If your 7v7 team treats goal kicks like hot potatoes, just punting the ball upfield and hoping for the best — you’re not alone. But what if I told you those few seconds after winning a goal kick could be your biggest opportunity to teach your players composure, decision-making, and real tactical awareness?
Playing out from the back isn’t just something for professional teams with perfect pitches and TV cameras. It’s one of the most valuable habits you can start building right now — even in 7v7 youth soccer. We’ll break down what playing out from the back really means, why it matters at this level, and how to do it in a way that makes sense for young players.

How do you Play From The Back in 7v7?

Firstly, let’s set the stage. 7v7 is usually played at U10 or younger in the US. This is relevant because we will assume that players can only kick to about half the field. If this is an adult league and players can pass anywhere on the field, then the story will be different. This is because I would advise that if there is a high press of the opponents with 4 or 5 players high up, you should always try to find your attackers up front and give them a chance to score a goal. In fact, if you have a player at U10 that can distribute these passes, do that. I have seen it once where the goalkeeper could pin a pass anywhere on the field. That changed our tactics to avoid high press when he had the ball. One more detail for the context of this analysis. We play in a 2-3-1 formation and the opponents also play in 2-3-1 formation for now. We will discuss how to adapt to different kinds of press later in the article.

Our formation gives us numerical advantage at the back, with two defenders and goalkeeper against the one striker. Why is it that hard to break from it then? If the opponents are not playing high press or at least not successfully, there is not much we need to do. However, at youth levels, the technical abilities are often not developed across the players, same as the positional knowledge or discipline. So, high press is extremely effective, compared to professional games.

Usually the opponents start closing the other passing options and from 3v1 it becomes 3v3 or even 3v4. The wide players on our team cannot receive the ball with the passing lanes closed, while both the central midfielder and the striker are also marked tightly. If we ask the players to position rigidly in their positions, waiting for the ball, they will likely be exposed.

Principles for Playing from the Back

Some coaches want to coach patterns, but I prefer coaching principles first. The reason is that patterns are faster, but they are not scalable. I change one parameter, such as the opponent’s formation or the moment we switch to 9v9, and everything falls apart. Instead, I prefer to coach principles – coaching the “why” before the “how”. Here are the most important ones to coach at this age.

Principle 1: Be available and want the ball

When you have only 6 teammates on the field, you have to be either available for the ball or be one touch away from it. In the situation earlier, you saw that the defenders tried to convert a 3v1 into 3v4 by cutting out the passes to the players they were marking. As a teammate, you want to change that and become part of the game again. So, maybe the wingers will drop lower to be able to receive that pass. Or the central midfielder will move sideways to open a channel for the pass. Soccer is a team sport, you need to make the life easier for your teammates.

Principle 2: Anticipation is more important that physicality

The true speed in soccer comes from the brain, not just the feet. Let’s look at a simple play. The central defender on the right received the ball. The striker is blocking the pass to the central midfielder and rushing forward, one of the winger is blocking the pass wide, while the other one is closing in on the other defender. The elegant solution is for a soft ball into space for the central midfielder who will find the winger who is already running forward as a third-man and we are off to a quick counter attack forward. In order for all this to happen, you need at least the central defender, the midfielder and the winger to all anticipate the movement of the defenders and of each other. If the ball is passed into space, but the receiver is clueless about their role, it will not work.

Principle 3: Booting and long pass are not the same

If the defender in the previous situation can kick the ball far enough for our striker to receive it, they should always do that. Obviously, if the striker can just go and score after receiving the ball, then that’s the fastest path to the goal, which is what we always want. However, if they can’t just turn and go to goal, it’s still much better to break the lines. We did a deep dive on breaking the lines, so check that out. In a nutshell, the striker can drop the ball to any of the three midfield players, all of whom are running forward and facing the goal. That the is the north star. Also, it pushes all the opponents to sprint back and try to cover, instantly breaking the high press of the opponents. Do this several times in a game and they will just stop pressing with the same intensity, knowing that they have to sprint back because of these passes.

Principle 4: Attract, then exploit

The previous example showed how to break the high press. But what if there is no high press? Oh, there will be. It is nearly impossible for U10 players to stay so disciplined without the ball and keep a low block. Even if they stay in shape for some time, one by one they will get restless and stay off position. But it’s easier for the team in possession to wait a bit longer for this uncoordinated pressure to come. At that point, the objective is to find the free player, usually the one that was supposed to be marked by the undisciplined defender. The goal of playing out is to invite pressure to create space further up the field. You’re not just passing to pass, you’re manipulating the opposition.

Context change when Playing from the Back

I talked about principles and not patterns. Does that mean that these principles work if some assumptions have changed? How can we adapt our game patterns based on what we are seeing in the soccer game context? Let’s look at what changes and what doesn’t.

Playing from the Back against different formations

The build-out structure depends on the opponent’s pressing shape. If the opponents were pressing with two strikers in a 3-1-2 formation, then we might do something different. Our goal is not to pass to our defenders, but to progress the ball forward in possession. So our defenders can drag the strikers for a high press while we distribute to our wingers that are wide open. Maybe the goalkeeper can do a straight pass or use the central midfielder or the striker for it.

Trigger and Pattern Recognition when Playing from the Back

Trigger recognitions are the AI of youth sports. The experience trains the mental models to recognize what will happen next based on other games and the current game, too. Several years ago, I was coaching youth team. We were playing against another team that always distributed to their right center back who always tried to pass to their right winger. They kept repeating the same thing on each attack. After seeing that 3 or 4 times in a row, our team adjusted. Also, I just moved our right winger to help on the press where the ball always went. The opponent didn’t change for this. It was simply too easy to win every single ball with numerical advantage and predictability. I assume that the other team had only one practice where they repeated this pattern and didn’t have time to work on another solution. The issue is that the players did everything right as agreed before, but you can’t place a rigid pattern in the wrong context and expect to work.

Escape Routes when Playing from the Back

Escape routes are premeditated. The parent do yell boot it on the first sign of danger. The coach believes they are the reincarnation of Pep Guardiola and demands no booting and only tiki-taka. Who is wrong? Both! The player should make a decision, there is no game controller to be operated by the parent or the coach. The player should know the escape routes like a passenger on a plane. Even before they are in position to need them. The player should know that in addition to the perfect passes. There is also the progressive dribble forward or carrying the ball away from the opponent until the opportunity for a pass shows up. Trying to determine what is safer, riskier or risk-worthy at the moment of high pressure is very hard. But if this is discussed at practice, then we enable the players to keep composure when they are under pressure.

