Tactical Dynamics

Tactical dynamics are the fundamental concepts that underlie how space can be used by a team.

Primary Tactical Dynamics

The primary tactical dynamics are the three distinct tactical dynamics that all other tactical dynamics are derived from. They are tactical shape, which relates to the positioning of a team’s players, player movement, which relates to the movement of a team’s players, and ball movement, which relates to the movement of the ball by a team’s players.

Tactical Shape

Tactical shape is the combination of a team’s players’ tactical positions.

A player’s tactical position is his general position relative to his teammates in vertical and horizontal space. A player’s playing position gives him an initial reference point and this is refined to give him his tactical position.

Tactical shape gives a team a basic structure that enables it to more efficiently occupy space in different areas of the pitch and therefore helps it to achieve all of the main tactical objectives.

Player Movement

Player movement is the movement of a team’s players through vertical, horizontal and aerial space. Each player can move in different directions, to different extents and in different ways. Player movement is specifically movement that occurs in addition to the movement that occurs as a result of a team simply maintaining its tactical shape as it moves as a whole in order to track the movement of the ball; for instance, into more advanced or deeper areas.

Player movement can cause a team’s players to tire more quickly and lead to them making mistakes, as explained in the Player Behaviour guide. In particular, defending team players can tire more quickly from player movement made in response to the attacking team’s player movement and ball movement.

Player movement enables a team to dynamically occupy space and therefore helps it to achieve all of the main tactical objectives.

Player Movement & Attacking Objectives

Player movement helps the attacking team to achieve the main attacking objectives, as follows:

  • Keeping possession – Attacking team players can move into areas with more available space in order for the attacking team to keep possession more easily. However, player movement, particularly into more threatening areas when attempting to penetrate space, where there may be less available space, can make it more difficult for the attacking team to keep possession.
  • Retaining solidity – This requires attacking team players to move in response to the movement of teammates. However, player movement, particularly into more threatening areas when attempting to penetrate space, can make it more difficult for the attacking team to retain solidity.
  • Retaining compactness – This also requires attacking team players to move in response to the movement of teammates. However, player movement can make it more difficult for the attacking team to retain compactness as it involves the attacking team deviating from its compact tactical shape.

Player Movement & Defensive Objectives

Player movement helps the defending team to achieve the main defensive objectives, as follows:

  • Restricting space – This requires defending team players to move towards the ball or towards attacking team players, or to move the offside line.
  • Protecting space – This requires defending team players to move in response to the movement of teammates. However, player movement, particularly beyond attacking team players when restricting space, can make it more difficult for the defending team to protect space.
  • Retaining compactness – This also requires defending team players to move in response to the movement of teammates. However, player movement can make it more difficult for the defending team to retain compactness as it involves the defending team deviating from its compact tactical shape.

Ball Movement

Ball movement is the movement of the ball by a team’s players through vertical, horizontal and aerial space. Each player can move the ball in different directions, to different extents and in different ways.

The tiredness of a team’s players is largely unaffected by ball movement. However, as detailed above, defending team players can tire more quickly from player movement made in response to the attacking team’s ball movement.

Ball movement is mainly applied by the attacking team, as only attacking team players have control of the ball. However, it can also be applied to a small extent by the defending team.

Ball movement does not help a team to achieve all of the main tactical objectives, as some can only be achieved through the positioning and movement of players.

Ball Movement & Attacking Objectives

Ball movement helps the attacking team to achieve the main attacking objectives, as follows:

  • Penetrating space – This requires attacking team players to move the ball into more threatening areas.
  • Creating space – Attacking team players can move the ball in order to draw players out of position by encouraging player movement from the defending team.
  • Keeping possession – Attacking team players can move the ball into areas with more available space and can move the ball in a more controlled manner in order for the attacking team to keep possession more easily. However, ball movement, particularly into more threatening areas when attempting to penetrate space, where there may be less available space, or in a less controlled manner, can make it more difficult for the attacking team to keep possession.

Ball movement is not related to retaining solidity and retaining compactness.

