Tactical Theory: Build-Out Lessons And How To Train Their Principles Of Play (From Pep Guardiola, Roberto De Zerbi, & Kim Hellberg)

The main and most important aspect of the build-out is to produce a better quality of service for front players. Stewart Robson in an ESPN analysis on why teams build out.

Think of service as attacking opportunities.

Playing out of the back isnt simply a means of keeping the ball for its own sake or building play through a seemingly endless sequence of short passes.

The build-out aims to create better attacking conditions higher up the pitch.

In this tactical theory piece, well not only cover how to coach build-outs, but also design our exercises based on principles of play.

The idea is that starting with principles of play will lead to better session development and clearer coaching points that are more broadly applicable than scripted patterns.

We want to build game intelligence by showing our players which objectives we are trying to accomplish and teaching them how to construct play for various variables.

This tactical analysis will relate the ideas to tactics, including extending the oppositions lines vertically and the art of overloads to unbalance the opposition.

Finally, well discuss the principle of control.

Extending The Lines Vertically To Create Artificial Transitions

Lets start with the build-out objective thats most prominent right now: extending the oppositions lines vertically to manufacture artificial transitions.

The fundamental principles here involve baiting the opposition into becoming unbalanced high up the pitch, disconnecting the midfield and defensive lines, and creating an intermediate or long passing option into the forward line.

That pass into the forward line offers a high degree of variability.

Whether thats playing centrally to a checking #9, a long diagonal into the wingers, an intermediate-range pass to the #10 between the line,s or a ball over the top, this build-out draws the opposition high up the pitch to create better attacking conditions for the highest players in the system.

In order to draw the opposition high up the pitch, the in-possession team must offer an enticing prize.

Take the ball from us in your final third and attack the goal with limited opposition.

Dangle the bait that the opposition deems worthy of taking.

What the defending team assesses as a high degree of risk, the attacking team must see as a means of manipulating the oppositions lines to create a vertical imbalance.

Thats what cues opportunities to play forward.

Roberto De Zerbi Tactics At Brighton

Perhaps no team in the world does this better than Roberto De Zerbis Brighton.

To entice opponents to commit numbers forward, Brighton appears to take a great deal of risk at the back.

However, this assessment of risk is subjective.

For a team well-drilled in keeping the ball at the back and having a clear understanding of when to play forward, who to target, and how to deliver those press-breaking passes effectively, the risk is minimal and the reward is maximal.

In the early stages of build-outs designed to unbalance the oppositions lines vertically, a strong rest defense structure is a necessity.

Aim for the best outcomes, but prepare for the worst. Positioning of the players at the back is of supreme importance.

They must be prepared for a loss of possession and a quick recovery in defensive transition.

This is where Brightons central square, between the two centre-backs and the double pivot, gives them security against a deep loss.

One other note on the image above is the positioning of the remaining six players, which helps determine where the ball is going next.

The outside-backs take up wide positions to stretch the oppositions lines along the x-axis.

The central attacking midfielder, right-forward, and centre-forward all take up more central