Football tactics

Image Source: Cartoon Movement | Gatis Sluka

I’ll start this post with a light-hearted apology to my dear friends and other readers who, upon seeing the title, are already rolling their eyes. “Soccer? What do you mean? It’s football!” I hear your cries and trust me; I get it. After all, I grew up in Nigeria, where the word “football” is as sacred as jollof rice at a family gathering. But bear with me—I have my reasons. Back in my secondary school days, we played a lot of football—or, as we liked to call it, soccer. Yes, you read that right. We were the kids who thought we were too cool for “football.” I mean, we even refused to call akara or kosai by the names everyone else used, insisting on the far more sophisticated “Bean Cake.” So, when my friends wanted to hit the pitch, they didn’t say, “Let’s go play some football.” No way! They’d say, “Let’s go tap soccer!” It was a whole vibe. So, for nostalgia’s sake—and maybe because I now live in America, where “soccer” reigns supreme—I’ll be sticking with “soccer” for this post. But rest assured, my football-loving heart is still very much intact.

Now, onto the main event: why am I writing about tactics in soccer? I’m no tactical genius, but I’ve been playing in a Division 3 league, and let’s say I’m itching for more wins. We’ve got some incredible folks on our team, but when we stack up against other squads, the odds aren’t always in our favor. So, what’s a desperate player to do? Dive headfirst into the world of soccer tactics, of course! I’ve been reading, researching, and obsessing over formations, marking strategies, and every other tactical tidbit I can find to help my team squeeze out that extra edge and, hopefully, leave the other teams in the dust. It also helps that, at various times, our team captain and coach have referred to me as the Assistant Coach (though sometimes I’m just the assistant to the assistant coach—but you get the picture). My team has all the right personnel; hence, I am optimistic that slight adjustments to playing style and approach will propel us to several victories. So, should we go all-in with a high-intensity gegenpressing strategy (that’ll be hard to keep up)? Stick to long balls? Or maybe build up from the back like the pros do? And what about formations—4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1? The options are endless!

As I write this, I’m also reminded of my final year in secondary school, when I spent countless hours playing Football Manager with my close friend, Bamshak, and my roommate, Dama. We would obsess over tactics, trying to determine how to gain an advantage. Admittedly, much of the game was about playing the market to build the right squad, but how you put that squad together, and the game plan mattered just as much. For old-time’s sake, below is a picture of me and Bamshak. You can probably guess what we were discussing. Let me help you—we were playing Football Manager on a Saturday (we went to boarding school) when we lost power (in Nigeria, frequent power outages were the norm). So, we finally decided to step outside and ended up sitting by the basketball court, discussing tactics and how to maximize our chances of winning. What a wonderful time that was.

Mubbie and Bamshak

As I’ve already said, I’m no expert, but I’m learning as I go, and I want to share some of what I’ve uncovered. In this post, I’ll dive into tactical divisions of the pitch, phases of play, positional play, marking strategies, and a few other exciting things I have learned about tactics in soccer. So, stick around, enjoy the read, and share your thoughts on different vital tactics and considerations in soccer. And as an excellent introduction to the positions players take on the pitch, check out this video as well as this one to get a quick overview of formations.

Basic Soccer Pitch Zones

Divisions of a Soccer Pitch

Image Source: Scientific Reports Journal

The soccer pitch is commonly divided into zones to better understand and strategize play. The two most basic ways to divide the pitch are the 4-zone division, with dividing lines running from sideline to sideline, and the 5-channel division, with dividing lines running between the end lines.

4-Zone Division

The 4-zone division mirrors the progression of play, starting from the goalkeeper and advancing toward the opposition’s goal. The zones are as follows: Starting (Build) Zone, Progression Zone, Unbalanced (Penetrate) Zone, and Goal (Finish) Zone. These zones aren’t fixed to specific areas of the pitch but shift depending on the opposition’s shape. Typically, each zone begins just behind the opposition’s line of defense.

This division ties into the “phases of play” in soccer, which include in possession, out of possession, transitions, and set-pieces. I’ll focus on the in-possession phase here. It usually starts from the back, with the team in possession occupying the Build Zone. The team pushes the ball up the pitch, often at a high tempo with quick, short passes, offering support to the ball carrier. After bypassing the opposition’s first line of press (where the opposition applies immediate pressure to regain possession), the team enters the Progression Zone, attempting to break through the opposition’s block and move toward the Goal Zone. The Progression and Unbalanced Zones are often considered a single unit, making up the middle third of the pitch. In these zones, the team aims to advance into the final third, usually sending the ball to wingers or strikers in the Unbalanced Zone to create scoring opportunities in the Goal Zone. Some tactics might skip the first two zones entirely, with the goalkeeper sending long balls directly into the Unbalanced and Goal Zones—a common strategy in long-ball tactics. Teams employ various techniques to advance through these zones, such as forming triangles to create clear passing options.

