Principles of The Positional Play

PRINCIPLES OF THE

POSITIONAL PLAY COMPLETE GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AND COACHING POSITIONAL PLAY

40 TACTICAL PRACTICES

CONTENTS

3 WHAT

IS POSITIONAL PLAY?

4 PRINCIPLE

NR. 1: PLAYING OUT FROM THE BACK

Coaching Playing out from the back I Coaching Playing out from the back I I

7 PRINCIPLE

NR. 2: CONTROL POSSESSION

Coaching Control of possession I Coaching Control of possession II

10 P R I N C I P L E

NR. 3: POSITIONING

Coaching Positioning I Coaching Positioning II

14 P R I N C I P L E

NR. 4: MOVEMENT

Coaching Rotations Coaching "Third man" concept

17 P R I N C I P L E

NR. 5: VERTICALITY

Coaching Vertical play I Coaching Vertical play II

20 P R I N C I P L E

NR. 6: COMPACTNESS

Coaching Compactness I Coaching Compactness II

23 P R I N C I P L E

NR. 7: COUNTER-PRESSING

Coaching Counter-pressing I Coaching Counter-pressing II

26 P R I N C I P L E

NR. 8: COMBINATION PLAY

Coaching "Up, back, through" combinati on I Coaching "Up, back, through" combinati on I I

29 P R I N C I P L E

NR. 9: OVERLOAD TO ISOLATE

Coaching Overload to isolate I Coaching Overload to isolate II

32 P R I N C I P L E

NR. 10: EXPLOIT HALF-SPACES

Coaching Playing through half-spaces I Coaching Playing through half-spaces I I

© Phase of Play Ltd. All rights reserved.

WHAT IS POSITIONAL PLAY? “You must adapt to the players you have, but fundamentals (principles) stay the same” – Pep Guardiola Pep Guardiola - arguably the most famous proponent of positional play in the modern game. As a coach you need to take advantage of the strengths of your players, however that must be done within the principles the coach believes in. Principles define what team does best, hence the team shouldn't deviate from them. You can adapt your tactics to players at your disposal or opposition, however, main principles, such as controlling possession, controlling the centre of the pitch, relying on short passing, playing from the back, progressing through combination play and using counter-pressing, remain the same. "The objective is not to move the ball but to move the opposition. Don’t touch the ball unless you look to draw out a defender” – Pep Guardiola In football the defence is usually the one that is proactive, meaning that it determines how the game will be played due to them defending their zones in order to block access to the goal. The defence makes the rules, the offence reacts. Guardiola tries to change the state of modern football. His offence attempts to be the proactive one, to determine how the game of football will be played, to take away the control of the game. Meaning, the offence determines how the defence will react. He uses the ball to manipulate the opposition defence. This is a key shift in the balance for control in a football match. Guardiola is also willing to take the risks necessary to be successful, his teams play brave football adhering to his principles, no matter the cost. The foundation of positional play is the 1970's era Dutch model of Total Football, which was exported to Spain by Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff, and later perfected by Pep Guardiola. It is a style of play that demands a great deal from players in terms of technical abilities and intelligence. Positional play is a possession-based style that uses certain structures, positional discipline, and exploitation of space to create superiorities and find a free-man (generating a situation where a player is “free” from any defenders – with time and space, this means playing the ball to a player that can receive to turn and take two or more touches). Which in turn helps the ball progress up the field through build-up, midfield progression into the finishing zone. Once superiority is found the team can use the situation to dominate the game.

NUMERICAL SUPERIORITY

QUALITATIVE SUPERIORITY: DANGEROUS WINGER ISOLATED IN A 1V1 SITUATION VS FULL-BACK.

There are three main types of superiorities: Numerical superiority - is about overloading and outnumbering the defenders in the area where the team has possession of the ball, ultimately finding a third-man and a free-man. Even goalkeepers are actively utilised in the build-up phase by Guardiola, it helps creating numerical superiority when opponents attempt to press high. Hence his insistence on his keepers to be comfortable with the ball at their feet. Qualitative superiority – is the situation where the attacking player’s abilities give an advantage over the defender. For example, creating a 1 on 1 situation on the wing, when the winger is faster than the defender and has plenty of space available. To achieve that the principle of overload to isolate can be used, where one area of the pitch is overloaded to create a 1v1 isolation in the other one. Positional superiority - the team that is better positioned, will have the benefits of time and space, and will create more chances to score. The key here is players positioning in different horizontal and vertical lines (Guardiola demands no more than 2 players in vertical line and no more than 3 players in horizontal line), creating the best passing angles, and keeping the triangular shapes. PAGE 3

POSITIONAL PLAY

POSITIONAL SUPERIORITY

PRINCIPLE NR. 1: PLAYING OUT FROM THE BACK “Positional Play consists of generating superiorities out of the defensive line against those who are pressing you. Everything is much easier when the first progression of the ball is clean.” – Juan Manuel Lillo Positional play teams consistently play from the back – from both goal kicks and open play – and largely because of desire to create a numerical overload by having one more passing option than the total number of players pressing the ball. By creating an overload in the first line of an attempted build-up, a team should be capable of overcoming most pressing strategies and creating numerical superiority further up the pitch, which in turn increases chances of penetrating and scoring. Other reason teams choose to play out from the back is quite simple - they treasure the ball. Why risk giving it away by kicking a long ball, when you can take matters into your own hands?

