Set pieces are becoming increasingly important, attracting the attention of coaches, analysts, and even fans worldwide.
Now, fans are familiar with the names and faces of set-piece coaches, as they frequently direct players during set pieces on the line.
Coaches have also become more confident in acknowledging the role of set-piece coaches and praising them in press conferences after matches.
This has led to the widespread adoption of various tactics and concepts related to set pieces in the entire sports community, with one of the most important concepts being the “block”.
The general block involves an attacking player sacrificing himself by positioning himself in front of a defender to prevent him from reaching a specific area, the targeted area, or from chasing a particular player, the targeted player.
This has led to the emergence of several concepts related to blocking or hindering the opponent, including the “block” and the “screen.”
Here, we define each term to facilitate understanding of the upcoming details:
- The block involves an attacking player positioning himself to block a defender, such as a zonal defender, to prevent him from getting out to reach the ball in the targeted area; it can also involve blocking the goalkeeper to stop him from claiming the ball before it reaches the target area or to delay his reaction.
- The screen involves an attacking player going to obstruct the man marker assigned to the targeted player, similar to what occurs in basketball.
This article will discuss the block in both forms: the zonal defender and the goalkeeper.
In next months article, we will explore the screen.
As a coach or analyst, you may have asked one of your players to perform a block, but he failed, allowing the defender to escape.
Alternatively, the block might have been too obvious, resulting in it being called a foul, especially since referees have started to show greater strictness regarding this issue.
Rumours have also circulated about new rules in some leagues that classify certain blocks as fouls, particularly against the goalkeeper.
In any case, referees have become more sensitive to this matter.
In this tactical analysis, we will discuss the various techniques and strategies for executing the block effectively while simultaneously avoiding mistakes.
Blocking A Zonal Defender
The Far Post
We will discuss the various techniques and strategies, starting with blocking zonal defenders, depending on whether the targeted area is on the far or near post.
We will begin with the far post and then discuss the near post.
Before getting into many details and variables, we would like to clarify the idea of the block first.
As in the photo below, the blocker ensures that he is fixed and balanced by bending his knee and lowering his hips, making his centre of gravity nearer to the ground.
He also puts his hands to his back to increase stability and keep in touch with the zonal defender at his back, preventing him from moving to the targeted area.
After that, we will discuss various tricks that help the blocker to be effective with less power needed and without committing fouls.
As in the case below, the starting position helps the blockers, so you can find Arsenal’s pack in the area beyond the far post on the blind side of zonal defenders who keep tracking the ball in the air and surprisedly were shocked by the blockers at their backs.