Errors when Playing from the Back

Final thought – playing from the back leads to mistakes, right? Absolutely. The main reason why we must coach playing from the back, is because we want to limit those mistakes now. Some players will be in situations where the team will just play long balls, or the opponents will keep low block the entire game. But we want to give them tools to handle the other situations. You don’t want to have a large gap in the toolbox where the opponents know that every time they press it leads to a goal scoring opportunity. These mistakes are more normal at the very young age, so it is much easier to handle them.

Remember – teach the principles and the patterns will come.

Have you ever wondered why overlaps and underlaps often look like useless motions to keep players fit? They rarely work the way you think they should, so it’s just players running around in some patterns. Let’s break down what the end objectives and options are, how you can have effective overlapping and underlapping runs, as well as what drills can be effective to coach this.

What is an Overlap?

In a nutshell, overlapping run is when a player further away from the goal runs forward on the outside of their teammate. Let’s use a winger and a fullback as the ball-carrier and the runner, respectively. Often times, the winger has the ball, which leaves two attacking options to the them – pass to the runner, the fullback, into space or cut on the inside.

If the overlap finishes with a pass, then the runner will try to outrun the defenders, or cross the ball, or cutback to a free teammate. Either way, the momentum should give the advantage over either their original defender or the defender of the original ball-carrier that helped.

If the overlap didn’t result in a pass, it might have meant that one or both of the defenders dropped deep to cover, leaving the ball-carrier with options to cut in or dribble. Either way, the overlap can still be considered a success if it created this opportunity for the player with the ball to have a clear shot on goal.

Does overlap work only when the winger has the ball? Absolutely not! Here’s another setup with the winger not having the ball, but instead the striker receiving the ball. The winger cuts in, while the fullback does an overlapping run. The defenders are all confused. Should they track the winger, who can shoot more centrally, or the fullback, who can exploit the space behind the last line? All this without either of them having the ball.

What is an Underlap?

What about underlapping run? You hear it much less, but it can be just as effective. This run uses the half space. If the winger has dragged their defender to the flank, and the striker is staying with the central defender in the middle, then the half space is empty. A run from attacking midfielder or even the fullback can really bring danger. The ball can be either with the winger or the striker. Either way, both of the defenders recognize the danger in case the underlapping runner receives the ball in a clear position to shoot at goal.

Both overlapping runs and underlapping runs are stretching the defenders and are splitting lines, as well as pushing the offside traps lower. On top of that, they create space by leaving areas, dragging defenders deeper and breaking the defensive formation. Check out the channel for detailed videos on these topics.

How do you Coach Overlaps and Underlaps?

Let’s structure the drills into three categories – unopposed, semi-opposed and situational games. While drills should strive to be as close to the game situation as possible, there is a benefit of putting more constraints for certain period of time. The first four drills are solid warmup drills, often repeating before a game for muscle activation or at practice, but also a way for players to get familiarized with overlap and underlap. I usually introduce them as finishing drills, because the final step is to strike the ball. Note that you shouldn’t do them in the same practice, or even the same week. Give them some time to get proficient in the overlapping, before they do the underlapping drill.

Here are the first two drills, essentially doing only 1-2 passes. You only need two players to do them, which means you can even do a variation of them when you do individual practices, where you as a coach are one of the players. Note that these will become boring very fast, so it’s just a stop gap until you move to the next two – one for overlap, one for underlap.

Unopposed Drills

The overlap drill starts with one midfielder passing to the striker, the other midfielder already sprinting towards the striker to receive the ball. Then the first passer does an overlapping run to receive the ball on the flank only to cross it to the striker. Then the midfielder stays back to be the striker and on it goes.

The underlap starts similarly. However, once the second midfielder receives the ball, the first passer cuts to make a run between the two teammates. They can then do a one-touch finish. With that structure in mind, you can keep the striker and second midfielder in place and only rotate them from time to time.

Coaching points for Overlaps and Underlaps

What are the coaching points in these two drills? The most important thing is to understand the timing. For example, in the second one, the first midfielder firstly jogs toward the striker, then it changes direction towards the other midfielder or even stops. Then there is some sort of communication, like eye contact. Then they change of pace and direction, straight sprinting into the space. It is important for runner to understand that this change of pace and direction is enough to escape their defender if done right.

Also, for the passer to understand that the timing and weight of the pass is crucial. A slow ball that the runner has to wait for is useless, same as a late ball that will leave them in offside. If the ball is too strong, then it would go out of bounds or the goalkeeper would intercept it. When running unopposed drills, you as a coach must set the standard of excellence. It is hard to set the fake urgency and give the feedback like you make up opponents, but that’s why you are the coach.

Semi-opposed Overlapping and Underlapping Drills

There is a gap between being familiar with the overlapping and the underlapping runs, but not being proficient in them. In that case, you want to have semi-opposed drills. I will suggest two of them. The simpler one is just a 3v2, with focus on the runs. If you do a similar setup as the unopposed drills, you will need to change very little. The player with the ball will either have a free option for a pass or free space for dribbling. Unlike the previous drills, the players in this drill will need to make decisions based on the defenders. When executed well, the striker can even receive on half turn and progress immediately to shoot. However, more often they will look to distribute. The only restriction I usually do is give 6 seconds to take a shot on goal. You don’t want endless passing and dribbling in a 3v2 situation. It should look like counter-attack.

We can’t always assume that there will be space, so now we will get into something that looks like a low-block situation. We will set a 5v5 situation, but we will limit the movement of the defenders. Only one defender can be outside of the penalty box at a time. So if a player pressed on one side, it needs to come back inside the box so that another player can press once the ball has moved. That way the overlapping and the underlapping runs are easier, same as the crosses.

Game-like drills for overlaps and underlaps

Finally, have a situational game, focusing on the final third. Of course, you can coach them when playing from the back, but it’s less common. You can have 6v5 situation, trying to attack in the final third. The attackers will need to stretch the field, making underlapping and overlapping runs. Also they will switch the ball quickly and utilize the third man. You can find a detailed video about the third man pattern on the channel. However, your focus here will be to use the concepts of overlapping and underlapping to displace the defenders. For example, a winger must stay wide to stretch their defender or get a free cross otherwise. If that doesn’t happen, then an underlapping run must come soon to stretch the field.

The Third-Man Principle is all about creating passing options within the playing zone by adding a facilitating passer and exploiting space in ways that break down defensive structures. Third Man Run is about shifting the playing area. Move the ball into a place where the dynamics are more favorable for your team as there is a running player.

What is the Third-Man Principle?

