A mentality system is a part of a playing system that relates only to attacking mentality or defensive mentality playing methods along with any other particular group of playing methods.
Notable mentality systems include off the ball directness systems and passing range systems.
A team implements its mentality systems by incorporating them into the tactical roles of its players using tactical instructions as appropriate.
Off the Ball Directness Systems
A team’s off the ball directness system is a mentality system that relates to attacking mentality and off the ball directness attacking methods.
Typically, a team implements an off the ball directness system by combining the following attacking instructions for most individual outfield players:
- Using a high risk mentality to a greater extent and making forward runs to a greater extent – a high risk mentality gives a player a higher stretching play responsibility focus, enabling him to focus more on stretching play and other higher risk positional responsibilities when in more advanced areas as a result of making forward runs.
- Using a low risk mentality to a greater extent and sitting back to a greater extent – a low risk mentality gives a player a higher providing attacking cover responsibility focus, enabling him to focus more on providing attacking cover and other lower risk positional responsibilities when in deeper areas as a result of sitting back.
Exceptions
Possible exceptions include:
- A player who is instructed to make forward runs to a greater extent in order to move into a more advanced positional area (as an auxiliary player), but who is expected to focus more on providing attacking support than on penetrating space in the more advanced positional area. For example, this may be the case for the ancillary partner in an overloading direct partnership.
- A player who is instructed to sit back to an average or greater extent in order to receive short passes from deeper areas, but who is expected to focus more on penetrating space than on providing attacking support. For example, a technical number-ten.
- A player who is instructed to make forward runs (or sit back) to a greater extent in order to stretch play (or provide attacking cover), but who is also given a versatile mentality focus and expected to alternate his focus between stretching play and providing attacking cover to some extent. For example, this may be the case in a more fluid playing system or as a more fluid aspect of a playing system.
- Two nearby players who are instructed to make forward runs to a greater extent, but who are also given versatile mentality focuses in order to form an overloading interchanging partnership. For example, this may be the case in a more fluid playing system or as a more fluid aspect of a playing system.
Passing Range Systems
A team’s passing range system is a mentality system that relates to attacking mentality and passing range attacking methods.
Common types of passing range system include more direct, more progressive and balanced.
More Direct Passing Range Systems
A more direct passing range system is a passing range system that involves a team decreasing the directness of its build-up play as it develops by passing over longer distances to a greater extent in the earlier stages of build-up play and shorter distances to a greater extent in the later stages of build-up play.
Therefore, a team that tends to attempt to penetrate space behind opposition team players from deeper areas (as is the case with the defensive football style) typically uses a more direct passing range system.
A team can implement a more direct passing range system by combining the following attacking instructions for most individual outfield players:
- Using a low risk mentality to a greater extent and making long passes to a greater extent- a low risk mentality gives a player a higher responsibility focus for lower risk positional responsibilities, meaning that he is more likely to be involved in the earlier stages of build-up play. Long passes from such players enable the team to move the ball to high risk mentality players more quickly, which more quickly increases the levels of tactical risk in its build-up play.
- Using a high risk mentality to a greater extent and making short passes to a greater extent – a high risk mentality gives a player a higher responsibility focus for higher risk positional responsibilities, meaning that he is more likely to be involved in the later stages of build-up play.
More Progressive Passing Range Systems
A more progressive passing range system is a passing range system that involves a team increasing the directness of its build-up play as it develops by passing over shorter distances to a greater extent in the earlier stages of build-up play and longer distances to a greater extent in the later stages of build-up play.
Therefore, a team that tends to attempt to penetrate space by applying high levels of attacking pressure in more advanced areas (as is the case with the attacking football style) typically uses a more progressive passing range system.
A team can implement a more progressive passing range system by combining the following attacking instructions for most individual outfield players:
- Using a low risk mentality to a greater extent and making short passes to a greater extent- a low risk mentality gives a player a higher responsibility focus for lower risk positional responsibilities, meaning that he is more likely to be involved in the earlier stages of build-up play. Short passes from such players enables the team to move the ball to high risk mentality players more slowly, which more slowly increases the levels of tactical risk in its build-up play.
- Using a high risk mentality to a greater extent and making long passes to a greater extent- a high risk mentality gives a player a higher responsibility focus for higher risk positional responsibilities, meaning that he is more likely to be involved in the later stages of build-up play.
Balanced Passing Range Systems
A balanced passing range system is a passing range system that involves a team attempting to develop build-up play at a uniform rate by passing over similar distances throughout build-up play.
A team can implement a balanced passing range system by using a balance between the attacking instructions used in a more direct passing range system and those used in a more progressive passing range system as detailed above.
Exceptions
Possible exceptions include:
- A creative player who is instructed to make a mixture of both short passes and long passes so that he can use his intelligence to a greater extent to decide an appropriate passing range according to the situation. For example, a controlling-playmaker, countering-playmaker or advanced-playmaker.
