Zigzag Passing
Zigzag passing refers to quick combination passes through midfield. MORE
Steer and Storm
Steer and Storm is a tactic used by teams to regain the ball in a particular area of the pitch. MORE
Aggressive Marking
Aggressive marking is the term used when a defender is marking on the shoulder of his direct opponent, i.e. he is positioned next to, rather than behind, the attacker. MORE
Channel Side
Channel side is a defending tactic used up by a central defender, which positions him closer to the touchline than his direct opponent. The defender will also be on the shoulder of the opponent and in a supporting position behind the team’s full back. MORE
Blindside Run
A blindside run is a move made by an attacker that a defender doesn’t see because he is busy watching the ball. MORE
Teaser Passes
A team will play short teaser passes to lure opponents out of position, force them to chase the ball and suck them into one area of the field. MORE
Horseshoe
Horseshoe is the name given to the tactic of passing the ball around the defensive line from one side of the pitch to the other. MORE
Tumble Dryer
Tumble dryer is a term used to describe random movements by players of an attacking team in central areas of the pitch. The tactic is used specifically when opponents are sitting deep inside their own half. MORE
One Touch Kill
A one touch kill is a quick first-time pass that gets a team out of a pressured situation caused by the opposition. MORE
Back Foot / Front Foot
The foot furthest away from the ball is known as the back foot. MORE
Right Hand / Left Hand
Right hand and left hand are terms used to describe the passing options of a player in possession. MORE
On the Shoulder / Off the Shoulder
Off the shoulder is a term we use to describe being detached from your marker and positioned behind them. This is important when your team is in possession and moving through midfield. MORE
Inverted Winger
If a left-footed wide player plays on the right wing, or a right-footed player plays on the left wing, he is described as an inverted winger. MORE
Overlapping Run / Underlapping Run
An overlapping run is when a player runs on the outside of a team mate who is in possession of the ball. MORE
Transition
Transition refers to how a team reacts to winning or losing possession of the ball. MORE
Rotation
The movement of players either while in possession of the ball or defending is known as rotation. MORE
Off the line
Off the line describes a wide player who moves from a wide area into central areas to receive the ball. The term refers to his movement off the touchline. MORE
Between the Lines
Every team formation has different lines (sections of the team) that lines up with the way the team is playing. MORE
Defensive Diamond
A defensive diamond is created when a team’s midfielder drops back from midfield towards his own goal (also known as dropping deep) to form a diamond shape with his goalkeeper and two centre backs. MORE
Open Shoulders
Open shoulders refers to a player’s body position if he is facing a team mate ahead of receiving a pass from him. MORE
My U11s players want to swap positions
in Other
“Some of my Under 11s want to swap positions just as I had found them the perfect places to play. Should I agree?” Answer In a word, yes! It’s a tricky one, but the long and short is that we’re all in youth coaching because it gives kids enjoyment, plus a sense of contributing towards... MORE
9v9 3-4-1
in Other
Coaching a team who are about to step up into 9v9? Now is a good time to delve into starting formations. In this third part, DAVE CLARKE looks at 3-4-1… MORE
Live Webchat – Wednesday 17th July
in Other
Hello, I’m Dave Clarke.Below you can find a replay of my live webchat where I discussed all things coaching and tried to answer as many of your questions as I could!SCW chat MORE
Formation option for seven a side soccer teams
in Other
Formations are the blueprint for your football (soccer) team’s tactics. Within those formations your players need to exploit their positions to be successful. Here I look at the pros and cons of a 2-2-2 formation at 7-a-side and how it works. This 2-2-2 formation is a balanced formation and easy for young players to understand.... MORE