The Third Man Principle is a tactical concept that revolves around creating an advantage by using one player to indirectly support another in possession. To put it simply, it’s about finding ways to create a passing triangles. One player makes a run to support a teammate, and the third player in the triangle (the “third man”) provides an unexpected passing option.

Basic Example

Let’s walk through an example. Imagine a scenario where Player A has the ball and is looking to pass to Player B who is in a good position to reach the team objective. Normally, the pass to Player B would be blocked by a defender. But Player C—who’s positioned just a little off to the side or behind—makes a run to receive the ball from Player A.

Player A doesn’t pass directly to Player B; instead, they pass to Player C, who then plays the ball to Player B. The key here is that Player C is not under pressure. The defender is left scrambling, trying to cover multiple options. This quick, unpredictable movement can create space and break down defensive lines.

Playing from the back example

Let’s give few situations of how the third man run can be utilized. Firstly, we’ll start with playing from the back. A simple pass from your goalkeeper to the central defender. Then you want the next one to be from your defender to your fullback, as it is a bit higher up the field and also safer and less crowded on the side. However, the opposition winger knows that and is blocking that pass and starting to put pressure on the defender. Instead, the central midfielder comes into the empty space and just needs to do a one touch pass to the fullback. That’s it. This is the bread and butter of playing from the back.

Final third example

Let’s look at another example, where the passing lane is not blocked, but the pass is impossible because the defender is pressing high. We want our winger to receive the ball from our fullback, but they cannot in this setting. Instead, we utilize the creative midfielder that does something similar as before, but in another area of the field. In this case, the moment the ball is passed to them, the defender is often stunned and trying to see where the ball is going or even starts to move towards the central area. The winger then starts to make a run and the defender is at least one step behind, often way off. The ball goes into space and the problem is solved way more elegantly than beating the defender 1v1.

What is the Third-Man Run?

The third man run is when two teammates look to be playing a one-two, but another teammate is making a run to receive the ball in a more dangerous area. In a very generic example, say we have a 2v2 situation in the central area. Then a player that makes a run in the wide area means that they have already won against their opponent and is just missing the ball. So we move the ball to them. Why would is it easier for them to beat their opponent? Because the human psychology makes their defender focus on the playing area. They either come and help the teammates to make a 2v3 situation, or they simply relax for a moment thinking that the danger is not there. Either way, it is a favorable situation for our third man. To get the timing it might be a one-touch pass or a delayed pass with La Pausa to invite the pressure and create space. We will run through three examples to illustrate this at different areas of the field.

Examples

If we start from the fullback and pass to the centerback. Then the winger keeps the pressing and cuts the passing lane back to the fullback. That press by the winger changes the playing area and takes our fullback out of it. Then the centerback passes to the midfielde. Now the midfielder passes into the fullback that made a run forward in the meantime. This pass made the playing area move there, with the fullback already on the run forward.

Here is another example of the third man run, way more devastating for the opponents. The focus is all in the middle with the striker looking for help from the midfielder to do 1-2 passing. The midfielder can even yell “1-2”, but then once it receives the ball, they find the runner on the wing. All eyes were in the central area. Unless the fullback was so diligent to track the runner on time, this can be an easy goal. The coordination between the winger and the creative midfielder falls apart.

Here is one more special case, where the striker wants to use the midfielder for a combination. However, after the pass and the run, the striker doesn’t get the ball and is in offside situation. Then the whole world kind of freezes. The defenders are thinking that they have solved the threat by holding the offside line. However, the pass to the third man in the wider area unfreezes the attack and the striker is back in action as the second pass can go to them.

What do you need to make good Third-Man?

The crucial elements of both the third man principle and the third man run are the off-the-ball movement, the vision and the exploiting of the space.

Off-the-ball movement

…is crucial. In the third man principle, the third man coming in as a facilitator needs to find the perfect timing when they will be available to receive and pass the ball. If they are too early, the opponent will adjust and potentially intercept the ball or the pass will not longer be available. If they are too late, then the teammate with the ball will be under too much pressure. Similarly, for the third man run, a well timed run is essential, so that we can create a dynamic advantage. Too early and the third man gets covered or ends up in offside. Too late and the ball is lost or moved somewhere else on the field.

Vision

… is the other key characteristic of these patterns. Vision is not about players that can see other players, but it is to see several steps ahead, like in chess. In the third man principle, the player needs to see the objective of the two initial players and their obstacle. Then they need to see how getting into the empty space can change the perspective. Finally, how the steps will evolve from then on. Similarly, the third man run is exactly that – a run. The vision of the passer and the runner is seconds ahead, where they need to see what will happen if they coordinate their movements together. The vision is built over time and experience, by playing soccer for years and years and seeing what is possible and how to make it happen. Naturally some players are more talented in seeing this, but it is also a trained skill.

Exploiting space

…is the secret to both the third man principle and third man run. We talked about changing the playing area by moving the ball. But in order for that to happen, the players off the ball need to create a favorable situation before the ball gets there. Exploiting the space is exactly that. For example, leaving the space empty is important, so that the space can be exploited at the right time. This can be the space for passing or for the run behind. Either way, understanding the space is vital.

Can you see the Third-Man in Pro Games?

One of the most iconic uses of the Third Man Principle is in the way Barcelona used it during their tiki-taka era, especially under Pep Guardiola. The movement of players like Xavi and Iniesta was a textbook example of the Third Man Principle. They were constantly working off each other’s passes and positioning, pulling defenders out of position, and creating extra options for the ball carrier. It would often look like they were passing to each other with no purpose. However, at one point you will see the wingers, such as Villa, Pedro or Henry, or even the wingbacks, like Alves and Alba, making a run on the wing and before you know it the third man run creates a perfect opportunity to score.

That is a textbook example of using both the third man principle and the third man run. However, I challenge you to watch a game. Whenever you see players playing from the back, you will see the third man principle. Also, you will see runs that hard-working players make even when they don’t get the ball. The expectation for them is that they will get the ball once every 5 to 10 runs. However, all they need is one perfect play in the final third and the goal scoring opportunity is there.

How to coach?

There is a reason we are still talking about the Xavi and Iniesta style of play, even though we haven’t seen them play in Barcelona for the last decade. It is not normal to find players that are technically dominant, have world class positional awareness and possess exceptional vision.

However, you do need to coach these concepts, as both Xavi and Iniesta have been coached at the famous Barcelona academy called La Masia. At the very young age, you should coach playing from the back and that might be the first time they will see the usage of the third man facilitator player. These will become recognizable patterns for the players, but it will take years of repetition and variations to become second nature.