5-Channel Division

The 5-channel division divides the pitch into the wings (outside right and left lanes), half-spaces (inside right and left lanes), and the center lane. Typically, one attacking player occupies each channel, maintaining a presence across the pitch. The players at the back use this structure to advance the ball forward, creating opportunities to score by exploiting the channels.

Other Division Methods

Beyond these basic methods, more sophisticated ways to divide a soccer pitch exist. One such method is the 18-zone division of the pitch, as shown in the image below:

The pitch of play divided into 18 zones

Image Source: Frontiers of Psychology

This more detailed division helps players better understand their roles and positions, allowing them to adapt based on the opposition’s strategy. Ideally, no more than two players should occupy the same zone simultaneously to cover the pitch’s full depth and width. Zone 14 is considered the most dangerous in this division because most through balls and critical passes tend to originate from here. Controlling this zone has been proven to increase the chances of scoring goals. It is considered a vital distribution zone and the prime spot for sending balls into zone 17, where most goals are scored from. You can learn more about the importance of zone 14 in these articles: What is “Zone 14” in football?, How to create chances through Zone 14 and this video: Why is Zone 14 Important in Football?.

Even more intricate is Pep Guardiola’s 20-zone system, which optimizes for positional play and ensures that every player knows where they need to be and when. While I won’t delve deeply into this system here (a few words cannot do justice to the zoning strategies used by the soccer genius Pep Guardiola), here are some excellent resources to explore: How Pep Sees Football Differently | What Separates Pep Guardiola | Pep Guardiola’s 20 Zone System, Vulnerable channels and 20 zones: the tactics behind Guardiola’s title win. Even in Pep’s tactics, zone 14 remains crucial, offering midfielders the best opportunities to generate goals.

Now that we understand how the pitch can be divided let’s explore the phases of play in a soccer game.

Phases of Play

The phases of play in soccer can be divided into four main categories: In Possession (Attack), Out of Possession (Defense), Transitions, and Set Pieces. When a team is in the In Possession phase, they progress through the pitch, starting with the build-up from the back, moving into the progression phase through the middle, and finally reaching the attack phase in the final third of the pitch. In this final stage, the team focuses on creating and executing goal-scoring opportunities.

For each of these three In Possession stages, there is a corresponding Out of Possession stage that mirrors it, defined by the ball’s location on the pitch. A team may be in a high block stage when pressing the opposing team as they attempt to build up play. In the high block stage, the team maintains a high defensive line and a compact shape to win the ball back. If the pressing line is broken, the team reshapes and falls back into a mid-block stage, where the defensive line stays relatively high to prevent the opposition from advancing toward their goal. Finally, in the low block stage, the team adopts a more intensive and deliberate defensive approach, maintaining a compact shape to prevent the opposition from making dangerous attempts near the goal.

Teams are generally either In Possession or Out of Possession, and the moments when the ball changes hands constitute the Transitions phase. This can be an out-to-in transition (defense to attack) or an in-to-out transition (attack to defense). These moments of transition are very brief but crucial. If a team loses the ball, they must quickly decide whether to initiate a counter-press to win it back immediately or to delay the opposition’s ball carrier while rapidly falling back into a defensive shape. Conversely, the team that has just regained possession must decide whether to counterattack immediately if the opposition is unbalanced or to transition the ball out of pressure to reestablish possession and build up to an attack.

Finally, the Set Pieces phase occurs during free kicks, corner kicks, penalties, throw-ins, and sometimes kickoffs. Every attacking set piece has a corresponding defensive setup. Set pieces are critical moments in the game, as they determine how a team positions itself and prepares to defend or take control of the ball to launch an attack.

Optimizing Tactics: Some Strategies and Methods

Now that we have a basic understanding of pitch divisions and the phases of play in a soccer game, we can dive into some intriguing tactical nuggets that teams use to optimize their chances on the pitch. First, we’ll explore some defensive strategies before moving on to broader team tactics that shape the game.

Defending Tactics: Keeping the Opposition at Bay

Man vs. Zonal Marking

Defending is an art in soccer, and marking is one of its most crucial elements. Teams often choose between man and zonal marking depending on their defensive philosophy. In man marking, defenders are tasked with shadowing specific opponents, ensuring that the opposing team’s key players are tightly marked. This can be incredibly effective against star players who can turn the game on its head with a single moment of brilliance. On the other hand, zonal marking focuses on covering areas of the pitch rather than individual players. This approach helps maintain the team’s shape and prevents gaps from opening up in the defense. A great example of zonal marking can be found in the Italian team’s famous catenaccio system, which is built around a tight, organized defense that prioritizes space over players. Both systems have their merits, and teams often use a combination of the two to adapt to different situations on the pitch. While reading and writing this post, I stumbled across various resources, particularly about the Italian catenaccio system. You can watch this video to see Italy’s beautiful defensive organization and movement in Euro 2016.

