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Advanced Soccer Tactics

Make sure you are familiar with fundamental soccer tactis and strategy, before indulging into the following articles on formations, different styles of play and complex tactics. It must be emphasized that as a coach, one should empirically evaluate and judge every play on its own. Don't abandon what works just in order to enforce what is supposed to work. Only through empiricism can you draw effective generalizations on what is right for your team.

Advanced Soccer Tactics
Tactics used by the top teams today have grown increasingly complex. Nowadays, individual weaknesses in the opposition are researched ahead of time and exploited through strategy. Players have to specialize in a particular position which they begin learning from an early age. A coach is supposed to balance the players on his own team according to their attributes while keeping in mind the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. This is no easy task. What has been included on this site is only a small fraction of the study on soccer tactics and the understanding of collective strategy.

The Art and Science of Passing

This section examines the different types of combination plays and supporting runs used in soccer. For more on the subject, make sure you go over the techniques and individual strategies used in passing.

From the wall pass to group combinations
Understanding the rudimentary types of passes and how they work is fairly simple. Coordinating multiple player combinations is complicated. The following articles not only explain what a particular combination is called, but also show examples on how they're applied in common game situations.
By reinforcing at practice how and when to execute these combinations, their use will become commonplace. Players will intuitively pickup and understand what their personal function is in each given play.

Basic Passing & Support

Checking back to the ball

Wrong: When checking back to the ball, it is important to move towards the distributor at an angle. If you run straight in his direction, you are closing your teammate's options as well as making it easier for the enemy defender. Right: By approaching your teammate at an angle, you are "pulling" the defender to the outside while introducing width to the play. The person checking back is usually expected to make eye contact as he initiates the run.

Passing to a marked teammate

Wrong: If your teammate has his back to the enemy goal and is being marked he can't follow where his opponent is. By simply playing the ball in his direction, you are risking possession. Right: Ideally, you should direct the ball to your teammates' foot that is opposite of the marker. This way the defender cannot intercept the ball. In addition, the pass will hint your teammate as to where his marker is.

Direct versus fake runs
Direct Run: Beating your opponent with a direct run requires good timing. If the defender reads the play, it will be difficult to beat him. Fake Run: This is a more cunning variation of the direct run. Instead of running straight forward, head back as if you are checking to the ball. This dummy run will only work if the defender is marking you tightly.

Soccer Combination Plays

Turnover play
Basic: The turnover play is useful in close quarters, especially around the enemy goal. As the pass comes in, the decoy attacker lays it off immediately while blocking his marker off the ball. Dynamic: This play is commonly used in basketball. In soccer, it usually occurs when a teammate is dribbling in your direction.

Wall pass (a.k.a. One-two)
The wall pass is the simplest (but nonetheless very effective) combination play in soccer. The "one-two" combination incorporates three fundamental attacking principles: -move immediately after you pass the ball -check towards the ball instead of waiting for it to arrive -when pressured, lay the ball off at first touch

Double wall pass
The double wall pass is nothing but an extension to the original wall pass. Ideally, you should be trying to incorporate more teammates into the attack.

Coordinated plays
Smart players think two passes ahead. In order to be more threatening in offense, you must start your penetrating/supporting runs suddenly, instead of waiting until each pass is completed.

The Square Pass

Square pass support from the back
This is your basic square pass supporting run. By lining up to the player with the ball, you are making the defender's job more difficult. In addition of trying not to get beat, the defender must also be wary of you as a passing option.

Overlap run
An overlapping run adds width to the play. This is a very good offensive tool because it pulls apart the enemy defense. As the enemy defensive line is stretched horizontally, piercing passing lanes will usually open up.

Support from the frontline
As unnatural to inexperienced players as it may seem, running back to show support is commonly done at the highest levels of the game. Notice that by dropping back, the attacker brings along his marker. This play will often create the opportunity for a wall pass combination between the ball carrier and the retrieving attacker.

Checking back to the side line
This is a strategic run that not only adds potential depth to the attack, but also pulls an enemy defender out of the current play.

The Back Pass

The back pass as an offensive weapon
The back pass is important in preserving possession of the ball, but it can also be used to initiate some dangerous attacking combinations. When a player is pressured in the Events of the pitch, his direct forward options are limited. It is important to provide back pass support anytime the ball is out on the wings, especially when playing in the opposing half of the pitch.

Turnover play
Even although this is a turnover play, it can still be considered a back pass. When analyzing strategy and tactics, we must look at what the players are trying to do rather than how they go about it.

Back pass support as a defense tool
When this play starts, black is in possession of the ball. By giving a safe back pass option, the player in the middle also ensures that if his teammate loses possession, he can provide backup. After the left player loses the ball, the black team rotates and assumes the same defensive formation.