Small Group Tactics
Written by Jeff Pill of CompleteSoccerCoach.com
Small group objectives are the same as stated for individual attackers or defenders. Even though small group action essentially boils down to individual actions, there is a better chance that the action will succeed when a well-coordinated group undertakes the task.
ATTACKING
Although an individual scores the goal or plays the ball into a space behind the defenders, they do this primarily as the result of an individual’s defending mistakes. The group, with well-coordinated actions, can force positional mistakes, thus creating an opening for an individual.
The way the group does this is to force a defender to make a split-second decision between two or more positions, both of which can be made wrong. Examples of this will be looked at later.
DEFENDING
Since an individual defender is at times vulnerable, a group of defenders can do two things to improve the defender’s situation:
- reduce the risk of being beaten by providing support and cover;
- isolating the individual defender into a position where their actions are limited and predictable and which favor the defense.
- Defend the dribble, thus conceding the pass; or
- Defend the pass, thus conceding the dribble
ATTACKING
1. Attack quickly before cover for the exposed defender arrives.
2. The player with the ball runs right at the defender, forcing them to commit. Make a simple decision, pass or dribble. This forces the defender to make a choice quickly. Also, going straight at the defender makes it nearly impossible for the defender to get between the two attackers, thus isolating the player with the ball.
3. The player without the ball maintains width so that the defender cannot defend both players at the same time. They bend their run behind the defender. The timing of the run coordinates with the moment the defender gets into tackling range.
4. Anything more complicated than one pass behind the defender wastes time and thus favors the defense.
5. Force a choice on the defender to either:
The basic idea is to make the 2 v. 1 a 1 v. 1 and then quickly play the ball behind the defender and into a 1 v. 0. It is the simplest of all group actions and happens in a matter of seconds.
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