High Defensive Line

Another critical defensive tactic, especially in modern soccer, is playing with a high defensive line. This strategy involves pushing the defense further up the pitch, effectively compressing the space available for the opposition to play in. It’s a hallmark of teams that like to dominate possession and press aggressively, like Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool or Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Learn about their tactics in this video. The high line is a double-edged sword; it can suffocate an opponent’s build-up play, but it also leaves space behind that can be exploited by quick forwards. One spectacular failure of this tactic is in this poor-quality but helpful video of Borussia Dortmund taking advantage of FC Bayern Munich’s incredibly high defensive line.

Parking the Bus

At the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the infamous tactic of parking the bus. This ultra-defensive approach involves setting up deep in one’s own half, with many players behind the ball to frustrate the opposition. José Mourinho’s Chelsea utilized this tactic at various times in their title-winning 2014-15 Premier League season, maintaining a low block defensive position and preventing opposing teams from penetrating. You can learn about their tactics in this video or this analysis of a Chelsea vs Barcelona game.

Team Tactics: Shaping the Game

Total Football

Now, let’s move on to broader team tactics that have revolutionized the game. Total Football, pioneered by the Dutch in the 1970s, is all about fluidity and versatility (for instance, in the 1974 World Cup). In this system, players are not confined to specific positions. Instead, they move freely across the pitch, with the understanding that another player will cover their position. This requires immense technical skill and tactical awareness. Johan Cruyff’s Ajax and the Dutch national team were the epitome of Total Football, with players like Ruud Krol and Johan Neeskens seamlessly switching roles to create a dynamic and unpredictable attack. Fictionally, AFC Richmond deployed this tactic in the Apple TV+ Series: Ted Lasso (strongly recommend).

Positional Play

In contrast to the fluidity of Total Football, positional play—often associated with Pep Guardiola—emphasizes structure and discipline. Players are expected to occupy specific zones on the pitch, ensuring the team maintains its shape and effectively controls space. This approach allows for better ball circulation and quick pressing when possession is lost. Guardiola’s Manchester City squad have become masters of positional play, using their precise passing and spatial awareness to dominate games and create scoring opportunities.

Tiki-Taka

Building on the principles of positional play, tiki-taka is a style that prioritizes short, quick passes and movement to keep possession and patiently break down the opposition’s defense. Popularized by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and later adopted by the Spanish national team, tiki-taka is a mesmerizing blend of precision and patience. The 2010 World Cup-winning Spanish team is perhaps the best example of tiki-taka in action, where players like Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets dictated the tempo, slowly but surely wearing down their opponents before delivering the killer blow. Learn more about it in this video.

Build-Up Play

Central to many of these tactics is the concept of build-up play. This involves carefully moving the ball from the back through the midfield and into the attack, often through a series of short, controlled passes. Build-up play is designed to maintain possession and create openings in the opposition’s defense. It’s a systematic approach, contrasting with the more direct styles that rely on long balls or quick transitions. Teams like Manchester City under Guardiola or Barcelona under Guardiola and Luis Enrique have perfected build-up play, using it to draw opponents out of position before striking with lethal efficiency.

Gegenpressing

Finally, we come to gegenpressing, a tactic that combines intense pressing with quick transitions. When a team loses possession, they immediately press the opposition to win the ball back, often in advanced positions. This strategy, championed by Jürgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, is about quickly regaining control and catching the opponent off guard. The 2019 Champions League semi-final between Liverpool and Barcelona is a masterclass in gegenpressing, with Liverpool’s relentless pressure forcing Barcelona into mistakes and leading to one of the most dramatic comebacks in football history. See an analysis of that game here.

Each tactic has its own place in the rich tapestry of soccer strategy. Whether it’s the fluid dynamism of Total Football, the meticulous precision of tiki-taka, or the relentless intensity of gegenpressing, these methods help teams optimize their performance and outmaneuver their opponents on the pitch. Understanding these strategies enhances our appreciation of the game and provides valuable insights into how the world’s best teams consistently find ways to win.

Closing

Writing this post has been an absolute joy—I’ve loved diving deep into the tactics that make soccer so fascinating. It’s been a rewarding journey, from revisiting old memories to discovering new strategies. I focused on the parts I found most interesting, but there’s so much more to explore. I hope you keep digging deeper into this beautiful game.

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts and any tactics that have caught your eye. Until next time, keep enjoying the beautiful game! ⚽

References

And resources to learn more from:

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