to!man defence. Also,their organisation will vary with formation.

The .one defence#edit%

)n 1one defence, second and third defenders and midfielders are organised in two lines, in thetransverse direction of the field, thus organising a defender line and a midfielder line, themidfielder line working as an "outer shield" for the defenders. The lines should be as straight as

possible, although the first defender and in some cases the second defender may rush out of it topressure the opponent with the ball. A straight line of defenders may prevent spaces behind some ofthem due to the offside rule. Also, even in 1one defence, some opponents, for e7ample those movinginto dangerous space, may temporarily need to be marked. The man!to!man defence ideology holdsthat almost all  opponents need to be marked at all times, although they will have to keep an eye on1one considerations as well, and usually a s#eeper  will be given a free defensive role. )n practice,however, every defence will be a mi7 of 1one defence and a man!to!man defence, although oftenwith heavy leanings towards one or the other.

The number of players in the defender and midfielder lines is given by the number offootball formations. &ome formations use midfield anchors to stop attacks between the two lines.

 Attackers usually also play a role in pressurising defenders, in order to give them less time to findgood passing alternatives.

The lines should be shifted sideways depending where the ball is. The third defenders should keep asensible distance to each other, depending on the width the opponent's attacking players aredistributed in.

0epth considerations#edit%

The distance between the defender line and the midfielder line should be kept constant at about $3metres. owever, the defensive line should back up and thus increase this distance,stand off , whenthere is no pressure on the opponent in possession, as this increases the possibility of a throughball. With tough pressure on the opponent, the distance may be reduced to below $3 metres. Also,

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as opponents move in close to the penalty area, the defending team will be forced to move theirmidfielders ever closer to their defenders.

When organised, the defending team will offer no resistance until the attacking team has advancedto a certain height on the pitch. The pressure height, or at which depth the midfielders should startacting as first and second defenders, depends on a lot of factors. For e7ample, as higher pressure ismore tiring, it demands players with good stamina. )n general, a defensive!minded team will tend tostay lower, thus diminishing defensive risks as opponents get less space. This however, also givesthem a longer way to the goal in the event of a break and counter!attack, making the long throughball a typical alternative.

The man(to(man defence#edit%

)n a man!to!man defense system, a single defender follows his opponent wherever he goes.=7tremely tight marking can be achieved in this way and star players can often be neutralised in agame by use of a dedicated "shadow". &ince the man to man defence will take defenders in any partof the field, interceptions and broken plays will often offer opportunity for *uick counter!attack. The)talian teams of the $95:s and $9L:s often used this approach with impressive results.

The weakness of the man to man defence is depth when fresh attackers move up. The man to mandefence also allows defenders to be drawn out of position, opening gaps for other attackers invulnerable areas. This was )taly's fatal weakness in the $95: Final, according to some analysts.#5% Toovercome this problem with depth, the man to man defence may use a 'sweeper', who is a centraldefender and has a free role, i.e. has not been assigned a player to mark. e sometimes takes up aposition slightly behind the other defenders, as his defensive role often is to 'sweep up' any attacksthat break through the defence and as such he adds valuable depth to the defensive unit. Hsuallythe sweeper will be the controller of the defence. They will determine where the back line should beat any given time. Ione defence does not re*uire a sweeper role, and as many teams have changedtheir tactics to this, sweepers are today rare.

0efending at set pieces#edit%

'ree(kicks from short range#edit%

 At free!kicks from short range, particularly when defending a direct  free!kick, a wall of defensiveplayers is lined up. The number of players who form the wall depends on the angle and distancefrom the goal, the opponent's assumed shooting skills, and the need to mark opponents to whom theball might be passed. The wall is usually set up at the direction of the defending goalkeeper to blocka direct shot at the near post. The goalkeeper is normally positioned nearer the far post. )n order toincrease the difficulty for the free!kick taker to kick the ball over the wall and into the goal it iscommon for the players in the wall to @ump vertically when the kick is taken. 2efending indirect  free!kicks provides different difficulties for the defending team. The wall must be prepared to chargedown the ball once it has been touched by the free!kick taker, and other defenders must be alert tothe attacking team's practised set!plays.

Corner kicks and other crosses#edit%

 At corner kicks, and at direct free kick, indirect free kick or  throw!ins that are likely to become

a cross, most teams use man!on!man marking, even those which otherwise play 1one defence.=ach player is given an opponent to mark, in advanced football they usually have been assigned anopponent before the match. &ubstituting at the time of a defensive set piece is regarded as unwise,as play may be started before the substitute has come into marking position.