GOALKEEPER MID RANGE DISTRIBUTION EXPLOIT SPACE LEFT BEHIND PRESSING LINES.

In light of a recent rule change, with players being able to receive a goal kick inside the penalty box, the trend of playing from the back will only increase. Which, in turn, prompted the rise of a high pressing. To break pressure lines central defenders and goalkeeper engage in combination play, meaning players must be comfortable receiving the ball in tight areas under extreme pressure. Goalkeeper is now tasked with contributing to build-up phase, as he/she plays a crucial role when creating numerical superiority. Ederson for example, has a great medium and long range passing ability, which finds players in space left behind the opposition's press. Full-backs and centre-backs can help create numerical superiority in midfield or even in the final third, by dribbling into space available. It forces defending team players to move out of position in order to engage the ball. This movement then creates space in behind that can be exploited by the more advanced players. This strategy is especially effective when disrupting deep and passive defensive blocks. One of the ways of playing from the back is called "La Salida Lavolpiana", named after former Argentinian coach Ricardo La Volpe. In a four man defence, defensive midfielder drops in between two central defenders and forms a three man defence with centre-backs moving wider, while fullbacks move wide and up to create space. This tactical structure increases passing options and is often used against teams that press with two strikers. Alternatively Guardiola might ask one of the full-backs to drop and form a three-man defence, while other full-back would push forward. If opponents press with a front three, a back four is preserved and an advanced midfielder or infield-moving wide midfielder withdraws to a position alongside the deepest-lying midfielder to target the spaces between that front three. When facing an opposition that presses intelligently using angled runs that allow one pressing player cover two players from the attacking team simultaneously, Guardiola's teams will use a more complex rotations to ensure that they are still able to play through the press. Flexible approach is being adapted depending on opposition's tactical strategy, which makes it difficult for opposition to stop, as reacting to one aspect leaves you wide open to another. All of it is possible because players in Postional Play teams, have knowledge of the angles and lines they need to occupy in certain moments of the game. For this reason opposition teams often choose no to press teams like Man City or Barcelona, choosing to engage deeper to protect the space in-behind.

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POSITIONAL PLAY

CB DRIVING WITH BALL FORWARD. IT HELP CREATE NUMERICAL SUPERIORITY FURTHER UP THE PITCH AND FORCES DEFENDING PLAYERS TO MOVE OUT OF THEIR POSITIONS, ALLOWING THE SPACE TO BE EXPLOITED BY MORE ADVANCED PLAYERS.

"LA SALIDA LAVOLPIANA" TACTICAL CONCEPT

WHITE 9 AND 11 PRESS GOALKEEPER SIMULTEANUESLY COVERING PASSING OPTIONS. FULL-BACK (BLUE 3) DROPS INTO HALF SPACE TO PROVIDE A PASSING OPTION AND THEN PLAY TO BLUE 6, WHO BECOMES A "FREE MAN".

COACHING PLAYING OUT FROM THE BACK I 7v4 BUILD-UP RONDO: The task of the team in possession (blue) is to play the ball from the goalkeeper to number 9. The team in possession can score a point if they make it from the goalkeeper to number 9 without the defending team (black) touching the ball or vice versa (minimum 2 passes before it reaches one end). 2 touches max. When defending team (black) recover the ball, they try to score into one of the three minigoals.

8+GKv8 CONDITIONED GAME: Game begins with the attacking team's (blue) goalkeeper in possession of the ball, with an aim of scoring into one of the three mini-goals. Defending team (black) press high with intensity. Once the ball is regained, black team has 8 seconds to score. Progress from unlimited touches to 2 touches max for the attacking team (blue). Goals scored with a one touch shot after a one-two combination, count as 2. After the goal is scored or the ball goes out of play, the game restarts from the starting position.

COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), Movement, Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Vertical play, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos. Build-up play principles: Position with maximum width and depth, Circulate the ball with speed to move opposition, Midfielders drop to create third man situations, Control the tempo, Recognise opportunities to play forward, Use goalkeeper to create numerical superiority.

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COACHING PLAYING OUT FROM THE BACK II 7+GK vs 6+GK +2 TACTICAL SITUATION GAME: Game starts with blue team's goalkeeper in possession and a 4+GK+2 vs 4 situation in the defensive half. The two neutral players (green) act as in-possession fullbacks for the blue team and are restricted to Zones B to ensure they hold their positions. They do not act as defenders when blue team loses the ball. 3 passes must be completed before the ball can be played into Zone A, where 3 attackers and 2 defenders are positioned. Once attacking team (blue) progresses beyond the halfway line, one blue midfielder can join the attack and one defending team (black) player can drop in to defend, creating a 4v3+GK attacking situation. Neutral full-backs cannot play the ball to a winger on the same vertical line, only diagonal passes allowed. Once the ball crosses the half-way line blue team has 8 seconds to score. If defending team (black) recover possession when pressing in the defensive half, they have 6 seconds to score.

