Football Tactics & Systems: Mastering Game Principles

Football Tactics & Strategy: Core Concepts

The Role of a Tactician

A tactician's role involves sorting and ordering players within a team, setting the team's approach in motion, and preparing to gain an advantage in attack or defense. This includes analyzing opponent history and regulating the team's form of play.

Game Organization Fundamentals

• System: Refers to the starting positions of a team on the field, influenced by the coach, before the ball is in play.
• Tactic: Encompasses all offensive and defensive actions used to combat or counteract an opponent during a game while the ball is in play.
• Strategy: Involves all actions designed to develop a favorable game outcome or neutralize any ball release, such as set pieces.

Evolution of Football Systems

Football systems have undergone significant changes throughout history:

• In 1874, formations evolved from 1-1-2-7 to 1-2-2-6.
• The game transitioned from a more individualistic style to collective passing. Queen's Park was notably one of the first teams to effectively use short and long passes with support.
• Play evolved from holding back forces to the 1-2-3-5 (pyramidal) system.
• From 1920 onwards, systems like 1-3-2-5 or 1-3-3-4 became common.
• The 1930s saw the emergence of advanced tactics, including the "WM" formation (1-3-2-2-3), famously associated with Herbert Chapman.

Core Fundamentals of Football

Key principles that underpin effective play:

• Constant attention to the ball.
• The goalkeeper is often considered the first attacker and defender.
• Every player has a role in both attacking and defending.
• The ball moves faster than any player.
• Creating density implies ball possession, not just occupying open spaces.

Learning Systems and Tactics

Understanding and practicing tactical elements involves different stages:

• Movements: Practiced in small spaces to refine individual and small-group actions.
• Developments: Applied on a large field with no or passive opposition to understand broader team shape and flow.
• Actions: Implemented in actual game situations to test and apply learned concepts under pressure.

Types of Actions

• Joint Actions: These mix several principles, where offensive and defensive play coincide from beginning to end without interruption, involving all participating team members.
• Combined Actions: In these, only a part of the team is involved in the play, focusing on specific unit interactions.

Offensive Principles: Tactical & Strategic Play

These are tactical and strategic actions developed by a team in possession of the ball:

• Off-the-ball movement (dismarking)
• Creating space and splitting the defense
• Utilizing space effectively
• Controlling the pace of play (tempo)
• Direct attack and counterattack
• Support and permanent aid
• Wall passes
• Tempo control (temporizations)
• Ball conservation and game control
• Changing speed and direction
• Speed and game progression
• Observation and scanning (monitoring)

Defensive Principles: Tactical & Strategic Play

These are tactical and strategic actions developed by a team when the opponent is in possession of the ball:

• Marking
• Sweeping
• Covering
• Pressing
• Defensive switches and rotations
• Permanent defensive support
• Surveillance
• Tempo control (temporizations)
• Tackling and intervening
• Anticipation
• Interception
• Closing down