Association football tactics

thumb|An association football pitch is in tactical terms often divided into thirds of 35 metres each, given standard size of pitch, so as to reference the three different stages of play.

Team tactics are integral for playing association football. In theory, association football is a simple sport, as illustrated by Kevin Keegan's assertion that his tactics for winning a match were to "score more goals than the opposition." Despite this, tactical prowess within the sport one of manager's key responsibilities and also why many are paid well, as well-organised teams can often win with less skillful players.

Association football teams consist of ten outfield players and one goalkeeper, which makes passing an integral part of the game. In terms of complexity, lower levels of the game such as youth, amateur, and semi-professional, primarily focus on fundamentals, whereas professionals often increase detail and complexity in their strategies.

General principles

Width and depth are principles of both offence and defence:

Width in attack: The attacking side tries to divide the defence by diversifying points of attack across a broad front, rather than attempting to force advances through narrow channels. This may involve play from the wings, or rapid shifting into open lanes/open space when approaching the goal. Often gaps are made between defenders using the width of wingers. Gaps can then be used to feed the ball to strikers.
Width in defence: The defending side responds, either through increasing width or strong side tilt, in an attempt to contract and deny width. Attackers are "shepherded" or channeled into narrower or more crowded avenues of space.
Depth in attack: The attacking side uses the depth of the pitch by moving men either up from the rear, or down from the top, but may use a constant "target striker" or front man to always invoke a presence deep in the defence.
Depth in defence: The defending side also uses depth by marking the supporting players of the opposing team, and holding a man back as cover for elevated opposing players, sometimes in a "sweeper" or "libero" role. The attacking player with the ball will have trouble finding anyone open for a pass. Defenders may alternatively abandon depth temporarily to set an offside trap.
Balance in defence: The defending side attempts a balanced coverage of space. Defenders do not simply cluster on the right side for example, just because the ball is there at that time.

Substitutions

In FIFA 11-a-side competitive fixtures, teams are allowed to substitute up to five players during games. The rules of the competition state that all players and substitutes shall be named before kick-off and anyone not named in the starting lineup who takes to the field of play is considered a substitution. In non-competitive matches, the use of substitutes must be determined before the match begins, except in friendly international matches, where no more than six substitutes may be brought on.

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

Coaches often refrain from substituting defensive players in order not to disrupt the defensive posture of the team. Instead, they often replace ineffective attackers or unimaginative midfielders in order 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 opposed defence line composed of relatively tired players. For a team that is winning a game, a fresh midfielder or a defender can bring more benefit in strengthening the defence against the opposition's attackers (who may be fresh substitutes themselves). In this situation, for the winning team, it is usually imaginative attacking flair players who are replaced by tough-tackling defensive midfielders or defenders.

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

Attacking tactics

One consideration that teams have to make when in possession of the ball, is what degree of risk-taking to impose on attack. Playing with lower margins may constitute higher reward, but is also associated with higher risks, as defensive sides can exploit transitions to their favour with a counter-attacking style of play. Higher margins means more security in ball control, but may also lead to longer periods of play without creating scoring chances. Association football offense requires high levels of anticipation skills in all its participating players, as many decisions have to be made before the actual attacking play is made.

Attacking

Pass and move: Having the ball in their possession, the player needs to choose quickly whether to pass it or not. If they do not pass it immediately, they need to move with it; 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 stationary but moves into a position where he can receive the ball again and give more options to the player in possession. The aim is to create a forward motion by moving the ball across areas where the defence are not (easily) able to create any momentum for themselves.
Give and go: Essentially a type of "pass and move", and an essential part of the "target man" style of play (see below). The player in possession of the ball plays a pass to a teammate and then immediately seeks to move into free space. If the passer can "lose" their defensive marker (either through pace, movement, superior fitness or a lack of awareness on the part of the defender) they are then free to receive a return pass and advance towards the goal and possibly create (or finish) a scoring chance. When the ball is immediately returned to the first player this is known as a "one-two" (in British parlance). A version of this play involving a through ball into space as a return to the initial passer (known as a wall pass

left|thumb|Ex. 1 - Switching sides

Switching sides: The use of a square or cross pass across the width of the pitch to a player on the far side is an effective option for relieving pressure and opening up spaces for the attack. The defending team will have to adjust their positions and this normally opens up space that may be exploited. In this example, the player numbered 1 has moved out of position, allowing more space for the opposing player. By playing the ball to the other side (the curved line represents an aerial pass), the recipient of the pass finds themselves in open space. (See Ex. 1)
Through ball (slide-rule pass): Starts with space identified behind the opponent's defensive line. Passes into this area have a number of upsides: If an attacking player manages to receive the pass while onside, the player may end up with a 1-on-1 opportunity with the goalkeeper, or otherwise be in an advanced position for a wide attack. If a defender intercepts the pass, the outcome could still be good for the attacking team, as they are in a situation near the goal line, which could lead to a corner, a throw in or a turnover. Typically, teams with fast attacking players will try challenging this space. If the opposing team has a slower defence, this may prompt them to keep a rather low back line.