 A few teams use the tactic of gathering defenders on one line on corner kicks and similar situations,in effect giving them the responsibility for 1ones instead of particular opponents.

Penalty kicks#edit%

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)n the case of a penalty kick, no defending players e7cept the goalkeeper are allowed withinthe penalty area or within ten yards of the penalty spot and $L yards of the goal line. A significantnumber of players should, however, be placed right outside the penalty area, alert to advance intothe area and clear any deflection. For this purpose, sometimes the attacking team will nominate twoplayers to run at the goal from either side of the penalty spotG timing their run so that they only enterthe penalty area once the kick has been taken will hopefully give them the first opportunity at

gathering the ball if it is saved by the goalkeeper. This tactic is rarely seen, however, since thelikelihood of the ball being saved and then falling into the path of the attacking player is small. Aparticular tactic that can be used by the goalkeeper involves trying to distract the penalty taker bydrawing his concentration away from striking the ball cleanly. &uch tactics normally involve movingone's body, or body parts, in an e7travagant manner, or through verbal comments. Famouse7amples of where this worked successfully include 8ruce robbelaar  in the $9L- =uropean upfinal, and Ber1y 2udek in the ::3 hampions Deague Final.

1'or#ard1 versus 1collapsing1 defences#edit%

&ome teams use forward defending, aggressively challenging the ball when on the defensive in anypart of the field. /thers rely on a "collapsing" style, that falls back deep into its own half when theopponent is in possession of the ball. The "forward" policy can put immense physical andpsychological pressure on opponents, and is aimed at slowing down or breaking up attacks early. )thas more physical demands however, and may spread a defensive formation more thinly. The"collapsing" approach is more economical in physical demand, and provides a packed back 1one tothwart attacks. owever it sometimes creates large gaps in midfield, and invites the opposing teamto dribble forward and to take shots from long rangeG if the opposing team is good at the twoaforementioned skills then goals will be conceded freely.

0efending #ith the !all#edit%

learing is when the player in possession of the ball is pressed hard, often near his own goal, andchooses to shoot the ball away with low precision simply in order to get out of a dangerous situation.When opponent pressure is e7tremely high, the ball is often cleared to a corner kick or to a throw!in.learing long, but into opponent control, may give the defence time and the opportunity to organise,including setting up the correct formation and pressure height. )f the attack was high up the field,

such as in or near the penalty area, defenders will thus *uickly push out, and attackers will then beforced to retreat in order to avoid offside in the ne7t move. learing may be combined with anattempt to hit a long pass or a long through ball. +layers high up in the field who are pressed hard,and who are eager to avoid a counter!attack, may in some instances combine clearing with a shot.

 A team composed of good passers and mobile players with good positioning skills may more oftentry to avoid clearing, as their skills make it easier to make shorter passes and thus retainingpossession until they get out of a difficult situation.

<etaining possession in this way may also be regarded as a longer!term way of defending, as theopposing team cannot attack when they don't have the ball. With the ball, the team applying thistactic can simply pass the ball between each other ! as in the possession football style, but with littleor no intention of building up an attack, thus decreasing the risk of a break.

The ma@or benefits of this tactic is that the team is in complete control over its opponents.eanwhile, by knocking the ball around, opponents playing the pressing game can easily tire. Andshould an opportunity suddenly arise, defence may be *uickly switched to attack. A ma@or downfall isthat because the accuracy of passes needs to be high, short passes between the players arere*uired. This significantly narrows the gap between the attack, midfield and defence >usually, thelatter is forced to push up?. &o if the opponent gains possession, a long ball could effectively openup the defence. &imilarly, if it is the attack and midfield that need to drop back, the team will havelittle chances of counter!attacking even if possession is won back.

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Notable examples#edit%

&occer coaches and technical manuals such as Soccer Skills and tactics,#L% and %e Soccer&oacing #ible,#9% often use visual symbols and diagrams to demonstrate the principles describedabove, and to link principles to historical games. The following e7amples combine technical coachingobservations with championship play descriptions at the World up level as in 8rian

lanville's World &up, (').#$:% The written descriptions are diagrammed for the reader to betterunderstand various soccer tactics and skills as they are applied in the real world, at the highestlevels.

Com!ined team play using #idth and depth: -ra.il vs 2taly/ )*+, 'inal#edit%

-eating a defence using #idth and depth3 Astute use of the principles of width and depth led tothe final goal of the $95: World up, considered by many to be the best combined team effort inup history. Almost all the players of 8ra1il touched the ball in this effort that penetrated one of thetightest defences ever seen, the famous )talian catenaccio "padlock" defence. The )talians used fourdefenders, plus a sweeper, +ierluigi era, behind the "back four". They relied on a counter!attackinggame, deploying ( midfielders, and strikers, and closely marked opponents man to man.