You will need to have overloading drills, where the attackers will outnumber the defenders. This is because the natural moves for players might be to dribble or to pass back. Instead they can make overlapping runs or even underlapping runs that will naturally create the third man situation. If you are trying to change that, then the pressure has to be decreased a bit. Not completely, but sufficiently enough to give some time and direction to the players to find these opportunities. To counter this numerical overload, you can restrict the attackers not to be able to pass back to the same player.

Summary

To sum it up, the Third Man Principle and the Third Man Run are game-changing tactics that relies on intelligent off-the-ball movement, quick decision-making, and exploiting space. Whether you’re a player or coach, understanding and implementing this principle can improve the fluidity of your team’s attacking play and help break down defensive lines.

Next time you watch a game, pay close attention to how teams use the Third Man Principle and the Third Man Run to create space and opportunities. It’s a subtle, yet incredibly powerful aspect of modern soccer tactics.

Imagine you can pause or even slow time. For 90 minutes, the mind is racing, the heart is pounding. The opponents are pressuring you, your coach and your teammates are always asking for more, faster and stronger. You can’t hear anything from the yelling on the sidelines and you are scared to make a mistake. Then you see a player that looks like they have all the time in the world. They take their time to pick the right pass, do the right trick, take the simple, easy shot on goal. They create La Pausa. How do they do that?

Speed is everything in soccer. But not always the kind you think. Sometimes, the smartest move… is to pause. “La Pausa” — the art of holding the ball just long enough to let your teammates move into smarter positions, to invite pressure, and to open up space that didn’t exist a second ago. Let’s break it down from individual, team and defending point of views.

What is La Pausa?

“La Pausa” is a Spanish term that translates to “the pause.” But in soccer, it’s not about hesitating—it’s about controlling the tempo of the game. Traditionally, it describes a moment where a player intentionally delays the next action—whether it’s a pass, a dribble, or a shot—not because they’re unsure, but because they’re waiting for something better to happen.

A simple example: A midfielder receives the ball from the back and could pass again right away—but instead, they hold for a second. That pause gives time for an attacker to make a more dangerous run, or for a defender to step out of position, or a winger to cut in. This moment of stillness creates disorder for the opposition and opportunity for your team.

Making sure we are clear – a situation like this is not an opportunity for la pausa. At least not a smart one. If the midfielder has an opportunity for a clean pass to the winger to play 1v1 to the goal, that should be executed immediately. The entire team is working to get a 1v1 or 2v2 situation close to the opponent’s goal. So if the midfielder holds the ball for too long instead of passing, then it’s a lost opportunity, not la pausa.

Now, soccer stars like Juan Román Riquelme, Andrés Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets made careers out of this skill. They didn’t just play the ball—they made defenders make decisions first. As you might guess, two key factors are the technical abilities of these players and the awareness or scanning. However, there is also one more key component and that is the trust of their teammates. Teammates need to make runs when they know that there is a little chance at the moment to receive the ball. The player with the ball often looks like they are not aware of their teammate making a run. However, the belief that the player with the ball can find the right pass is key.

Attributes of La Pausa Masters

Let’s look at the three aspects of la pausa. Firstly, the individual with the ball must be able to hold onto the ball. That’s why I try to minimize the one-touch rule in my drills. Instead, every drill is a one touch if the context is right, but it’s as many touches as it’s needed if the situation asks for it.

To improve the ability to hold onto the ball, I like to play king of the pitch, where everybody starts with a ball in a size of about the penalty area. Once a ball goes out, it’s out of play. All players without a ball tries to get a ball from somebody else and tries to keep that ball, so they stay with the last ball in play. This can be fun and useful for 5 years old kids, 15 year old teenagers and even 35 years old adults.

The second aspect is to have awareness, and to think before you receive the ball. It’s hard to make a smart decision if you start looking around you once you have the ball. You need to control, dribble and protect the ball, so if this is the first time you start looking for teammates and opponents, then start thinking what your options are, it’s probably too late. Imagine if there is a fullback making a run from deep, but you will need to pass to them in few seconds, not now. Do you think you will be able to see them and make that pass once your defender is onto you and your first touch have not set you up to do that pass? I don’t think so.

For coaches, if you want to design a drill, set a 5v5 in space where you cannot pass back to the same person. However, a way more important than anything, I tell my players to go and play pickup with the only objective of making sure that they can see all the players all the time. I don’t care if you are attacking or defending. Keep rotating your head to see all the players all the time. It should become like breathing to you. Your positioning and decision making will improve dramatically and everything else will become easier in the game.

The third aspect is about inviting pressure to yourself. Sometimes, your teammates have not moved and have not created an opportunity for that killer pass. The opponents have also dropped deep and are kind of still. At this point you did what you wanted, which is to take your time and freeze the game. The moment you move forward and dribble, it’s a cue for your teammates. They will need to move at the same time, creating opportunities all at the same time. You will drag defenders on you, but our teammates will also create chaos.

My favorite drill setup is of 6v4 plus GK. The numerical advantage will naturally create the defensive side to be a little more compact and less pressing. The three central midfielders will need to slow the game down and create the La Pausa. And at one point, switch the dynamics and get into an aggressive attack.

Is there La Pausa in Defense?

Ok then. We covered the La Pausa, but an astute soccer player like yourself might ask – what about in defense? What if I wait for the attacker to make the first move? Well, that’s called containing and is the most common thing in defending. Of course, you can press, especially in the opponent’s half. But containing is what we do in our own defensive third. We slow the game down and we wait for the attacker to make an error before we challenge them. So, no, we are not going to call La Pausa something that is so common. The reason why La Pausa has not spread is because it’s rare and it takes special talent and education to do well. Also, containing is taught in every club at every level. Coaches asking for players to get rid of the ball as soon as possible is yelled at even at recreational level when they are 5 years old. So, no wonder you can’t see La Pausa often – the players have been educated specifically not to do that. Enough ranting there. It felt good to get it off my chest, but also bad for the state of player development.

How to create La Pausa as a Team?

Let’s talk about creating La Pausa as a team. We kept talking about individual brilliance. Can we create this as a team? Yes, of course. I will give two very common examples. We talked extensively about breaking lines in another video on the channel. Say we are trying to break a high press. If a defender passes to the striker, who makes an easy drop to a midfielder, usually they have lots of time on the ball. This is because the defending midfielders dropped back because of the danger of the striker with the ball. This is the moment, when most attacking midfielders will try to push immediately, thinking there is a momentum. However, often times the momentum is against them with most of the opponents sprinting back to their goal. Instead, they can wait an extra moment for them to start pushing up again with a press. La pausa in this case is done collectively – entire midfield and defensive lines are moving back and forward, and it is almost certain that somebody will make a mistake.

