Pass and Move Football

Overall Forward Movement

Check the overall forward movement of your players is balanced by using the table below, which shows scores for each player role/duty that can be added together to give an overall penetration score, solidity score and support score.

Add together the scores shown for each role/duty and compare to the targets shown at the top of each column. If your total scores are below the targets then consider adjusting roles/duties as appropriate.

For example, you can increase your penetration score by moving a player to a similar role/duty in a more advanced position, increase your solidity score by moving a player to a similar role/duty in a deeper position and increase your support score by moving a player to a similar role/duty in a position closer to the M(C/R/L) positions.

Pass and Move Football Example Tactic

Modify this example tactic for your team or create your own. Then check your pass and move football tactic using the System Analyser and Style Analyser and see how it performs in matches.

Team mentality: Positive

Team passing directness: Shorter Passing (one notch up)

Formation:

• 4-1-4-1 DM Wide – neutral
  • 4 Ds / 1 DMC / 2 MCs / 2 AM(R/L)s / 1 STC

Player roles and duties:

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Forward movement scores:

• Penetration score = 1.0 + target = moderate
  • Left side = 2.0 + target = high
  • Right side = 0.0 + target = low

• Solidity score = 0.5 + target = low to moderate
  • Left side = 0.5 – target = low to very low
  • Right side = 1.5 + target = moderate to high
  • Retaining solidity in the defensive third may be difficult on the left-hand side. If the Box To Box Midfielder is not tracking back effectively after possession is conceded then a Central Midfielder (Support) could be used instead.

• Support score = 1.0 + target = moderate
  • Left side = 1.0 + target = moderate
  • Right side = 1.0 + target = moderate

Other team instructions:

• Play Out Of Defence
• Use Offside Trap
• Higher Defensive Line

Team instructions added to balance risk:

• Work Ball Into Box
• Dribble Less

Offsetting Contrasting Player Instructions

Contrasting player instructions given by roles and duties:

• Run Wide With Ball (2) – Complete Wing Back (DL Support) and Complete Wing Back (DR Attack)
  • Offset by the Cut Inside With Ball PI (2) – Inverted Winger (AML Attack) and Inside Forward (AMR Attack).

Balancing Risk

Before adding any team instructions to balance risk there are many more higher risk in possession instructions than lower risk in possession instructions, as shown below.

Notable higher risk in possession instructions include:

• Positive team mentality
• Play Out Of Defence TI
• Stay Wider PI (2)
• Roam From Position PI (4)
• Cut Inside With Ball PI (2)
• Dribble More PI (5)
• Take More Risks PI (5)
• “Use more creative freedom” (6)

Notable lower risk in possession instructions include:

• Shorter Passing team passing directness
• Run Wide With Ball PI (2)
• Cross From Byline and Cross Less Often PIs (2)

“Notable” instructions include all team instructions, and player instructions which are given to two or more players (excluding ignored player instructions).

Therefore, the Work Ball Into Box and Dribble Less TIs, as lower risk in possession instructions, have been added to balance the use of higher risk in possession instructions.

The Dribble Less team instruction also specifically offsets the Dribble More player instruction.

The Lower Tempo or Much Lower Tempo TIs, and the Narrow or Very Narrow attacking width TIs, could be used to further decrease risk in possession if desired, although decreased tempo is set automatically to some extent by the team passing directness.

Ignored Player Instructions

Player instructions ignored in the above example analysis are shown in brackets below the roles/duties.

Ignored player instructions include:

• Hold Position – 3 is typical so the first 3 are ignored.
• Dribble Less – 2 is typical so the first 2 are ignored.
• Shoot Less Often – irrelevant for D(C/R/L)s instructed to Hold Position, so they are ignored.
• Stay Wider – 1 off-centre M/AM/ST(C) on each side instructed to Stay Wider to provide support to a lone D/WB(R/L) offsets the narrow formation, so they are ignored.