This tight system however involved a "collapsing" approach that while packing the )talian penalty

area and denying the 8ra1ilian forwards much space, left relatively large gaps in midfield. &ee"&tanding /ff" defensive discussion above. 8ra1il's superb skills e7ploited this weakness, showingespecially that any defence >whether man to man, 1one or other variants? can be beaten using theprinciples of both width and depth. The weakness of the man to man system was also e7posed.)talian left back Facchetti dedicated himself to winger Bair1inho, shadowing him tightly wherever hewent. Bair1inho cunningly moved off the right flank, opening gaps for others to follow as can be seenbelow. &ee "&witching the attack" and "&wapping wing men" above for discussion of this aspect ofoffensive tactics.

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2talian defence pulled left in quick sequence3 8ra1ilian midfielder lodoaldo began the move witha weaving dribble out to the left flank, that beat ( men and essentially pulled the )talian defence inthat direction. A fatal gap was thus eventually opened up for the run of fullback arlos Alberto on theright. lodoaldo eased the ball to the <ivelino moving up on the left. <ivelino *uickly played the ballforward to Bair1inho, who crossed the field to appear on the left flank.

Movement in center 1free.es1 2talian defence3 Almost without pause the powerful Bair1inho begana weaving run. Facchetti played Bair well, backing off the ball, and s*uee1ing him inside where it wasmore crowded. ood defenders will "channel" >see discussion above? an attacker into areas withless space. &o far, all seemed safe for )taly. Facchetti covered well, as did the other )taliandefenders. There were e7tra men as insurance in the back as Bair1inho began his run. 2epth isalso a principle of defence, and the sweeper system >or other arrangements? provides such.

 As Bair1inho accelerated, the ever dangerous striker Tostao began a sprint up the middle, drawinghis defender with him, diverting the )talian defence and making more room for Bair1inho. Moungerplayers should note the movement off the ball by 8ra1il. )ncreasingly s*uee1ed inside, Bair1inho'srun nevertheless drew the defence to him and he eased the ball to +ele in the centre. Alwaysdangerous, +ele paused and shaped to make a dribble.

Overlapping defender exploits principle of depth to cap the move3 For the )talian defence, there

was still no cause for undue alarm. +ele seemed well covered, and there was still the sweeper at theback as insurance behind the defence. 6evertheless, +ele's feint, combined with the previousmoves, kept )talian focus fro1en in the middle, attracting the attention of three men, and he casuallyslipped the ball right! to arlos Alberto who was thundering up from the rear, totally unmarked.

+ele played the ball well ahead of Alberto, using space intelligently, so that the fast fullback ran onand shot without pausing, in full stride, smashing the ball into the )talian net. &o effective was 8ra1il'suse of width, that no )talian defender is even within reasonable striking distance of Alberto until thelast moment. The principle of width stretched and drew the )talian defence. The principle of depthfresh men moving up from the rearallowed 8ra1il to e7ploit the gaps created by width.

Penetration and envelopment in attack: -anks versus Pel4/ Mexico )*+,#edit%

Penetration in attack( the for#ard or through pass: To the footballer, the penetration pass is one

of the first methods learned in attack, whether it be the simple "kick and chase" of the youth leagues,or the e7*uisite through!balls by today's world class stars. +enetration by pass is the *uickestmethod of advancing the ball towards the enemy goal. When well e7ecuted, it can yield spectacularresults. +enetration in attack however re*uires more than mere passing. +layers without the ballmust move into space, and must time their runs so as not to be caught offside.

Envelopment in attack: the central cross3 Attacking an opposing side from the flanks usingcrosses from the wings is among the oldest and most effective football tactics. An attack from theflanks uses width to stretch an opposing defence creating gaps in the goal area to be e7ploited.While the direction of the lateral cross is not as straightforward as the through!ball, both types ofpasses serve to split an enemy defence, in view of striking at the vital central area of the goal. Thise7ample, the legendary confrontation between keeper ordon 8anks of =ngland and +ele of 8ra1il,captures the two types of attack in one snapshot. )t also serves to illustrate the difficulties in

defending against both types of passes.T#o pass types ( one great defensive save3 The powerful running of 8ra1il's rightwinger Bair1inho set the stage, with initial direction by captain arlos Alberto. &printing down theflank, Bair1inho pounced on an e7cellent through pass from Alberto, accelerated past ooper the=nglish back, and lofted a high arcing cross to +ele in the centre. +ele headed down powerfully andwas already raising his arms in triumph when 8anks leaped to his right "like a salmon over a fall"+ele said later, and somehow flailed the bouncing ball over the crossbar, saving a sure goal. The8ra1ilian forward said it was the greatest save he had ever seen, and many would agree.