You might say – this is way too specific, but I get it. It’s about inviting pressure and betting that the opponents are impatient and not disciplined. Can we utilize this even further? Of course. There is an old saying that “we are old too soon, and wise too late”. Don’t forget that soccer at the highest level is played by players between 20 and 35 years old. And let’s not get into the youth players. They are reckless, follow instructions for few moments only, are constantly encouraged for running a lot, and also are often more arrogant than confident.

If they play low block as a team, they start getting anxiety within 20 to 30 seconds without the ball. The opponent is passing the defensive line and all of a sudden the striker or the winger start to chase the ball all the way to the goalkeeper. If we can drag few players out of position like that, make them tired, while the rest of the team is confused if they are still playing low block or high press, then we are miles ahead of the opposition. So, our team needs to take advantage of this. If we can create this La Pausa as a team where we pass in our backline lower and lower, until either a long ball or a counter-attacking opportunity opens up, then it’s almost unfair how easy it would become to create chances.

The core of the pausa is to maneuver time and space, which is often interchangeable in soccer. You get more time on the ball by having more space, by positioning where to receive the ball. You get more space by creating time, by good first touch control into free space, pass into space and long pass. The player who creates La Pausa needs to both find the right positioning and have control and awareness to execute it. Maybe it will look like they are passing short only to find the third-man making a run on the far side. So, to maneuver time and space, they need to be in the right place at the right time, and, very importantly, be able to execute things very fast. The importance of the technique cannot be understated.

Defending La Pausa

The last segment is about how to defend against it. Firstly, low block means low block – if you’ve agreed to low block defend, don’t get restless. Secondly, marking is more important than tackling in team defending and if you have left your player unmarked, then you or somebody else will have to do heroic tackling instead. Why make it complicated, when you can keep it simple.

Finally, when you hear people talking about players like Messi and how the teams defend against him, they often say that they just hope God would help them. Of course, it’s a funny answer, but really you cannot defend Messi everywhere on the field. Now he is a bit older, so you hope you can make him tired by pressing him all around the field. However, for prime Messi that is not an option. Instead, your team should effectively let him do whatever he wants for two thirds of the field. Let him dribble all day in his own penalty box. Don’t press him, it will not work. Don’t let him drag your defenders out of position with la pausa. That’s what he wants – drag a defender out of position, pass by him which drags two other defenders out of position and all of a sudden the defense looks like Swiss cheese.

Defending la pausa is both emotional and psychological challenge. So the next time you’re coaching or playing, remember: Speed kills, but timing is what creates space. “La Pausa” isn’t just about slowing down—it’s about shaping the game around you. It’s about being calm in chaos. And when done right, it makes the whole team smarter.

Protein is one of the most important nutrients for soccer players – not just for building muscle, but also for recovery, endurance, and injury prevention. While full meals play a key role, it’s often protein snacks that make the difference on busy days packed with training, matches, or travel. The right snack gives players a quick, effective, and often delicious way to stay fueled and ready to perform.

What is the best protein snack for soccer players?

When looking for protein snacks for soccer players (and parents or coaches shopping for them), you should keep a few things in mind:

• High protein content (aim for at least 8–10g per serving)
• Clean ingredient list — the fewer artificial ingredients or added sugars, the better
• Easy to digest — especially before or after a match
• Portable and practical — they should fit in your soccer bag and not require refrigeration
• Taste — because if it doesn’t taste good, you won’t want to eat it consistently

With those factors in mind, here are our top 5 protein snack picks that are perfect for soccer players of all levels.

Plant Vital Vegan Protein Power (Chocolate Flavor)

The Only Bean – Roaster Edamame Beans

Pongo Salted Caramel Protein Spread

Munk Pack Probiotic Protein Bar

Perfect Bar

Time to buy the ideal protein snack for soccer players

Whether you’re coaching young players who need an extra bit of motivation, playing pickup at the park or playing at a high level yourself, these picks offer quality, convenience, and the nutrients you need to stay at the top of your game. Get the protein snacks for your soccer players that will make them perform better, run longer, and feel better while playing soccer. Stock up, keep a few in your bag, and make fueling part of your routine — your body (and your game) will thank you.

How come some players are caught offside all the time? Do they not know better or is the other team doing some tricks to get them there? Let’s do a complete analysis of how to set offside traps and how to avoid getting into one. We’ll talk about the types of an offside trap you can do as defenders, and soccer hacks on how to avoid getting caught into them.

What is offside?

When an attacking player who is involved in the play is closer to the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender at the moment the ball is passed to them, the referee gives a free kick against the attacking team at the spot where the player received the ball. Let’s unpack that a little bit. The line we are measuring is a straight line parallel to the goal, not the shortest distance. The second-last defender rule includes the goalkeeper, which means that if the goalkeeper has run out, then we need another defender between the attacker and the goal to be a legal position. Finally, the moment of decision is when the ball is passed, not when the ball is received.

Therefore, the player in offside has to be part of the play, meaning that if that player is not receiving the ball or interfering with the play, it is not an offside. Also, if the ball is ahead of the player that will receive it, then it cannot be offside because the offside line cannot be behind the ball. There are also several exceptions to the offside rules. A player is not offside if they are in their own half of the field at the moment of the pass being sent. Also, the player is not offside if the pass is sent from a goal kick, corner kick or throw-in. However, the offside rule holds when it is a pass from a free-kick because of a foul, for example.

What is an offside trap?

An offside trap is a defensive tactic used in soccer to catch opposing attackers offside. It involves the defenders working together to step forward in unison at the right moment, pushing the attacking players into an offside position.

What can be done by defenders to leverage the offside rule? When the defending team anticipates a pass, the last defenders can step up and move the imaginary line of offside up. That way the receiving player will be in an illegal position even if they don’t move. We are not talking about attackers being oblivious of being in offside or making a run way too early, but a deliberate plan to put an attacker in an offside position.

How to create an offside trap?

There are essentially three ways to create offside traps. Let’s start with the simplest one, because it depends only on one defender. However, that player has to be the last player on defense. Say we are in a 2v1 situation. The defender keeps giving up space and only slightly slowing down the player with the ball. The defender needs to make it look as if it is back enough for the player without the ball to be onside. Then the defender identifies that the dribbler kicked the ball too far and cannot make a quick pass. The defender sprints forward to create a pressing 1v1 situation with the ball playing attacker because a pass will be essentially an offside situation. The defender has to stay tight on them, because the time where this 1v1 situation will be available is small, as the other attacker will come back onside in the meantime. Similarly, if there is a pass back, the defender should step out to leave that player in offside.