9+GKv9+GK+1 CONDITIONED GAME: Blue team GK starts with the ball, neutral player (green 10) plays with the team in possession. To begin the practice, blue team plays a 6+GK+1 vs 5 situation in their own half. In the attacking half of the pitch, it is a 3v4 situation. Blue team must complete 3 passes before progressing past the halfway line with a pass. Before play progresses into the attacking half, blue full-backs (2 and 3) must remain in restricted zones. Once the ball progresses into Zone A practice becomes a normal game, until the goal is scored or the ball goes out of play. It then goes back to the starting position with blue GK. If defending team (black) recovers the ball in their attacking half, they have 6 seconds to score.

COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), Movement, Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Vertical play, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos, Runs inbehind. Build-up play principles: Position with maximum width and depth, Circulate the ball with speed to move opposition, Midfielders drop to create third man situations, Control the tempo, Recognise opportunities to play forward, Use goalkeeper to create numerical superiority.

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PRINCIPLE NR. 2: CONTROL POSSESSION "Possession for itself is worthless if you don't know what to do with the ball later. Possession creates space, but understanding space creates purpose" – Johan Cruyff Every action that happens on the field must have a purpose. The ball does not move just to move. The ball is moved in order to move the opponent, to gather them on one side while you plan to attack the other. Every pass has the intention of building up to the action of eliminating opponents. If it is not possible to eliminate opponents then the players will keep the ball and look to get the opponents to move out of positions. Players should choose passes that provide continuity to the game and they should look to secure the passes by supporting them. Possession is not an attacking or defending strategy in itself but a conduit in controlling the game. Controlling the game doesn’t mean having more possession than the other team, it means keeping the ball in other team’s half for the majority of the game – keeping the ball in one’s own half is useless and dangerous. Possession for possession’s sake is an idea no coach of any credibility adopts. Nevertheless, possession facilitates the attacking strategy and even the defensive strategy. Like Cruyff stated, “If you have the ball, it is impossible for the other team to score”. Possession therefore helps the defensive strategy by denying the opposition opportunities to attack. It also forces them into a defensive shape, usually deep in their half, which negates their ability to counter-attack effectively.

BY MOVING INTO CENTRAL AREAS, INVERTED FULL-BACK GAINS MORE PASSING OPTIONS AND HELPS CREATE NUMERICAL SUPERIORITY

Possession is the key in ensuring a smooth progression up the pitch and is no surprise all teams that use a positional play approach seek to develop possession in one way or another. To successfully attain possession of the ball a team must be proficient in the technique of receiving the ball, first touch and passing of the ball as well as making the correct decisions. To develop possession football, it is necessary to follow certain rules: playing to safe options and keeping it simple supporting in time and at adequate distances and angles being in passing lanes but not the same passing lanes as teammates (options on the left, right and centre) playing at a high tempo in tight areas with few touches on the ball playing what you see and not turning blindly unless told ensuring the first touch is away from pressure avoid playing to a marked player Guardiola has a “15-pass rule,” he believes that his team cannot be properly prepared to cope with transitions or build a well structured attack, until they have completed at least 15 passes. This provides enough time and stability for players to move into their roles within the offensive structure.

"7 OUTISDE, 3 INSIDE" TACTICAL STRUCTURE TO DOMINATE POSSESSION IN THE CENTRAL AREAS

A recent tactical concept of “7 outside, 3 inside” offers a tactical structure to control the midfield. The main idea is that in a 4-3-3 formation, three midfielders control the direction and tempo of the game, while outside players create space and interact accordingly. With 7 players outside and 3 players inside, they interchange, getting in and out depending on what the game demands. Players outside continue to provide the necessary width and depth, to generate enough space to progress the ball forward. To dominate midfield, players must be well equipped technically and mentally, which allows them to control possession under pressure. It is a compact area; thus, players must act with speed and conviction to take control. However, patience can also be extremely useful. "La Pausa" is a skill whereby players in possession of the ball pause momentarily, drawing in defenders and enticing them to make a movement toward the ball. After the defender makes a movement toward them, the player in possession will often quickly speed up play or then make their pass or movement in a direction that exploits the fact that the defender has approached them. PAGE 7

POSITIONAL PLAY

"LA PAUSA": BLUE 8 WINGER (BLUE 11) WHITE 4 MOVES TO OPENS UP SPACE TO

PAUSES WITH THE BALL FOR TO MAKE A RUN IN-BEHIND. CLOSE DOWN BLUE 8, WHICH EXPLOIT FOR BLUE 11.

