Zonal vs Man-to-Man Marking: Football Defensive Tactics

How do you measure progress of your team? Thomas Tuchel: We look at the key figures: touches inside the opponent's box, how many players we overplay with an action or how many of our players get overplayed when in the defensive phase ("packing"). "Packing" is a football analytic method that measures how many players are taken out of the game through a successful pass or dribble. It helps gauge the effectiveness of a team's offensive and defensive actions in terms of bypassing opponents or preventing opponents from bypassing them. Offensive packing: This statistic counts how many defenders are taken out of the equation (overplayed) with each pass or dribble made by a player. For example, if a midfielder passes the ball past three opposing players to a forward, that's a "packing pass" that has taken three players out of the play. The logic is that by bypassing opponents, a team can create numerical advantages further up the field, leading to higher scoring chances. Defensive packing: Conversely, it looks at how many times players from a team are bypassed by the opponent's offensive actions. This helps in evaluating the team's defensive compactness.

3-1-6 ATTACKING FORMATION The 3-2-5/2-3-5 attacking formation became an integral facet of modern-day positional play with a front five spreading across the zones to create spaces for passes and switch balls to the opposite flank. The above systems attack with 5 players while 5 players focusing on defending in case the ball is lost. However, some teams are increasingly utilising the 3-1-6 attacking formation, which changes the balance between the number of players defending (4) and attacking (6). With the continued development of attacking fullbacks, ball-playing centre-backs and the well-rehearsed uniformity of opposition defensive blocks, a staggered front six has become more integral at creating goal-scoring opportunities. This system shifts the balance towards offence and is particularly effective against the teams defending in low defensive block. • INCREASED OVERLOADS: The primary objective is to create numerical advantages (overloads) in the attacking third, especially against teams that deploy a deep, compact defence. By having six attacking players, teams can stretch the opposition defence, find, and exploit gaps more effectively. • FLUIDITY AND ROTATIONS: The 3-1-6 is characterized by its fluidity. It's less about specific players pushing up and more about the overall system's flexibility. Players rotate and interchange positions to maintain the attacking momentum and unpredictability. • COUNTER-PRESSING: When the ball is lost, the proximity of many attacking players allows for immediate counter-pressing, aiming to win back possession high up the pitch. This is vital in minimizing the risk of counter-attacks due to the reduced number of defenders. • ROLE OF THE DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: The defensive midfielder in this formation plays a critical role. In the event that the initial counter-press is bypassed, this player is responsible for covering the spaces left open, acting as a shield in front of the back three and providing a crucial defensive .

In the modern era of football, tactical philosophies have done more than influence match strategy. Tiki-taka and gegenpressing have reshaped the way players grow, train, and understand the game. Tiki-taka is characterized by short, quick passing, positional rotation, and a supreme emphasis on possession. Born from the legacy of Johan Cruyff’s ideas, and refined under Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and the Spanish national team between 2008 and 2012, it became the benchmark for control and elegance in modern football. In this system, every player — even defenders — must be comfortable with the ball, able to make clever passes, understand spatial geometry, and move fluidly off the ball to create passing angles. The notion is that by controlling the ball, you control the game; a team that holds possession denies opportunities to the opponent. From a growth perspective, tiki-taka forces a player’s technical and cognitive development: 1) Technical precision: Players must master first touch, short passing, quick combinations, and instant decision-making, even under pressure. 2) Tactical intelligence: Understanding when to rotate, which gaps to exploit, and how to maintain positional structure is vital. 3) Adaptability: Players learn to interpret space, find windows for progressive passes However, tiki-taka is not without its criticisms. Some argue that focusing too much on possession can reduce vertical threat or leave a team vulnerable to quick counterattacks. Moreover, as Pep Guardiola himself once complained, passing for its own sake is meaningless; the passes must have intention and purpose. In contrast with the possession-centric world of tiki-taka, gegenpressing (or counter-pressing) operates on aggression, intensity, and reclaiming initiative the moment possession is lost. It advocates for high pressure, short bursts of coordinated collective movement, and rapid transitional play. Pioneered by coaches such as Jürgen Klopp and influenced by German coaching philosophies, gegenpressing embodies a proactive defense: win the ball back as close to the opponent’s goal as possible, then attack. It punishes opponents for errors, stifles their buildup, and exploits turnovers immediately. From the development view, implementing gegenpressing in training changes what coaches emphasize: 1) Physical attributes: High stamina, acceleration, strength, and recovery speed become more essential than ever. 2) Mental sharpness: Players must instantly react to turnover, shift roles, and reorganize. 3) Team coordination: Pressing requires synchronicity — triggers, zones, traps — all executed collectively. Gegenpressing doesn’t reject possession; rather, it aims to make possession dangerous by combining disruption with quick attacking transitions. The evolution from a singular tiki-taka dominance to a more flexible, pressing-aware pedigree mirrors the broader trend in football: tactical pluralism.

