Movement off the Ball in Football Soccer. 
29th September 2011

Watching young children play football it is easy to see how inexperienced they are compared with older children; they often swarm around the ball, being drawn to it like bees around a honey pot.

Tactically having all the players around the ball is neither entertaining to watch nor is it effective in helping the team win the game. With experience and the right level of coaching most teams grasp an understanding of keeping a balanced shape with each player holding their position on the field.

Getting the players to stick to their designated area of the pitch is the first important hurdle the coach has to get his players over, and once understood the coach has then to encourage the players to move in and out of their position, offering defensive and attacking options to team mates.

Often young players will do what they are told, and when asked to play in a certain position they will hold that place until told otherwise.

Defensive players and midfielders often work twice as hard when defending, trying to keep the ball away from goal, but tend to rest and take a breather when their team are in possession, leaving the attacking players to do all the work with the ball.

Expecting attackers to keep the ball without supporting then is the quickest way to lose it, and proves that you attack as a team as well as defend as a team.

When young players pass the ball forward to a team mate they think their job is done, and they stand their admiring their pass, feeling good for what they have done.

When your team mate has the ball, you must put yourself in a position to receive it, show your team mate an “option”. If you don’t the player is forced to run with the ball or kick it long, and it will eventually be lost to the opposition.

To help with these situations the player without the ball must make positive runs off the ball. The player must not run too far away, leaving the ball carrier with a 50 yard pass, though try to be within 20 yards or less and tell him where you want the ball to be played. There is no point shouting for the ball from a great distance, because you will be too far away from your team mate, and will probably have opponents between you, making it impossible to play the pass.

The important part of movement off the ball is to find space. Try to move to parts of the field where there are few or no opponents. You may have to move away from goal to have space and a better angle to move the ball back into the area from. You will often take an opposition player with you when you move off the ball, opening up the space for one of your team mates to exploit.

Overlapping your team mate is another very effective off the ball technique. A wide player running with the ball can find the path blocked by an opponent, though if his team mate runs wide of the winger without the ball, he gives the wide player an option to move the ball forward keeping the game flowing.  By making the overlapping run the defender is left on his heels.

It is very important to work on your movement off the ball, as it is when you have the ball at your feet, giving your team mates options to open up the play and keep the game flowing. You may have to move off the ball many times in a game without receiving it, but the one time you do get it, that might be the goal-scoring opportunity needed to win the match.

Further Reading:

• The FA's Youth Masterplan

• FA Small Sided Football Guide

• FA Coaching Badges