COACHING CONTROL OF POSSESSION I WHY USE RONDOS: Rondos are a perfect tool to coach positional play. Players learn the basics of correct positioning, passing and receiving, keeping the ball under pressure. Guardiola uses rondos in almost every training session, as he sees it as a fundamental practice. What makes rondo so effective, is the proximity it is played in, which forces players to exhibit all the qualities required to succeed on a full-sized pitch. Players cannot hide by stretching the space to allow for more time on the ball. In rondo, players must continuously identify and make decisions with respect to the shifting environment. In positional rondos, players occupy common pitch areas to their respective positions, with technical, tactical and physical loads adjusted to position-specific activities.

8v2 RONDO (GUARDIOLA): Team in possession (blue) control the ball with 1 touch max. Defending players (black) pressing the ball with intensity, once the ball is regained, the player who lost the possession changes players with one of the defenders. If players in possession complete 30 passes, defending players staying in the middle for extra round.

4v4+3 POSITIONAL RONDO WITH DEFENSIVE TRANSITIONS (GUARDIOLA) Green players are neutral and play with the team in possession (blue in the diagram). Once the defending team (black) regains the ball, they have to transition into possession positions outside, while team that lost possession counter-presses. 2 touches max. Players stick to their natural positions on the field (for example: green 6 is a pivot and plays in the middle, while blue 3 is a left-back and positions on the wing).

COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), Movement, "La Pausa" Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Vertical play, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos.

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COACHING CONTROL OF POSSESSION II

7v7+3 POSSESSION GAME (FC BARCELONA): Control possession with 2 touches max. 3 midfield players are neutral (green) and play with the team in possession. The out of possession team, presses with intensity. Team in possession score a point after completing a sequence of 15 passes in a row. When the team in possession loses the ball, it counterpresses in attempt to regain it immediately.

8V8+3 POSITIONAL GAME (CHELSEA FC): 3 midfield players are neutral (green) and play with the team in possession. Team in possession seeks to control possession utilising numerical superiority, and score into one of the three mini-goals. Players should position themselves in the areas of their natural positions on the pitch. Start with unlimited touches and progress to a 2 touches max.

COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), Movement, "La Pausa" Anticipation, Finishing. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Vertical play, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos.

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PRINCIPLE NR. 3: POSITIONING "Cannot play dominant football with 4-4-2. Triangles disappear. You should always have triangles, only then you have passing options." - Johan Cruyff Positional Play isn’t about possession but position. Optimal positioning helps achieve positional superiority and gain advantage over the opponent. Johan Cruyff developed a game model based on triangles: each player, regardless of his location on the pitch, had to position himself to form that shape. He considered this the ideal basis from which his team could keep the ball, while always offering the ball-carrier two passing options. Even better when both options are diagonal, diagonal passes are advantageous as they overplay vertical and horizontal lines and are therewith more difficult to defend. Also, it is easier for the receiver to control the ball, as opposed to the vertical pass, player receiving a diagonal pass is already facing the direction of the goal. Formations are not entirely important to Guardiola, he cares more about the perfect coverage of the field in relation to the ball. If a system has natural triangles in its design than it is easier for the players to form triangles in possession. This is one of the many reasons we see formations with variations like 4-3-3 or 3-43 being used in teams who play this way. Every player is connected to one another and they move like chains throughout the field in order to have the best structure in possession and support their teammates and the ball.

CRUYFF'S 3-4-3 DIAMOND FORMATION AT BARCELONA, WITH TRIANGLES AS CRUCIAL POSITIONING STRUCTURE

In Positional play the players are arranged at various heights and depths. This creates interior spaces and passing lanes within the opposition’s formation. There is a large focus on the spaces “in between the lines.” Players look to position themselves in areas between the opponent’s horizontal and vertical lines of defence. There are specific zones that must be occupied by players in specific moments. Players determine where they will move by referencing the position of the ball, their teammates, the opponents, and space. "Move the ball, it looks the players are moving, but we are moving the ball. Everyone has to be in their positions. When players move too much, it's not good. The ball comes where we are, we don't go to pick up the ball." - Pep Guardiola Guardiola divides the training pitch into grids, which helps players understand where they must be at different stages of the attack. He trains his players how and where to move in relation to the ball, with the rest of the team reacting to these movements in order to have the most efficient positional structure and stability in play. Eventually, players can play on any field without a need for guidelines to help orient themselves. With time they move extremely fluidly and all have the same mindset and sense of orientation on the field.

GUARDIOLA USING GRIDS ON THE TRAINING PITCH TO HELP HIS PLAYERS UNDERSTAND CORRECT POSITIONING

Even the far side players are chain-reacting to these movements and forming the optimal far side structure to be able to attack if the ball is switched across to the center or the opposite flank. However, it does not limit player freedom. On the contrary, because players know where their teammates are in relation to the ball, they spend less time scanning the field and have more time to be creative and make optimal passes available in any given situation. It also allows players to decide faster, which areas they need to overload, gaining numerical superiority as a result. Certain corridors cannot be occupied by two players at the same time, especially in the wide areas. Which is why there are only two different wide dynamics: inverted fullback/traditional winger or overlapping full-back/inverted winger. DIFFERENT WIDE DYNAMICS IN POSITIONAL PLAY: INVERTED FULL-BACK/TRADITIONAL WINGER OR OVERLAPPING FULL-BACK/INVERTED WINGER.