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/ffensively, this play demonstrates how both types of passes can divide and stretch a defence.Bair1inho's running and cross was set up by an e7cellent forward pass, and his centre to +el;capped a move that should have resulted in a goal, were it not for the e7traordinary skill of =nglishkeeper, ordon 8anks. /ffside traps are one way to defend against both pass types, but the ultimatesolution is defensive depth and sound goalkeeping.

The t#o(man com!ination#edit%

&sing the t#o(man com!ination3 The !man combination pass, variously called the wall pass, the"one!two", the "give and go" and other local names, is among the simplest yet most powerful teamtechni*ues in football. )t re*uires a fair level of individual skill to pull off, yet this should not stopcoaches from introducing it early in the higher youth leagues, nor should players from these leaguesneglect it in favour of the all too easy "kick and chase". There are two ways to e7ecute it0 >a? passand run to space for the return pass without pausing or >b? pass then pause briefly to gaugeopposing reaction before running into an open spot for the return. )n tight conditions, the first methodis better, while the second can be used where there is a bit more space to operate.

Po#er of the t#o(man com!ination: 5olland vs -ra.il/ )*+63 &imple as it is, the !man move canpenetrate the teeth of the densest, most negative opposition. +eru brought it to a high art on theWorld up stage in $95:, under their coach 2idi, 8ra1il's former midfield general of $93L and $94.

Time after time +eruvian forwards like ubillas, allardo, and &otil put a central combination on thefloor that sliced through the opposition and created countless dangerous situations. The 2utch teamof $95- were also disciples of the two!man combination. The diagram here shows the first 2utchgoal in the $95- game that crushed 8ra1il's repeat championship hopes ! product of an e7changebetween Bohan 6eeskens and Bohan ruyff . A two!man move also set up the second goal for ruyffin the game. ontrast with the "hand" of 2iego aradona below.

Potential of the t#o(man com!ination: Maradonas 15and of God1 goal 7 )*893 The e7ampleshown below, the first goal of 2iego aradona against =ngland in $9L4, is used to illustrate thepotential of the move. Argentina utilised it fre*uently, being ideally suited to their crisp, *uick, shortpassing style. As he had often done during the game, aradona initiated the se*uence with a *uickdribbling run into the packed central area. &urrounded, he began a !man combo pass ! slipping theball to Borge Caldano on the right, and then moving up for the reply. Caldano pivoted and attempted

to return, but conditions were too tight. odge, the =nglish midfielder, intercepted and ratherdangerously, attempted to tap the ball back to his keeper, &hilton. The rest is well known. aradonaand &hilton raced towards the floating ball, which connected with aradona's hand >the so!called"and of od" goal?, past &hilton, into the goal. While much controversy still surrounds the goal,aradona's run illustrates how even the tightest conditions can be pried open with the two!mane7change. )t also illustrates how the simple two!man combination can create countless dangeroussituations and force opponents into making errors.

The three(man move#edit%

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Effectiveness of three(man strike teams3 The three!man move is another very effective weapon inthe attacking arsenal. )t is distinguished from simple passing between players in that the initiator ofthe move finishes it with a shot on goal or a well!placed pass leading to a shot. )t is thus acollaboration of three distinct players. Famous three!man strike teams are legendary in football, fromthe earliest days, through the famous ungarian sides of the $93:s, to the "clockwork orange" of the2utch masters in the $95:s, through the erman, )talian, French, Argentinian, 8ra1ilian, and other

teams of the contemporary era. The three!man package can be more effective than the two!mancombo because it gives more attacking options and causes more confusion in the defence. Theinitial pass cannot be *uickly cut off as in the two!man manoeuvre which really has only one option.Typically the second pass in the three!man move lures and diverts defenders on to false ground.This gives the initiator of the se*uence time to run into an advantageous position. Triple playercollaborations of course do not operate in isolation N they have other supporting players N but thetight three!man e7change still remains a fundamental pillar of successful attacking play.

