Fielding Strategies

•  Ultra Conservative Defense- not designed to win games, but to avoid losing or losing by huge margins (see sometimes in pool play during tournaments)

•  Defenders play man to man coverage with free defender on patrol

•  Some teams perfected it, including quick counterattacks to surprise the opponent

•  Total soccer or the Dutch Whirl- teams orchestrate much of the attack from the midfield

•  Defenders could go up and join the attack while forward could move back and play defense as needed

•  Can be seen in indoor soccer as a common system of play

•  Long ball passing aka Boom Ball

•  Unimaginative way to play the game, options are limited

•  Tactic is good when team is trying to tie a game because it's the quickest way to move the ball upfield

•  Sometimes benefical in muddy conditions (the English)

•  Short Passing- perfected by the Brazilians, usually playing in a triangle of players who pass the ball to one another to move the ball up the field (give and go's)

•  Allows attacking team to play some defense and maintain possession

 

Formations - the way a team lines up its defense, midfield, and forward line at the beginning of the match

 

•  Dozens of formations, new ways devised

•  Soccer is a fluid game

•  Defenders are listed first, midfielders, then forwards

•  Use the best formation for the team to accentuate its strengths and hide its weakness

•  4-4-2: one of the preferred formations

•  4-3-3: utilizes a sweeper-considered an attacking formation

•  4-2-4: most offensive-minded formation, Pele made it famous

•  3-5-2: game is lost or won in the midfield making this a popular formation, outside midfielder may help out more defensively

•  For Indoor Soccer, these strategies are not seen.

•  Usually have 1 or 2 forwards, 2-3 midfielders and 1-2 defenders

•  Constant changing of positions

•  It is important to have some stay back on the defensive half