Hold the line as a team

The second type of offside trap is when the entire team does this, usually coordinated by the back line of defenders. The anchors that define the offside line are the two central defenders in a backline of four. Or the middle central defender in a backline of three. As we talked in other videos about positionings, one player is always the aggressor and the other one is the cover. The aggressor often tries to stop the striker from receiving the ball to their feet. So the striker might want to make a run behind them. The cover drops deeper to anticipate any through pass and often that means that the striker will not be in offside. However, if the cover sees that a sprint forward will leave the striker in offside instead of dropping even deeper and allowing a 1v1 situation.

Offside traps from set pieces

The special case for offside traps is the set pieces. While coordinating the offside traps looked complicated in the previous examples, set pieces are usually simpler. The defenders form a line and the player closest to the ball is the anchor. When the ball is about the be crossed to the penalty area, the defenders often drop to make sure it’s safe. However, if well coordinated, the defenders can actually step up and leave most of the players in offside. We have seen that many times done by professional teams, often leaving over half of the other team in offside situation. However, they need to be very careful that somebody from the opponent team that was not in offside has not made a run.

Offside traps from corners

The extra special case is the corners. While there are no offsides from corners, once the ball is delivered, the defenders often need to step forward quickly, so that any danger from second ball or third ball will be considered offside. This might mean that from an initial 7v8 situation inside the penalty area, it will become a 4v8, which is much easier to defend.

How to beat an offside trap?

That is the fun part where a player is behind the offside line when the pass starts. But they receive the ball behind it, essentially moving the offside line forward. Firstly, we will give several scenarios about how you can beat it individually by doing the correct runs. Then we will talk about how you can help your teammates beat the offside trap without touching the ball. Finally, we will talk about genius team plays that we have seen to beat the offside traps.

Timed run to avoid the offside trap

The simple timed run is like this. The player makes an average run, then changes pace and direction and the ball is sent into space. It’s simple, it works when executed correctly, but that’s not always easy.

Timed run with an overlap

What is often easier is to make this run on the flanks. The defenders tend to stay compact in the middle of the field. In fact, a typical overlapping or an underlapping run comes with a pass into space that essentially moves the offside line.

Run sideways until the pass is sent

Instead, what sometimes happens is that the player runs, but doesn’t get the ball on time. The player then has to keep the pace, but must not get into offside. So changing direction again until the right moment to sprint behind is needed. Note that the defenders will hold the line, so they will not be able to catch up.

Run back onside while defenders think the offside trap worked

However, sometimes it’s too late and the player passed the offside line. In the mind of the defenders they are often gone, but that’s not the case always. We have seen many players getting back onside just for a moment, but then with pace get back forward.

Drag your defender to move the offside line

Sometimes we see players making runs that will never get the ball for. It might look weird, but then you see that the offside line got moved just because of that run. That allows a player somewhere else close to the offside line to not be offside.

Be a decoy inside the offside trap

Another option is that the player will run too early into offside position. Then a ball will look like it’s coming towards them, which will make everybody think it’s a clear offside situation. Instead, the player doesn’t touch the ball and another runner comes and picks it up.

Stay inside the offside trap until a teammate beats it

Now, if we know that it is much easier to beat the offside trap in the wide areas, how can we use that in our advantage. We have seen the striker often lurks slightly into offside with the hope that they can jump onside in the right moment, then sprint forward. Or that the wide player can drag their defender and move the offside line. However, the top teams wouldn’t do that. Instead, what they do is that once the ball is passed into space on the wings to beat the offside, the striker is no longer offside, but is ahead of the opponents and an simple cross becomes an easy goal.

How to coach offside traps?

Coaching offside traps is not easy. It comes with lots of talking to the players throughout the years of their development. However, as the offside rule is not intuitive, we need to expose the players to it a lot. In addition to playing games, I recommend my players to also watch games. Watch the professional or more senior teams play, but only focus on the offside lines. In fact, what has worked very well for young players is when they are assistant referees because all they need to focus on is that offside line. Of course, they can combine that with playing soccer video games and offsides will become second nature to them.

Set a 2v1 plus goalkeeper to practice individual timing

The simplest thing is to set a 2v1 plus a goalkeeper. Just make sure you remind them that the offside rules hold. Alternatively, you can have a 3v2, but also with offside rules.

Set a 5v4 with one touch in the penalty area for a patient attacking option

A slightly more complex situation will be a 5v4 plus a goalkeeper with offside rules. However, limit the game to one touch inside the penalty area for the attackers. That way, the final step will almost always have to be a pass and not a shot.

Soccer Possession Drills to create a Tiki-Taka team.

We love rondos, but what is beyond that? I once had a new team that can do great rondos, but all the attacking was kick and run, or individual dribble. I had to do possession games to coach basic principles of soccer positioning and movement, not just technical skills. Here are my 3 favorite soccer possession drills for getting your team to play tiki-taka in a few short years. Stay tuned until the end where I discuss the tips on how to adjust any of these drills on the spot for maximum effectiveness.

7v4 Overloading Soccer Possession Drills

The basic drill is to have a 7v4 setup where the only goal is to keep possession. The attacking team should connect 20 passes to win, while the defending team needs to get the ball and have 5 passes for victory. If either team succeeds in their goal, then the other team does pushups. Often times the ball will go out of bounds, so give around 10 attempts for the team do accomplish the goal. After that rotate the players between offense and defense, so that everybody experiences playing both roles and nobody gets too frustrated by being outnumbered all the time.

If you need change the intensity because the defenders keep winning or the attackers keep winning, consider changing the number of players or modifying the field size. For example, instead of 7v4 you can change to 7v3 or 7v5. Similarly, if everything looks good but the players seem to have too much time, shrink the field a bit.

Coaching points for the attacking team

The coaching point for the attacking team is back to first principles of soccer. You want more space and time on the ball when your team is in possession. For that, you want to make the playing area as large as possible and that is defined by the distance between the players. The coaching points will be for players to stay wide and far from their opponents, then use the center of the field as helping functions to move the ball again to the edges of the playing area. However, the players on the periphery must open up or make a third-man runs so that either direct passes can get to them or at least one-touch passes from the central players can find them.

Coaching points for the defending team

The defenders will get the inverse coaching points. They want to make the playing area as small as possible, so they would want to limit the passing options and try to convert the playing area from full field of 7v4 to maybe half the field and playing 4v4. Forcing the attacking team to do extra touches on the ball, slow down the ball movement and narrow down the passing options is the key in accomplishing their goal.