Ball Movement & Defensive Objectives

Ball movement is related to restricting space in the immediate vicinity of the ball, as a defending team player must move towards the ball in order to move the ball. It helps the defending team to achieve the main defensive objectives, as follows:

  • Preventing a goal-scoring chance – Defending team players moving the ball makes it more difficult for the attacking team to move the ball itself and, therefore, to keep possession, create space and penetrate space.

Ball movement is not related to protecting space and retaining compactness.

Attacking Dynamics

Attacking dynamics are tactical dynamics that underlie how space can be used by a team in the attacking phases.

The main attacking dynamics are:

  • Attacking shape – tactical shape in the attacking phases.
  • Off the ball movement – an aspect of player movement.
  • On the ball movement – an aspect of player movement and ball movement.
  • Passing – an aspect of ball movement.
  • Clearing – an aspect of ball movement.
  • Shooting – an aspect of ball movement.
  • Tempo – related to player movement and ball movement.
  • Attacking mentality – related to tactical shape, player movement and ball movement.
  • Creativity – related to ball movement.
  • Sportsmanship – related to player movement and ball movement.

Attacking Shape

Attacking shape is the combination of a team’s players’ attacking positions.

A player’s attacking position is his tactical position in the attacking phases. It is therefore his general position relative to his teammates in vertical and horizontal space in the attacking phases. A player’s playing position in the attacking phases gives him an initial reference point and this is refined to give him his attacking position.

Off the Ball Movement

Off the ball movement is the movement of off the ball attacking team players.

Off the ball movement is a particularly important aspect of player movement as it relates to the movement of multiple players at any given time.

On the Ball Movement

On the ball movement is the movement with the ball of the player on the ball.

On the ball movement is also an important aspect of player movement as it combines it with ball movement. However, it only relates to the movement of a single player at any one time and it restricts the speed of ball movement to the speed of player movement.

Passing

Passing is the movement of the ball from the control of the player on the ball to a teammate.

Passing is a particularly important aspect of ball movement as it enables the ball to be moved more quickly than the speed of player movement.

The player on the ball can pass either through aerial space above other players or through a passing lane. A passing lane is a channel of available space, starting from the player on the ball and ending at a possible recipient teammate, through which the ball can theoretically travel unaided.

Clearing

Clearing is the movement of the ball from the control of the player on the ball away from more threatening areas (from the perspective of the defending team).

Shooting

Shooting is the movement of the ball by the player on the ball when having an attempt at goal.

Tempo

Tempo is the speed involved in the decision making of attacking team players when making decisions regarding the application of player movement and ball movement.

Attacking Mentality

Attacking mentality is the level of attacking risk involved in the decision making of attacking team players when making decisions regarding the application of tactical shape, player movement and ball movement.

Creativity

Creativity is the freedom allowed (from their attacking instructions) in the decision making of attacking team players when making decisions regarding the application of ball movement.

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is the level of integrity involved in the decision making of attacking team players.

Defensive Dynamics

Defensive dynamics are tactical dynamics that underlie how space can be used by a team in the defensive phases.

The main defensive dynamics are:

  • Defensive shape – tactical shape in the defensive phases.
  • Pressing – an aspect of player movement.
  • Offside line movement – an aspect of player movement.
  • Marking – an aspect of player movement.
  • Resistance – an aspect of player movement and ball movement.
  • Defensive mentality – related to tactical shape, player movement and ball movement.

Defensive Shape

Defensive shape is the combination of a team’s players’ defensive positions.

A player’s defensive position is his tactical position in the defensive phases. It is therefore his general position relative to his teammates in vertical and horizontal space in the defensive phases. A player’s playing position in the defensive phases gives him an initial reference point and this is refined to give him his defensive position.

Each defending team player essentially has his own defensive zone, which is the area around his defensive position that he is primarily responsible for restricting space and protecting space in.

Pressing

Pressing is the movement of defending team players relative to the ball.

Offside Line Movement

Offside line movement is the movement of the offside line by defending team players.

Marking

Marking is the movement of defending team players relative to off the ball attacking team players.

Resistance

Resistance is the movement of defending team players, and their movement of the ball, when in the immediate vicinity of the ball following player movement from the defending team or ball movement from the attacking team.

Defensive Mentality

Defensive mentality is the level of defensive risk involved in the decision making of defending team players when making decisions regarding the application of tactical shape, player movement and ball movement.