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Traditionally football pitch is split into 6 horizontal and 3 vertical channels, which creates 18 roughly equal segments, including the important "Zone 14". Guardiola, however, does things his own way and instead splits the pitch into 4 horizontal zones (with more subdivisions in the wide channels) and 5 vertical channels, which effectively creates a 20-zone system. Zone 14 is still considered as high priority area as many goals originate from there (however it is often congested with opposition defenders), wide area is considered a "limited options area", as it is limited by the touchline, meaning player can only pass infield. Wide areas are used to manipulate the defence by quickly shifting it from one side to another and creating horizontal openings in the process. Guardiola pays a lot of attention to half-spaces (or interior corridors) as they are wide enough to be away from the central congestion and central enough to shoot on goal or play a penetrative pass in to the box. The division of the field into grids is meant to be used as a reference point to impose positional discipline and movements. Thus, certain rules must be abided by. The first rule is that players are instructed to maintain a maximum of two players at any zone vertically and a maximum of three players at any horizontal line. Ideally, each zone out wide should only have one player occupying them whenever possible. This strict positioning of players ensures that the team creates as much width and length as possible, creating gaps in the opposition defense, and generating as many 1v1 situations across the pitch. As the team pushes up each player occupies a new zone. Conventional positional play assigns zones to each position. For example, the middle zone should be occupied only by the centreforward (#9) and the holding midfielder (#6) for most of the game (not counting the goalkeeper). As can be seen in the bottom diagram, each area has no more than 2 players and any extra player entering such areas would lead to an imbalance.

"GUARDIOLA GRIDS"

This brings us to the second rule which ignores this rigidness when the purpose is to ensure possession (create triangles), generate overloads, or lure defenders out. Thus, a zone may have more than 2 players if it accomplishes these objectives. However, these movements should only be temporary and once the objective is achieved, players must return to their zones. The third rule is that the ball should not be played inside the same zone but should be circulated from zone to zone whenever possible. Not following this rule will lead to dispossession so if the zone becomes too congested the ball should be played out of it quickly. As can be seen, playing a vertical pass within the halfspaces or middle zone is unlikely to succeed. Diagonal passes are therefore encouraged when going forwards as opposed to vertical passes such as a pass from the half-space to the middle zone and vice-versa. However, it seems that these rules are only used prior to reaching the final third – upon arriving to the final third the players are allowed to express themselves. Team’s attacking strategy in the final third can be whatever it wants, such as crossing or combination play, but all adherents of positional play look to advance the ball up through superiorities along the lines. Crossing from deep without a clear advantage or long-balls that don’t produce anything are discouraged as it gives away control. This isn’t the only way Guardiola divides the pitch though. Thierry Henry noted that Guardiola used to occasionally divide the field in two and force half the team to play on one side and the other on the other half. During matches, players were forbidden to move from their position under the punishment of being benched, something Henry found out when he decided to ignore this rigidness. This ensured players created the necessary width and forced the midfielders to split up rather than be too close to each other. As can be observed, the formation 4-3-3 shown above facilitates the distribution of the players into their zones which explains why it is preferred to other formations – but it is not a requirement. PAGE 11

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20-ZONE SYSTEM

ROUGH PLAYER POSITIONING IN RELATIONS TO ZONES WHEN IN POSSESSION OF THE BALL

COACHING POSITIONING I

7v4 POSITIONAL RONDO WITH ATTACKING TRANSITIONS: Team in possession controls the ball with max 2 touches. Full-backs (blue 3 and 2) and wingers (blue 7 and 11) cannot pass to each when they are in the same vertical line. They must move and make a diagonal passing option available. When the defending team regains the ball they try to score into one of the 4 mini-goals located in the corners of the rondo grid. Team in possession scores a point by connecting a sequence of 15 passes in a row.

5v5+2 POSSESSION GAME: 2 Neutral players play with the team in possession. Players are not allowed to pass the ball to players in the same vertical line, which forces them to move and find the correct diagonal angles, occupying different vertical lines. Start with unlimited touches and progress to 2 touches max. Team in possession scores a point by connecting a sequence of 15 passes in a row.

COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), Movement, "La Pausa", Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Vertical play, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos.

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COACHING POSITIONING II

8v6+GK TACTICAL SITUATION GAME: Attacking team players position in 3-5 formations (with 5 attacking players occupying 5 vertical channels) and full-backs positioning in the half-spaces. Game starts with one of the full-backs with the ball, passing it to the holding midfielder (blue 6), who then plays it into the highlighted area. Once the ball is in the highlighted area, defending team (black) can engage, with attacking players having a freedom to improvise in order to create goal scoring opportunities. One condition for the attacking players is that there can only be 2 players in the same vertical channel at a time. If the goal is scored or the ball goes out of play, game restarts at the starting position.

