COACHING MODERN FOOTBALL CHAPTER 11: PLAYING BETWEEN THE LINES

 

If opting for a possession game during your game play, then you need to use short to medium passes.

This goes against the usual territory tactic used by most local/amateur football teams but you can use this to your own great advantage.

Playing between the lines refers to playing to open teammates positioned between the lines of the opposition's defense.

Short pass-by-short pass will not gain a tonne of territory, but if you perform these passes with relative quickness and precision, then you can break the first 2 - 3 lines of the opposition defense WHILE gaining territory which can give you far improved field position and a chance to get the ball deep inside your forward 50.

The process is that each short pass before going inside forward 50 drags an opposition player up to man the mark, opening the space they just occupied, and someone can move into it to receive.

Lateral kicks don't do this as you don't gain territory nor do you drag a defender up and out of formation, a defender from the same line simply slides across and you've moved the ball, but not the defense.

At some point the defense will then need to decide to continue to push up and man the mark or hang back, at which point you've now got multiple options to play to. 

This follows the previous 10 chapters:

#1 - Forward Press Defense

#2 - Lane Running

#3 - Midfielder Running Patterns

#4 - 666 Connection

#5 - Exploiting the Stand Rule

#6 - Team Formations

#7 - Creating/Utilising Length

#8 - Center Bounce Clearance

#9 - Forward Play

#10 - Wing Play

It is now available from the register page as a stand alone product which when purchased is then emailed to you in a PDF, meaning you don't have to be a member to gain access.

If you're a local/amateur football coach then you're well aware that apart from your assistant coaches, there is distinct lack of readily available resources form where you can learn about different concepts used in football.

All coaches watch and read about footy and the different tactics and strategies that are used by are left wondering what is it exactly and how can I teach my players to do that?

That exact question is what I set out to answer in this mammoth series.

I'm planning on adjusting my release schedule and up it to 3 chapters a week for the next couple of weeks to get them all out in time for pre-season 2025 for local/amateur coaches.

1 - I want space the release time of each chapter enough to give you time read, digest and then get a handle on each chapter before the next one comes out to ease the mental load compared to receiving all of these chapters at once and then wondering where do I start? 

and;

2 - I also want to make all, or most, chapters available for all coaches before pre-season for 2025 commences so you can factor these new concepts into your plans for next season.

Make 2025 the season you positively turn your coaching practices upside down and re-energise your passion for teaching, coaching and leading your players.