The role of full-backs playing in a back four can be one of, if not the most, tactically fluid positions on the pitch. Even within the same formation, across any league on any given matchday, you will see full-backs being asked to take up various positions on the field and...
As the tactical game evolves rapidly, more and more money is spent on teams of analysts, data scientists, and research departments to get ahead in a game of often-narrow margins. Whilst murmurs of football becoming more 'boring' have grown over the last few years, I believe this can be boiled down to the fact...
La Pausa Meaning ‘La Pausa’ is a term commonly used in football. La Pausa literally means ‘The Pause’ and describes a player's ability to slow down the game's pace, take control of the ball, and assess the situation around them. What is La Pausa Football? La Pausa is a technique...
In the modern game, pressing is more than just a defensive strategy; it's a proactive method of creating goal-scoring opportunities. As discussed in the tactical theory ‘Unlocking Goals Through Pressing: Celtic’s High-Block & Motherwell’s Mid-Block Tactics’, effective pressing structures can vary drastically in their approach. From Celtic's high press, designed...
With teams often electing to press high in the opposition's defensive third, having a goalkeeper with long distribution who can put the ball accurately behind the opposition's backline can cause all sorts of problems for opposing teams. With clever positioning and complementary movements by forward players, long kicks from the...
What Is Low Block Defending? Low block defending, where a team is set up to defend in their shape with numbers behind the ball in their own defensive third, is seen in almost every game of modern football. This can be part of a deliberate strategy to sit deep and...
What Is The 3-5-2 Formation? The 3-5-2 is a formation that can enable efficient possession-based build-up play while offering effective long-ball solutions. Having three centre-backs can make switching the point of attack easier and allow the centre-backs to escape and break the first line of opposition pressure. Especially when playing...
Inverting the central centre-back (CCB) under Rúben Amorim has become a major talking point for Manchester United. Many questions have been asked about why the Portuguese tactician takes this approach and its pros and cons. Our Rúben Amorim tactical analysis and back-five tactical theory article analyses Rúben Amorim tactics, comparing...
There are many highly effective principles for attacking opposing defences in the final third; two of these principles are the overlap and underlap. These two principles are among the most important weapons used by full-backs or, occasionally, centre-backs. Teams aim to exploit the width of the pitch to attack their...
In this tactical analysis, we will explore the five types of off-the-ball movement that Marcelo Bielsa identifies and teaches as the foundation for generating passing lines, sustaining ball circulation, and breaking defensive structures. For Bielsa tactics, the game is not limited to the ball possessor; the active and conscious participation...
In elite football, the difference between an average touch and a game-changing action often lies in what happens before the ball arrives. Modern midfielders are not just distributors. They are interpreters of time and space, constantly scanning their environment and adjusting their body shape to play at the highest possible...
Rondo and possession exercises are now staples in most modern football coaches' repertoires. They can, and should, be used throughout the season. However, they can be particularly useful to coaches during pre-season as a way to break down the components of a particular game model while providing enough intensity to...
A few days ago, we analysed the playing style of Renato Gaúcho’s Fluminense and Fluzão's remarkable performance at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The team captured attention not just for reaching the semi-finals — eliminating Inter Milan and Al Hilal along the way — but for the way they...
As coaches prepare for the upcoming season, implementing a cohesive pressing system is crucial for teams seeking to control games when they do not have the ball and when trying to force the opposition to play into areas they feel they can exploit. Working on a variety of pressing options...
Inverted full-backs are a relatively recent innovation in football. Understanding them and their prominence fully emerged during Pep Guardiola’s spell at Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. During his first season at Bayern in 2013, Guardiola realised the impressive technical proficiency of Philipp Lahm and his ability to play in a more central role. Over...
With pre-season football fast approaching or already underway for some teams, small-sided games are valuable tools for increasing intensity, preparing players physically for the season, and reinforcing tactical concepts. The three small-sided games included in this tactical theory can be incorporated into training sessions, aiming to improve wide players' understanding...
What is Zone 14 In Football? In football, the pitch is divided into several zones in various ways. For this following tactical analysis, we will use the following division and definition for Zone 14: “On a pitch divided into a six-by-three grid with a central strip as wide as the...
Defending crosses is one of the most detailed tactical analysis topics, with numerous differences between different teams and coaches' ideas. The details of defending crosses begin with each defender's ability to either mark an attacker or cover a specific space. It differs from defending with either four or five defenders due to the...
The “art of defending” is something pundits like to claim has been lost in recent years. Whilst some “street-wise” elements may have left the game, along with changes in how games are managed by referees, defending now is arguably far more intricate than ever before. In addition to being expected...
In the modern era of football, the term 'overload' is typically applied to pressing or attacking actions. The term is essentially used to describe when a team creates an advantage, such as a numerical advantage, over the opposition in certain situations to achieve their goal. The objective may be different. In the context of...