8v8+GK CONDITIONED GAME: Conditioned game continues on the previous practice. Starting position with the full-backs positioned in half-spaces in possession of the ball. Attacking team (blue) starts with a 3-5 formation, while defending team (black) plays in a 4-4 low block. Offside rule applies for the attacking team. Max 2 attacking players in the same vertical channel. If defending team recovers the ball, they have 8 seconds to score in one of the three mini-goals. If the goal is scored or the ball goes out of play, game restarts at the starting position.

COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Positioning (Angles, Between the lines), Movement (Drop, Run In-behind), "La Pausa", Anticipation, Finishing. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Vertical play, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos, Overload, Combination play, Switch play, Recognise opportunity for pattern play.

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PRINCIPLE NR. 4: MOVEMENT "Third-man is impossible to defend." - Pep Guardiola Space is reducing in modern football, as teams are increasingly playing in compact units, to find space players must constantly scan the field and move in relation to the opponents, teammates and the ball. Thirdman passing combinations are nothing new in football, however, according to Marcelo Bielsa, they are not being used enough and will be utilised more in the future. Third-man is an unmarked player in a 3v2 situation, in many situations the third-man and the free-man are two different players. The concept of the free-man refers to generating a situation where a player is “free” from any defenders – with time and space. This means playing the ball to a player that can receive to turn and take two or more touches. The concept of the free-man is the main concept of positional play and without it this model of play cannot function properly. It serves two purposes: 1) To keep possession of the ball. By ensuring there is always a free-man to play towards the team can always keep possession of the ball. It is about rapidly circulating possession of the ball to attract and draw in opposing players in order to find free players intentionally positioned in open and dangerous spaces further away from the ball. To do this, there must first be intentional progressions of movement involving players with the ball and those without the ball so that supporting triangular passing lines are created and maintained. 2) To penetrate defensive lines. The freeman can be generated through different methods:

"THIRD MAN"

By having a player drive with the ball forwards towards a defender who is marking a teammate, thus pinning the defender down and freeing the teammate. By having a player dribble with the ball in a dangerous area to attract defenders. Once the attacker has created an unfavorable 1v2 or 1v3 then the ball is released to the now unmarked players. Have players positioned or making runs in-between the lines. The player will then force the defender to decide whether to follow and mark this player between the lines or keep their shape. Through the use of the third-man, a team can create or find the freeman. A typical third-man pattern is to play a ball to the forwards who then bounce to an incoming teammate. Free-man can be generated through the rotation and interchanging of positions. In midfield, coordinated rotation can allow players to find pockets of space to receive the ball facing forwards. Likewise, interchanging of positions can leave the opposition confused enough to surrender the necessary pockets of space. Rotations imply that when a player leaves his initial zone, another player has to move to that zone to compensate for his vacancy. Rotations are extremely useful as they open up passing lanes, but they can also create space for the ball-carrier to drive into. Positional fluidity means that each player is able to play effectively in different spaces and take different roles, with the ultimate goal of harming the opponent by causing confusion. It allows to gain seconds and open up spaces, making it more difficult for opposition to keep the reaction speed needed to prevent the penetration. All teams use the concept of the free-man but the difference between positional play and other styles is that the concept of the free-man forms the cornerstone of how a team advance forward. If the free-man cannot be found, then the ball is circulated patiently at the back in order to create gaps. Long balls into the strikers in the hopes of creating a 50/50 challenge or looking to win the second ball are not considered and patient build-up persists. Consequently, many coaches have sought to disrupt this by forming a defensive block against positional play teams, also, by invoking an intense man-to-man pressing, however, because teams prefer to defend with an extra player, there is usually always one free-man, one of the centre-backs or a goalkeeper on most occasions. PAGE 14

POSITIONAL PLAY

"FREE MAN"

EXAMPLE OF ROTATION ON THE WIDE LEFT: BLUE 8 DROPS DOWN TO RECEIVE THE BALL, BLUE 11 MOVES CENTRALLY TAKING DEFENDER (WHITE 2) WITH HIM AND CREATING SPACE FOR FULL-BACK TO RUN INTO (BLUE 3).

COACHING ROTATIONS

3v3+4 ROTATIONS RONDO: Maintain possession with 2 touches max. 2 midfield trios inside, battling for possession, while neutral team (green) plays with whoever is in possession. Neutral team players have only 1 touch. When in possession, inside players cannot stay in the same same grid (as shown with the blue team in the diagram), which forces them to constantly rotate.

10v5 THREE TEAMS POSSESSION GAME: 2 teams keep possession against the third team (blue and green teams keep possession, while black team is trying to regain the ball in the diagram). Each team has 2 players outside and 3 players inside. Players can only pass to their teammates positioned outside (blue players inside can only pass to blue players outside). When player inside passes the ball to an outside player they must rotate and switch positions (blue 6 passing to blue 5 in the diagram, they now have to swap places with blue 6 moving into outside position, while blue 5 moves inside). If possession is lost, team that lost possession becomes the defending team, while other 2 teams keep possession. Start with unlimited touches and progress to 2 touches max.

COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), "La Pausa", Movement, Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos.

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POSITIONAL PLAY

COACHING "THIRD MAN" CONCEPT

3v2 RONDO: Basic but extremely effective exercise as players in possession must constantly move to open up and create "third man" options. Start with unlimited touches and progress onto 2 touches max, which forces an increased effort from players in possession of the ball as they have to constantly move in order to provide passing options to their teammates. 2 defending players must press with intensity. Once the ball is lost, player responsible switches with one of the defenders.

9v9+1 SMALL SIDED GAME: Game has a natural flow to it with only condition being that team in possession of the ball can progress into the next zone through a "third man" run. Neutral player (green 8) plays with the team in possession. Players should look to utilise numerical superiority when in possession (due to the neutral player). Progress from unlimited touches to a max of 3 touches. Offside rule applies. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), "La Pausa", Movement, Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos, Runs In-behind.

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PRINCIPLE NR. 5: VERTICALITY “No tiki-taka. The first idea of Pep when you recover the ball is to play with the striker, not pass the ball wide again. If you can play with the striker, that is the first option.” - Domènec Torrent (Long term assistant of Pep Guardiola) Guardiola hates "tiki-taka" (to keep possession for the sake of having possession) and those who associate him with it, misunderstand the essence of his style. There must be always a purpose to the possession and if there is a vertical option available, it must be explored immediately, as it is the fastest way to progress and score. Every pass has the intention of building up to the action of eliminating opponents. Diagonal passes eliminate both vertical and horizontal lines of the opponent defensive shape. This eliminates a large portion of the opponent players while moving towards their goal and attacking through a zone that is usually underloaded by the opponent. If it isn’t possible to eliminate opponents then the players will keep the ball and look to get the opponents to move out of position. In the build-up phase, Guardiola instructs his players to look for a vertical pass as a priority before moving the ball across once more. If the clear pass into the midfield, beyond the pressure line, is not on, the ball moves to the next players. As soon as successful vertical pass is completed, it helps create an advanced platform from which attacking team can launch their attacking move. It is also important to progress through the central areas, as it increases access to the rest of the attackers. Playing vertical ball through opponent's defensive lines is extremely effective way of attacking as it potentially eliminates few defending players in a single move. To create space against a team that is defending in a compact block, it is necessary to play the ball vertically, bypassing opposition players and making them turn towards their own goal. This way attacking team has the advantage, as opposition midfielders are no longer shifting laterally – rather, they are running back towards their own goal, which is a much less comfortable and organised way of defending. When teams defend compactly, they are subconsciously adopting a form of football that is concerned with the horizontal, they shuttle from side to side, depending on the placement of the ball. Guardiola looks for his teams to create situations where they can penetrate opponents rather than playing the ball from side to side; with the aim of negating the horizontal passivity.

5 DEFENDING PLAYERS ELIMINATED WITH A VERTICAL PASS TO BLUE 8, WHICH LEAVES ATTACKING TEAM IN A 5V5 SITUATION.

EDERSON LONG DIAGONAL BALL CATCHES PSG'S DEFENCE OFF-GUARD, RESULTING INTO THE FIRST GOAL.

Attacking transitions are extremely important moments as opposition's defence is in a disorganised state and there is plenty of space available to exploit. It then becomes not about short pass or a long pass, it becomes about the best pass available in that situation. Urgency is another important factor in the attacking transitions, as time window for defending team to get back in shape, is short. In the second leg of 2021 Champions League semi-final against PSG, both Man City goals were scored when capitalising on the attacking transitions and vertical play. In a sense, Guardiola used PSG's most potent weapon from the fist leg, against them. In the first half, City often dropped into a low block, creating plenty of space to exploit in behind PSG's high defensive line. First goal came after Ederson's pin point diagonal long pass to Zinchenko, which caught PSG defenders completely off-guard, allowing Zinchenko progress deep into PSG's defensive half and creating a goal scoring opportunity as a result. Second goal was a combination of Zinchenko's and De Bruyne's vertical passes and Phil Foden's dribbling ability, finished off by Mahrez's supporting run from his own penalty box. VERTICAL PLAY IN ATTACKING RESULTED IN TO THE SECOND GOAL.

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TRANSITION

COACHING VERTICAL PLAY I

4v4+4 VERTICAL RONDO: Vertically narrow shape of the play area forces players to look for vertical options. Team in possession (blue) play quick combinations to progress the ball into either of the vertical ends with maximum of 2 touches. Team out of possession (black) press with intensity and become possession team after the ball is regained. Neutral players (green) play with the team in possession and have one touch only. Point is scored after completing a sequence of 15 passes in a row.

8v8 VERTICAL SMALL SIDED GAME: Game has a natural flow to it, teams must play quickly and vertically in a narrow and congested play area. No return passes are allowed. Start with an unlimited touches and progress towards 3 touches max. Offside rule applies. Goals scored after a one-two with a one touch shot count as double. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), Movement, Play vertical when there is opportunity, Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos.