⚽️ Can football agents act like a “false nine”? In football, a false nine isn’t a traditional striker. They pull defenders out of position, create space, change the game’s dynamics, and open opportunities for their teammates. These qualities can be just as valuable in the world of football agents. Agents who act like a “false nine”: 🎯 Don’t move linearly toward a transfer - they think strategically and create opportunities where others don’t see any. 🤝 Connect players and clubs in ways that add value to everyone involved. 🔄 Adapt on the fly - just like a false nine who pulls the defense and changes the game in real time. The benefit? - maximizing value for players and clubs, - building long-term, meaningful relationships, - staying proactive in a complex and ever-changing football market. The false nine metaphor shows us that success as an agent isn’t just about running straight to the goal - it’s about strategic thinking, flexibility, and creating space for others. #Football #FootballIndustry #Agents #Strategy #Leadership #Networking #ProfessionalGrowth ⚽️💼

How to Create Pressure Against a 3-1-6 — The Missing Link (PART 2) In the first clip (Part 1) and again in this one, both goals come from the same root problem — no pressure on the ball and the pivot failing to drop into the defensive line. The 3-1-6 shape punishes that instantly. When the ball-carrying center-back has time, and your pivot stays high, the back line becomes outnumbered. Four defenders face six attackers. The structure collapses before the duel even starts. The solution starts with the pivot. From the three midfielders, the pivot must drop into the back line early to match the attacking numbers. That transforms the defense into a temporary back five, stabilizing the last line while allowing the two higher midfielders to jump and press aggressively. Now, the pressing chain can connect — one midfielder engages the center-back in possession, the near winger closes the inside lane, and the striker forces play one direction. This creates a compact 5-2-3 shape out of possession, where there’s pressure on the ball and balance behind it. The difference is subtle but decisive. Both goals exposed the same flaw. Only one small adjustment — the pivot recognizing and dropping — changes the entire defensive dynamic. 🎥 Watch the clip below and notice how this single movement turns chaos into control. How would you coach your team to time that drop? #TechnicalDirector #DirectorOfFootball #HeadCoach #AssistantCoach #FootballAnalysis #TacticalPeriodization #GameModel #CoachingPhilosophy #FootballIntelligence #PlayerDevelopment #ProLicenseCoach #UEFAPro #PerformanceAnalysis #FootballTactics #AttackingFootball #FootballCoach #GameUnderstanding #CoachingEducation #TacticalAnalysis #FootballManagement

Most high performers make the same mistake: They move on too quickly from wins… and internalize losses. Over time, their nervous system learns: “Winning isn’t safe. Losing means I’m broken.” The truth? Your nervous system doesn’t care about outcomes—it cares about the meaning you assign. At EPIC, we rewire leaders and athletes to make winning their default setting through: ✅ Identity under stress ✅ Confidence rituals ✅ Conditioning used by NFL, UFC & Olympic elites ⚡ Comment “WINNING” if you’re ready to operate like the elite.

It is our pleasure to announce a partnership with Flick Football (Soccer). Patrick McCreanor, CEO of Football Black Book, has joined the Executive Advisory Board at Football Flick, as part of a wider strategic relationship between the two organisations. In this role, Patrick and the Football Black Book team will support Football Flick’s ambitious growth plans in the Americas, leveraging their deep industry expertise and global network to accelerate market entry, build strategic relationships, and drive commercial expansion across the region. Mac said "We are delighted to be working with Football Flick, at what is an exciting time for the business and industry in general. The success of the flick brand is something I have enjoyed watching and it’s great to be a part of their aggressive global growth plans, see them developing new products, expanding markets and cementing their place as number one in the world.” Launched in 2011, Flick has become the pioneer of the ‘Train At Home’ market, is the World’s #1 soccer skills training range and the only equipment in the world to be scientifically validated to help players improve their core skills. Born out of science and validation, but always with fun in mind, it is trusted by elite clubs, players, coaches and families worldwide, with over 1 million users since launch. Gareth Hodskinson, CEO of Football Flick said "I'm delighted to welcome Mac to the executive advisory board of Flick. Mac brings a wealth of experience and a huge network across the world of football. As we embark on our growth plans, Mac will help us to position Flick in new and developing markets such as the USA, as well as connecting us across the business of soccer globally. It's a very exciting time and Mac is ideally positioned to help us make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead for Flick." To learn more about Flick, Football Black Book or the partnership, please email mac@footballblackbook.com Football Black Book, it's a results business!

𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻 A lot of people know about Tom Brady’s 7 Super Bowls, but I think it’s far less known about Brady’s battles to even play in the National Football League (NFL). As he talks about in this video, he was a backup quarterback in his high school team that lost eight matches and he couldn’t get on the field, started as the 7th quarterback at University of Michigan, and was then a 6th round draft pick. This is testament to his attitude, mindset and understanding of how to get the best out of himself and others. He admits he was not gifted physically and did not have a great throwing arm, but: “I always had a lot of belief in myself and I always tell a lot of young quarterbacks - ‘if you don’t believe in yourself why are those guys that look at you are gonna believe in you?’ When you step in that huddle they’ve got to look at you and know you’re ready to get the job done.” Brady also said: “You’ve got to believe in who you are, what you do, and what you bring to the team, and if you do that, they’re gonna feed of that as well.” Fransen et al. (2016) found that when an athlete leader expresses confidence in themselves and the team’s ability, members of the team have higher belief in their team to be successful. Further, Fransen also found that in comparison to teams led by leaders who had low or neutral confidence, those led by a confident athlete leader impacted both individual and overall team performance. As such, Brady’s confidence in himself and the the team can impact the e players’ belief in their ability successful and the overall performance. Reference. Fransen et al. (2016). We will be champions: Leaders' confidence in 'us' inspires team members' team confidence and performance. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 26(12):1455-1469.

NFL to launch professional flag football leagues ahead of 2028 Los Angeles Olympics per Roger Goodell. - 20 million kids play flag football globally, with women's participation growing fastest. - NFL owners approved active players competing in Olympic flag football, and Goodell says interest from players representing multiple countries has been "significant." "If you set that structure up where there's youth leagues, going into high school, into college and then professional, I think you can develop a system of scale." Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner National Football League (NFL)International Olympic Committee – IOC #YouthSports #Sports #NFL #Football https://lnkd.in/gkCZ9mA5