-ra.il vs &ruguay )*+, 7 strike package: air.inho 7 Pel4 7 Tost;o3 The e7ample below, isdrawn from one of the most famous strike teams in World up history! +el;, Tosto and Bair1inho.This goal, against Hruguay in the $95: semi!final, captures the power of the move. The fast wingerBair1inho set the stage! dribbling down the right flank before finding +el; ahead. Tightly marked, andwith his back to the goal, +el; immediately played a subtle pass to Tosto. The 8ra1ilian center!

forward drew the defence to him with a short dribble before finding Bair1inho again on the wing. Thise7change of passes gave Bair1inho a lead on other defenders and he made the most of it Naccelerating down the wing, selling a dummy >letting the ball run after pretending to stop and play it?on Hruguayan defender atosas, and muscling him aside as he approached the enemy goal.Hruguayan keeper a1urkiewic1 came off his line but it was simply too late, as Bair1inho slotted theball into the net. /f note in this se*uence is the attacking space created by the tight e7changesbetween Bair1inho, +el;, and Tosto. =ven the Hruguayans, playing one of the most denselypacked, solid defences seen in a World up could not stop it. Bair1inho is surrounded by opposingdefenders when the se*uence starts, but at the end, he only has one to deal with. Also of note is theunselfish passing of 8ra1ilian striker Tosto, with his skill creating countless openings for histeammates throughout the $95: tournament.#$$%

The quick counter(attack#edit%

ounter attacking Football involves a team withdrawing players into their own half but ensuring thatone or two players are committed to the attack. The idea is to try to get strikers isolated from thedefenders by lurking on the halfway line, and to create space for a *uick break.

)t was collected by 6ewton, a defender moving up from a deep position, and it *uickly put him ine7cellent attacking position with few opponents to check his progress. 6ewton advanced on a shortdribble, before producing a low, outstanding diagonal cross that found ullery who had sprinted intothe goalmouth. ullery finished what he had started, by driving the ball home past the ermangoalkeeper &epp aier. Tactically, this goal combines the power of the long pass with that of thetwo!man combination, and indeed, before his pass to 6ewton, ullery had e7changed passes withFrancis Dee before setting off on his final combination run.

<eal adrid use this style of play e7tremely well because they have very *uick players in the likes of 

<onaldo, 8ale and 8en1ema of whom can speed in behind the defence and take them on when onthe break at a *uick pace. They also have passing masters in Kroos and odric of whom can playthe killer through ball in the spaces created. And for effect, they have a solid defence in <amos and+epe to defend leads. arcelo and arva@al are also very *uick full backs and so can get forward onthe break too and put crosses in the bo7 during attack, while being able to track back *uick enough.

'ree(kicks and set(pieces#edit%

2ndirect free(kicks can throw a defence into confusion when taken *uickly, or in une7pecteddirections. The third goal of 8ra1il's $95: World up victory over )taly illustrates the method. 8ra1il's

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midfield general erson 6unes approached rapidly and lofted the dead ball in a high arc almost fromthe midfield line. )t found +ele perfectly positioned near the )talian goal. The 8ra1ilian headed downsoftly and accurately, straight into the path of the onrushing winger Bair1inho, who virtually walkedthe ball into the net. )taly's catenaccio defence was caught out of position here, not only failing toneutralise +ele, but providing little cover to stop Bair1inho. A rapid, daring set!piece kick will oftenaccomplish this unbalancing of defences.

0irect free(kicks are a key part of attacking in football, and can lead to many goals. 6umerousfeints and ruses are tried to fool the opposition, including having attackers @oin the "wall." Asuccessful free kick from the $95: World up! 8ra1il vs 1echoslovakia, illustrates how thetechni*ue works. 8ra1ilian forwards Bair1inho and Tostao cunningly @oined the end of the defensivewall as the 1echs set it up. As +ele backed off and feinted as if to take the kick, both Bair andTostao began to move off, creating space. <oberto <ivelino ghosted in from the side to shootpowerfully into the gap for a goal.

Moving into space( the diagonal run#edit%

oving into space.. the diagonal run

oving into free space is one of the most critical skills that soccer players must develop. Attackingplayers must move off te ball  into space to give an advance the ma7imum chance of success.

+asses to space are feasible when there is intelligent movement of players to receive the ball and dosomething constructive with it. &killed players are able to find seams between defenders, positioningthemselves to receive a pass.

This diagram shows a productive use of space by West ermany in the $95- F)FA World upFinal which led to erd Oller 's game!winning goal against the 6etherlands. ermanmidfielder  <ainer 8onhof  made a long diagonal run out to the right side of the field, putting put himclear of the 2utch opposition. 2eep into the 2utch half, 8onhof received a ball from BOrgenrabowski and beat Arie aan. 8onhof sent a low cross in to Oller, who found the back of the net.

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oving diagonally is one of the best offensive movements, whether at the near or far posts, or out tothe wings farther back in midfield. 2iagonal movement creates added space to maneuver, comparedto simply running straight ahead or laterally. )t also means that players must be willing to switchpositions as the situation demands.

References#edit%

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