thumb|Ex. 2 - The long through ball

Long through ball: A deep and oftentimes aerial pass from a team's own half or the start of the opposing side's half, intended to go over the heads of the other team's defence. It is meant for the attacking players to chase and therefore they must remain in an onside position until the ball is kicked. The tactic works well with strong and fast forwards who have a good ability to control the ball and create a scoring chance. (See Ex. 2)
Swapping wings: Having two available and positionally flexible wide men at their disposal, a coach might let them interchange positions in the course of a game. The intent is to disarrange opponents assigned to them, possibly leading to opportunities as the opponents try to find their players to cover. Also, if the wingers have different playing styles (one favouring crossing from deep positions whilst the other is prone to trying to dribble past their marker for example), it is a way to take advantage of a weakness in the opponent's coverage. If the wingers have a different foot preference (meaning one is left-footed and the other is right-footed), swapping sides may make for some interesting attacking movement.
In the space between the opponent's defensive line and midfield line (the "hole"): A common strategy of attack is to pass (or move) the ball into the spaces between the opponent's defenders and midfielders. If a pass is made, a midfielder in an advanced position or an attacker in a deeper position will want to receive the ball right between the lines of the opponent. A player can also try to move the ball into this area on their own, at which point they may look for a passing option; alternatively attempting to create a good scoring chance on their own.

Corridors

Sometimes teams tactically divide the pitch horizontally into five corridors instead: Outside left, inside left, central, inside right and outside right. This is among other things reflected in the positional names being used in formations with five midfielders, or five defenders.

Set pieces

Free kicks

thumb|Free kick trickery at work - 1970 - Brasil vs Czechoslovakia: Jairzinho and Tostao of Brasil join the end of the defensive wall, then move off as Rivellino's powerful shot strikes through the gap.

Free kicks are a part of play following a foul or other infraction. Indirect free kicks must be touched by a second player before a goal can be scored, while direct free kicks can be made scored directly. If the free kick is close to goal (within 35-40 yards), the defensive side will often form a "wall" of two or more players in order to block the (expected) shot. In this case, the free kick taker may attempt tricks to beat the defenders. Attackers may attempt to blast the ball through or curl it over or around the wall. A less common trick is to kick the ball along the floor, since the defenders in the wall often jump to try to prevent a shot being curled over them. However, this tactic has become less effective in the modern game, as defending teams usually assign one player to lie down behind the wall to block any low attempts.

If the free kick is close-range but in a less-than-ideal angle to attempt to take a shot on goal, a common method of creating a scoring chance is to cross the ball into the penalty area, usually aiming for a spot in the angle towards the penalty spot, at which attacking players will try to beat defending players to the ball in order for a header or volleyball shot to hit the target. This is common to a corner kick.

Throw-ins

How throw-ins are best handled depends on where it is:

In one's own half the aim of a throw-in may be to retain possession in order to build up the next attack. The throw may or may not go toward the opponents' goal; the most unmarked player may be a full-back who is behind the ball. Such a throw followed by a quickly taken 'switch' pass can be an effective tactic. Under pressure however, the ball is often thrown up the line, toward the opponents' goal line to gain as much ground as possible.
If the thrower is unmarked, a simple tactic is to take a short throw to the feet or chest of a marked player who immediately returns the ball to the thrower.
In the last third of the pitch a player with a long throw can put pressure onto the defenders by throwing the ball deep into the opponents' penalty area, resulting in somewhat similar tactics to a corner kick or a free kick situation, but with the added advantage of avoiding the offside trap that could be used by opponents in a free kick, as an attacking player cannot be offside from a throw in (the same applies for corner kicks).

Goal kicks

A goal kick is an important 'set piece' that will occur many times in a game. If taken quickly the kick may be taken short to a full-back who has run into a wide position. Although this may gain little ground it retains the all-important possession of the ball. A longer kick to the midfield is more common and it is vital that the midfield unit are in a position to receive it. Some goalkeepers may take advantage of no offside rule while taking a Goal Kick to quickly pass the ball to a striker while the opposite team is still repositioning.

Corners

A corner kick (or "corner") is a goal scoring opportunity and it is essential to know who is the best at taking a good corner from both the left and right side of the pitch. A good corner will be aimed high across the goal and may be 'bent' towards or away from the goal. At least one of the forwards should 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 the defence worried about those up front. The player taking the corner kick makes a small pass back to the trash shooter who has time and space to take a good shot.

