You are here > Attack

Make your attackers clever

Moving into line with the pass helps midfielders communicate with attackers.

Getting teams playing a passing game is one of the ultimate objects of Better Football Coaching. Players enjoy it, parents enjoy it and you the coach will get a whole heap of good and bad things out of it.

One of the ways to make passing more successful - especially between attackers and midfielders - is to get your players moving into the pass so the passer can see the player and easily pass the ball to him.

When players have to pass in tightly marked areas it is up to the receiver to move into an area he can be reached easily. This is not as difficult as it sounds!

Check out this diagram:

In the top half of the diagram, the white attacker B is standing in a position behind two dark shirted defenders where he cannot receive a pass. He decides on a run across the field but just keeps going. He becomes a difficult target to hit, is covered by the third defender and easy to defend against.

In the bottom example, the white attacker B has run into space where he can receive a pass and then checked back towards his teammate. This is a much easier pass for the attacker A to make, it’s a shorter run for attacker B and
now the white team can easily pass the ball between the two defenders.

With a clever turn attacker B might be able to create a 1v1 or move into an area which threatens the space behind his opponent.

Get tested training drills and skills delivered to you twice a week for free when you sign up to the Better Football Coaching e-newsletter. Click here to sign up today.