2 Endzones Possession Drills

The two endzones game is simple and structured. Overall, we play something like 7v5, but we create some resemblance of a formation. We create two endzones on the opposite side of the field, where we put two attackers and one defender, and we restrict their movement only to that area. The attacking team need to move the ball from one endzone to the other while retaining possession. If they manage to do that, then the defending team does pushups. You should give them 10 tries and if they fail to do that, then they do pushups.

It’s a natural evolution of the previous soccer possession drills where your players keep the ball at 7v3 or 7v4. However, we give the players direction and intention in this drill. Both teams know which direction the game is going. If they struggle to keep any structure in the previous drill, then it is ok to start with this drill, but maybe keep 3v2 in the middle if the attacking team fails to keep possession. If the attacking team feels too comfortable at 7v5, then allow the defending team to move anywhere. It will increase the intensity significantly.

Coaching points for the attacking team

The attacking team will get coaching points about space and options. They need to understand that if the space is tight where the ball is, that means that somewhere else there is more space. For example, in the middle of the field, it’s almost always hard to get time on the ball. There we are playing 3v3, but together with the endzone becomes 5v4. However, we already told the players that the endzone is always a safe space for them to pass back to, so they should use that. Sometimes they will delay the pass out of the endzone, creating La Pausa.

Coaching points for the defending team

The coaching points for the defense is that this time they are defending a goal, not just possession. Their aim is to prevent the opponent from achieving their goal. We have given them the direction of how the opponent will attack, so the defense should actually recreate the playing area to make it much smaller and make the game 5v4 on half the field or less instead of 7v5 on full field. They should even position themselves on the same side of the players, so that it is harder for player 7 to receive a pass the playing area ends up being 4v4. In the video we saw that even after the attacking team occupied one of the endzones, the defending team kept playing high press and chasing the defenders, which was a mistake. Only when a bad touch or intense pressure is created, they should press to obtain the ball. In the meantime, they should develop a bit more comfort of being patient but still work hard while not in possession.

Striker pressing coaching point

One more quick coaching point, specifically for the defender in the endzone. The simplest help we can give them is to tell them to cut the pass to the other defender. If they do that and increase pressure, then effectively they have converted 2v1 into a 1v1 and have pinned down the player into a tight area. The player in possession will have restricted movement from 3 sides by out lines, so it’s the prefect setup for the defender to press, but only if they block the pass to the other attacker. This will help them understand how high press should work which is to limit the options for passing, then put pressure on the player. When most of the time the defenders play with numerical disadvantage, creating 1v1 in a tight space is worth a lot.

4 Endzones Soccer Possession Drills

Possession with 4 endzones. We set a 7v7 game, roughly at half of the field. We carve out areas at all 4 edges to be endzones and the goal is to retain possession while moving them from one endzone to the other. If all 4 endzones have been occupied, then we have a winner. If possession is lost, then the other team tries to do the same. This is my favorite drill because it is continuous, equal for both teams and it naturally increases intensity by shrinking the playing area which makes players think about their intention, individually and as a team. Note that there is no real attacking vs. defending team assigned before the game, because the possession keeps switching, same as a real soccer game.

Note that the game looks the same in theory, but it totally changes as the endzones are visited. At the beginning it is a high press game where the only goal for defenders is to recover possession for their team. Then, once the team has conquered one of the zones, the defenders don’t need to guard that zone and the playing area should shrink. Usually, the attacking team is able to occupy the adjacent endzones and then the game looks a lot like soccer where the goal is the direction is clear to get to the other endzone. The risk for the attackers to lose the ball is large at that point because if they do, they will need to start all over again by firstly winning the ball and then with no occupied endzones. The risk for the defenders is that if they don’t defend the endzone, they will simply lose.

Coaching points for the attacking team

Attackers, you have to figure out the game you are playing, is it intention or ball retention? When you are under pressure, it is often just ball retention. When you are off the ball, then it’s about intention and figuring out where the free teammate is and how you can position yourself to receive the ball and progress it to your teammate. Once you are missing only one endzone, if you can quickly attack it, then it will make it easier for you. If you attack slowly and allow all opponents to come back to the zone, it will make it much harder.

Coaching points for the defending team

Defenders, you must understand the context of the soccer possession drills as a team. If you keep pressing while your team doesn’t, then you will get tired. Similarly, if your team is pressing and you are the only one that is not, then you are letting them down as if the other team plays with an extra player. However, if you are defending with only one zone left, you need to change your mindset and show some patience. Defending as a team means that everybody on the team has the same intention and their movement reflects that. Coming back late to help your team means that you allow the opponents multiple opportunities, not just one.

Tips, Tricks and Advice for Successful Soccer Possession Drills

I intertwined some advice, but let’s lay them all out here. The hardest thing in these drills is to figure out how to get the right level of intensity. Too much intensity and players might give up, but at too little they are either goofing off or simply not giving full effort. You want the success rate of the drill objective, for example 20 passes, to be at around 50%. That means that if they have 10 tries, they will be able to complete 20 passes half of that time. The other times they might be able to complete around 10 passes. You shouldn’t fix this by increasing the number of tries, but the difficulty of each try. Let’s talk about size of the field, players on the teams, player groupings, restrictions we can put, and the incentives to win.

Field size, number of players, types of players and restrictions

The size of the field and the number of players are things you can fix on the spot. Very often the endzones are too large or too little. You should just fix them on the spot, don’t even tell the players and just move the cones to do that. They will figure it out.

The number of players can be a bit trickier. For example, you have designed the drill for 7v4, but you have 12 players at practice, so you have an extra player. Do you make them sit on the side and wait? Or you make it 7v5 or 8v4? Or you make it 8v5 with you jumping in on the other team? All of these are valid solutions, but you need to figure out what works best in the moment.

Another interesting one is the types of players that randomly grouped. For example, the top 4 players started playing on defense in a 7v4 setup and you think you hit the right level of difficulty. Then you rotate the players and all of a sudden you get the wrong balance and success rate. Instead, you pick the players on defense and plan for a balanced teams with similar work rate.

One more tweak I would suggest is to limit the number of touches. This is a common one to increase the speed of play. I sometimes give the players in middle, between the endzones, only two touches. After few times they practice the drill I don’t have to give them this restriction because they figure out that the two touches limit is what they need to do to improve their effectiveness most of the time.

Likely you will need to combine all of these to get to the magical target of around 50% success rate. Don’t be scared to improvise and adjust all the time. However, you need to plan for it by balancing the teams, size and players.

