Short Plays

Overall Forward Movement

Check the overall forward movement of your players is balanced by using the table below, which shows scores for each player role/duty that can be added together to give an overall penetration score, solidity score and support score.

Add together the scores shown for each role/duty and compare to the targets shown at the top of each column. If your total scores are below the targets then consider adjusting roles/duties as appropriate.

For example, you can increase your penetration score by moving a player to a similar role/duty in a more advanced position, increase your solidity score by moving a player to a similar role/duty in a deeper position and increase your support score by moving a player to a similar role/duty in a position closer to the M(C/R/L) positions.

Short Plays Example Tactic

Modify this example tactic for your team or create your own. Then check your short plays tactic using the System Analyser and Style Analyser and see how it performs in matches.

Team passing directness: Shorter Passing (one notch up)

Formation:

• 4-1-4-1 DM Wide – neutral
  • 4 Ds / 1 DMC / 2 MCs / 2 AM(R/L)s / 1 STC

Player roles and duties:

---

---

---

---

---

Forward movement scores:

• Penetration score = 2.0 + target = high
  • Left side = 2.5 + target = high to very high
  • Right side = 1.5 + target = moderate to high

• Solidity score = 0.5 + target = low to moderate
  • Left side = 0.0 + target = low
  • Right side = 1.0 + target = moderate

• Support score = 1.5 + target = moderate to high
  • Left side = 1.0 + target = moderate
  • Right side = 2.0 + target = high

Other team instructions:

• Play Out Of Defence
• Dribble Less
• Higher Defensive Line

Offsetting Contrasting Player Instructions

Contrasting player instructions given by roles and duties:

• “Make more dribbles into channels” (1) – Advanced Forward (STC Attack)
  • Cannot be offset.
  • However, “make more dribbles into channels” is only relevant for one player and is set by the Move Into Channels PI which is otherwise suited to short plays.

• Dribble More (3) – Inside Forward (AML Support), Wing Back (DL Attack) and Complete Wing Back (DR Attack)
  • Not offset by the Dribble Less PI (0).
    • Two Dribble Less PIs is typical so they are ignored.
  • Therefore, the Dribble Less TI has been used to offset.

• Hold Position (0) and “make more disciplined movement” (1) – Advanced Playmaker (AMR Support)
  • Three Hold Position PIs is typical so they are ignored.
  • Offset by the Roam From Position PI (2) – Roaming Playmaker (MCL Support) and Complete Wing Back (DR Attack).

• Run Wide With Ball (2) – Wing Back (DL Attack) and Complete Wing Back (DR Attack)
  • Offset by the Cut Inside With Ball PI (2) – Inside Forward (AML Support) and Advanced Playmaker (AMR Support).

• Cross From Deep (0) and Cross More Often (2) – Wing Back (DL Attack) and Complete Wing Back (DR Attack)
  • Offset by the Cross From Byline PI (2) and the Cross Less Often PI (2) – Wing Back (DL Attack), Complete Wing Back (DR Attack), Inside Forward (AML Support) and Advanced Playmaker (AMR Support).

• Stay Wider (1) – Complete Wing Back (DR Attack)
  • Not offset by the Sit Narrower PI (0).
  • The Narrow or Very Narrow TIs could be used to offset. However, Stay Wider is only relevant for one player, who is also instructed to Roam From Position away from the flank, while Narrow or Very Narrow could overly decrease risk in possession, particularly since decreased attacking width is set automatically to some extent by the team passing directness.

Balancing Risk

No additional team instructions are considered necessary to balance risk.

The use of lower risk in possession instructions is balanced by the use of higher risk in possession instructions, as shown below.

Notable lower risk in possession instructions:

• Shorter Passing team passing directness
• Dribble Less TI
• Run Wide With Ball PI (2)
• Cross From Byline and Cross Less Often PIs (4)

Notable higher risk in possession instructions:

• Play Out Of Defence TI
• Roam From Position and Move Into Channels PIs (3)
• Cut Inside With Ball PI (2)
• Cross More Often PI (2)
• Dribble More PI (3)
• Take More Risks PI (5)
• “Use more creative freedom” PI (3)

“Notable” instructions include all team instructions, and player instructions which are given to two or more players (excluding ignored player instructions).

The Be More Expressive TI could be used to further increase risk in possession if desired and if suitable for your players, although its effects are already implemented to a small extent by player instructions (Roam From Position and “use more creative freedom”).

The effects of the Pass Into Space TI are already implemented to a significant extent by player instructions (Take More Risks), so it would have a limited effect on increasing risk.

Ignored Player Instructions

Player instructions ignored in the above example analysis are shown in brackets below the roles/duties.

Ignored player instructions include:

• Hold Position – 3 is typical so the first 3 are ignored.
• Dribble Less – 2 is typical so the first 2 are ignored.
• Shoot Less Often – irrelevant for D(C/R/L)s instructed to Hold Position, so they are ignored.
• Stay Wider – 1 off-centre M/AM/ST(C) on each side instructed to Stay Wider to provide support to a lone D/WB(R/L) offsets the narrow formation, so they are ignored.