Defensive tactics

All the outfield players on the field are assigned defensive roles of which depend to an extent upon tactics. In principle, there are two ways of defending, zone and man-to-man. In a zone defence, defensive players mainly move in synchronicity with teammates, whereas a man-to-man defence players mainly moves in relation to opposing players. Hybrids of these two often occur when defensive players have a larger degree of freedom tactically. Another consideration for defensive tactics is pressure width; to what extent teams will let players approach the sidelines when pressing wide as contrasted to staying central.

First, second and third defenders

thumb|Defenders must stop shots from the most dangerous areas

The first defender is the first respondent, regardless of what the opponent in possession does, seeking to obstruct the opponents attacking play. The first defender is usually the player closest to the opponent holding possession, but needs to be at the defending side. This role commonly involves angling the body in an attempt to guide the opponent in a direction preferable to the defensive side. The first defender may also indicate to the rest of the team whether to stay high or back off from pressure.

The first defender will normally keep a distance to the opponent of a few yards, although the exact distance varies for each defending situation. The idea is to pressure the opposing player as tightly as possible without giving them the ability to successfully dribble or feint. In certain cases, the first defender attempts a tackle; however, this increases the probability of being dribbled and passed, so it has to be managed wisely.

Often, the direction that results in the shortest distance is ideal when moving toward an opponent in possession of the ball; however, it may be of value to adjust the defensive movement in order to channel the opponent in a certain direction. Different teams will channel opponents towards different lanes depending on the situation as well as their preferred tactics. For example, a common tactic for a first defender is to channel the opposing player to an area where a second or third defender is located, thus making it safe to lead the opponent there.

When organised, some defensive tactics offer little resistance until the attacking team has reached a certain height on the pitch. The pressure height, or at which field depth the midfielders start acting as first and second defenders, depends on many factors, including team tactics and in-game situations. High pressure teams attempt to win the ball back quickly, The pressure height may be identified by which stage of the opposing team's attacking play the first pressure line of support kicks in. In general, defensive-minded teams will stay lower, minimising defensive risks by compressing attacking space. However, this tactic can creates large gaps in midfield, inviting the opposing team to move forward and take shots from long range.

The most prominent form of "forward" defending, Gegenpressing (, "counter-pressing"), developed by Ralf Rangnick and exemplified by teams managed by German managers such as Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, requires attackers and midfielders to press the opposition immediately following loss of possession.

Quick long-ball counter-attack

thumb|Mullery's first goal for England, Mexico 1970

Counter attacking football involves a team withdrawing players into their own half while ensuring one or two players are committed to the attack, as done by England against Germany in the 1970 World Cup.

Defensive midfielder Alan Mullery began the counter attack by lofting a long through pass over the heads of three German defenders to Keith Newton on the right flank. Mullery then ran forward as Newton produced a diagonal cross to him. Mullery then finished the attack with a goal.

Free-kicks

Free-kicks are a key part of attack and often lead to goals, and often, the attacking team uses trickery in an attempt to fool the defence. An example of this occurred when Brazil faced Czechoslovakia in the 1970 World Cup, when Brazilian forwards Jairzinho and Tostao joined the end of the Czech's defensive wall. Pelé then feinted as if to take the free kick, at which point Jairzinho and Tostão began to move off the wall, creating space for Rivellino to take the free kick and score.

In addition to trickery, free-kicks can confuse defenses when taken quickly or in an unexpected direction, as shown in Brazil's 1970 World Cup third goal against Italy. Brazilian Gerson Nunes took the free kick, approaching rapidly and lofting the ball from the midfield to Pelé, who was positioned near the Italian goal. Pelé then headed the ball into the path of teammate Jairzinho, who easily scored, as Italy's defence was caught out of position, not only failing to neutralise Pelé, but also providing little cover to stop Jairzinho.

Moving into space

thumb|Moving into space: the diagonal run

Moving into free space is one of the most important skills football players develop, and the use of this skill is instrumental in many attacking tactics. An example occurred in the 1974 FIFA World Cup Final, which led to West Germany's game-winning goal. The move began with German midfielder Rainer Bonhof making a diagonal run to the right side of the field. Deep into the Dutch half, Bonhof received a passed from Jürgen Grabowski, dribbled past Arie Haan, and then sent a low cross to Gerd Müller, who scored.

Studies

Although the scientific research field of association football is still in its early days, some interesting studies are emerging. It has for example been shown, that in possession play, successful teams have both longer and more frequent possessions in the offensive areas of the pitch, as well as finding it easier to move the ball into the offensive areas of the pitch, after initiating possession, when compared to unsuccessful teams. As a defensive strategy, research has suggested that being able to consistently pose players immediately behind the ball, as well as in other areas of proximity to the ball indicates a positive correlation with defensive goal prevention both when in and out of possession. Similar methods find their use in predictions and evaluations of matches.

Notes

References

External links

Will the Bulldog's Fall Give Rise to a New Breed of English Soccer? – article on International Herald Tribune] by Rob Hughes (November 24, 1993) (archived)
How will English football develop? on the BBC