The power of incentives

Finally, the incentives are the least technical, but can be the most effective knob to turn. Some players just want to win every single time in every single thing against every single opponent. If you have players like that, then consider yourself lucky. Society forces people to not want that, and that’s the only way we can have civil society. However, soccer is a competitive game and we need to switch the brain of the players to want to win at everything within the rules of the game the moment they step on the field. You need to see what motivates the players. I often let my players play on one big goal vs two small goals. Everybody wants to play on the big goal, so the rule is that if the team playing on the small goals score, they switch. That motivates both teams, one to attack the best they can, the other team to defend at their maximum. In the soccer possession drills, we said that the losing team does pushups. I’ve sometimes let the players choose the prize and that has worked out great because I learn what motivates them. There was one time that we did a drill where the two winners got to make the teams for scrimmage, simple and easy way for me to give authority to the players.

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Link to the complete article to guide you through choosing the right youth soccer formations.

Wouldn’t it be great if there is a simple way to set any team for success? Every coach around talks about “having majority of possession”, playing “tiki-taka with intention” and “dominate the opponents”. You would also hear mentions of “exploit the half spaces” and “I want my full-backs to invert“. When two teams with coaches like these meet, you will get a battle of over-coached teams trying to get 51%, more like 75%, of the ball possession and no shots on goal. Then they play against another team with a 3-4-3 soccer formation and they don’t know how to respond to the seemingly outdated formation.

Don’t trust me? How else can we explain that the mighty Manchester City lost against the inferior Chelsea in the UCL 2021 Final? It was a simplicity of countering as a team, while pound for pound Chelsea’s players were simply not as good as their opponents. Now, it is easy to claim that Tuchel, Chelsea’s coach, was genius and Guardiola, Man City’s coach, was wrong and should have known better. Of course, even with 3-4-3, the probability of Chelsea winning was low. However, it was all about how to put themselves in a position to have a chance to win, despite City’s dominant possession.

What makes the 3-4-3 soccer formation the best counter formation?

Admitting inferiority is not settling for defeat. In fact, it is battling for victory in spite of the circumstances. While we all want to have perfection of dozens of accurate passes before “walking the ball in the net”, we should live in reality. We claim that the four pillars of player development are technical, tactical, physical and psychological. While these virtues are dynamic and can range depending on many factors, including the team that a player plays in, we have seen teams with inferior players win against dominant teams. The 3-4-3 soccer formation is the best counter formation not because it solves for this issue, but because it gives us flexibility to counter the opponents and ask different questions.

The most important aspect of the formation is the discipline and tactical awareness. This is not a formation where the team will have the majority of the ball. In fact, it is likely that the team will need to yield possession and make the opponents believe that they control the game by having the ball. However, the team will need to prevent chances in their own defensive third. So, the simple formula is to invite opponents to occupy the middle third and even send players forward, only to create space for the two attackers to strike back. The secret to counter attacking is the dynamic advantage that is the one of the principles of soccer domination that is often overlooked.

What does the 3-4-3 soccer formation look like?

For comparison, let us take a 4-3-3 formation and see how it naturally changes between attacking and defending. We have seen the fullbacks overlap with the wingers, that are often playing as inverted wingers. Great way to attack with numbers. We have seen the striker dropping deep to create numerical advantage and dominate possession. We have even seen the holding midfielder dropping as an extra center back to strengthen a low-block defense. However, it often puts players in unnatural positions and creates uneasiness.

Compare a 3-4-3 formation with players barely moving outside of comfort. When defending a lead in the last moments of a game, the winger-backs naturally drop back in a back five. When chasing a goal, they become wingers and create overload. On top of that, this formation allows for having a true counter attacking options with two strikers. We all know that naturally you cannot have two target attackers, but when they work together, it can lead to very difficult counter attacking to handle. Overall, this flexibility makes the 3-4-3 the deadly option for disciplined teams.

Defenders – the Backbone

The defense is the place where you can’t get creative in this formation. Having 3 players in the last line is a given and really the only aspect that changes is the width of it. In general, when attacking they spread out, while defending they come close to each other. However, when trying to keep the result as-is, the wide midfielders essentially become wingbacks and the defenders stay in the middle. It might look boring, but on the bright side, it is easy to coach.

The opponents will either play with 2 attackers or a single striker and two wingers. When playing against 2 attackers, the wide defenders mark them while the central defender covers. When playing against 1 attacker, we will have two options. If we have attacking wide players, then we will ask a holding midfielder to press the striker, while the central defender provides cover for him and the wide defenders can push up. Alternatively, we can let one of the wide defenders push up or even invert in the midfield, while the other one stays back to form a 1v2 defensive setup. Either way, the attacking option for the wide defenders is there only in a patient attacking plan.

Midfielders – the Heart

The midfielders are not only the most numerous, but also the most influental in the 3-4-3 formation. When set in a diamond shape, they can provide both the stability and the creativity to dominate the opponents. Playing with with one holding midfielder, 6, and one attacking midfielder, 10, might look like a recipe for disaster. The thinness in the middle of the field is evident. However, the wide midfielders can look more like mezzalas or they can play as a double pivot, all at the same time. They need to be tactically aware to anticipate the soccer context. When the ball is on their side, play wide and do an overlapping run. When the ball is on the other side, tuck in and provide support. The change of roles should become second nature for midfielders and this is a great formation to use tactically aware players.

Attackers – the Creativity

This is not too different from the 4-3-3 formation, with the main difference that we have a more classic 10 in the midfield. That influences the options that we have in the attack, because we create a formation with 4 attacking players. Think about it – the moment we win the ball, we have 4 players that need to move the ball as fast as possible for a counter. Yes, the wingers can be out wide, or invert inside as they see needed. The striker can come and help the midfield or push up as a target man to hold up the ball. Either way, the key is that the 10 can decide that they need to play as a shadow striker or they can drop deep and distribute the ball. Either way, it unsettles the opponents, as they don’t know how to defend the unpredictability of all of these variables.

Disadvantages of the 3-4-3

As any other formation, the 3-4-3 has the disadvantages. While we can drop to 5 defenders more easily when we need to defend, that transition takes time. When there is a time to regroup, the defensive line can get the two wide midfielders dropping deep into 5-3-1-1. Alternatively the wide midfielders tuck in and we form a 4-3-3 defensive line. However, by default, the standard 3-4-3 defensive setup might look fine at first. But if the opponents are actually counterattacking team, it will leave the last line playing 3v3 very quickly. That is why the 3-4-3 is more often played as a counter attacking formation. Or at least as a formation where the tempo of the opposition is lower than ours.