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COACHING VERTICAL PLAY II 11v9 VERTICAL POSITIONAL GAME: Vertically narrow shape of the play area forces players to look for vertical options. Game starts with the goalkeeper of the attacking team (blue), who passes the ball to one of his players in the first grid. Defending team (black) has two players in each grid. Blue team has 2 touches and can only progress the ball into the next grid once 3 passes are completed. Fullbacks (blue 3 and 2) can move into the next grid once the ball progresses there, this way three 5v2 grids are formed. Blue team can enter the finishing zone once blue 9 has touched the ball, 2 wingers can join him in the finishing zone in a 3v2+GK situation. If black team regain the ball they can attack with unlimited touches moving between grids, while blue wingers and full-backs (blue 11, 7, 3, 2) are not participating in defending. Black team has 8 seconds to finish the attack when they recover the ball, hence must play vertical.

6v6+GK+1 GAME:

VERTICAL

SMALL

SIDED

Game starts with attacking team (blue) in possession of the ball in Zone A. Players remain in their relatives zones until defending team (black) wins the possession. When defending team wins the possession it becomes an open play, however defending team has only 10 seconds to score a goal, which will force them to counter with speed and verticality. Neutral player (green 8) plays with the team in possession of the ball. If defending team scores into one of the 3 mini-goals, teams will reverse the roles. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), Movement, Play vertical when there is opportunity, Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos.

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PRINCIPLE NR. 6: COMPACTNESS “It is not about your defensive skills, it is about how much space you are defending.” – Johan Cruyff Cruyff wanted to highlight the importance of staying in a compact shape. If your teammates position next to you and reduce the space you must defend, you will increase your chances of regaining the ball exponentially. No matter the style of play, every team must master compactness to be successful. Compactness can be defined as making sure that all the teammates are at optimum distances from one another, necessary for maintaining connections. While also having access to the opponent players and the ball in a way which allows them to exert control over space they are defending. Zone that has the greatest worth, is the one in the centre of the pitch, including half-spaces along the whole length of the central corridor. Teams that focus on being compact in those areas are going to play narrowly, which prevents opposition from creating overloads in the central area. Compactness can be both: offensive and defensive, one of the most important benefits of being compact, is the fact, that it allows teams to preserve energy. Because of the relatively short distances between players, they require to run less when in possession and when defending. Therefore teams playing in compact shape can attack with intensity and maintain high tempo throughout the entirety of the game. They still need to shift from side to side to prevent overloads but it can be done while conserving effort. Compactness also allows to execute a successful pressing in case it is triggered at any point of the defensive phase. Non-compactness can be a huge problem, no matter which axis it is happening upon – the result can be equally dangerous. The biggest issue is that it can cause gaps between the lines. When it comes to vertical dysfunctionality, it is mostly through the transition phases of the game, with a team that needs to set its block, misses out on performing the timely defensive transition. When teams do it slower than required, space between the lines gets wider than it should be, allowing opponents to exploit it. Horizontal non-compactness results in the same outcome as the vertical one – a gap is created in the problematic areas of the pitch and opponents can penetrate the block more easily. Noncompact defences have less control over the area of the pitch they are defending, and because of that, less control over the opponent’s future moves.

CITY WILL SWITCH ACROSS IN A BALL ORIENTED 45-1 SHAPE TO PREVENT PROGRESSION AND CLOSE DOWN THE PASSING LANES.

IF THROUGH A RAPID BALL CIRCULATION, OPPOSITION MANAGES TO PROGRESS THE BALL DEEPER INTO THE DEFENSIVE HALF, IT WILL SERVE AS A PRESSING TRIGGER. FEW PLAYERS WILL PRESS THE BALL WITH AN OBJECTIVE OF REGAINING POSSESSION.

Guardiola prefers his team to defend with a 4-5-1 defensive block that becomes a 4-4-2 when they are defending for lengthy periods. Once in the defensive shape, main focus is on zonal marking and cutting off the passing lanes. Zonal marking gives the initiative to the defence and they determine the offence of the opponents, while man marking is a reactionary defence at best. In man marking players must react to whatever the opponent does, meaning a loss of control. While in zonal marking the defending team determines where and how they will defend, and the opponent must play against them to control the game. City block usually remains central, leaving wide areas relatively open. However, once the ball is progressed deep enough into their defensive half, City will move across as a unit to close down the ball. Guardiola is willing to adapt his tactics when situation requires. In the second leg of 2021 Champions League edition semi-final against PSG, Man City did not shy away from giving away then control of possession and defending in a low 4-4-2 block, waiting patiently for opportunities to counter. Vertically and horizontally compact block (as depicted in the diagram) left no space to PSG attackers, making them ineffective. IN THE SECOND LEG OF 2021 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL, CITY DEFENDED IN A LOW, NARROW AND COMPACT 4-4-2 BLOCK, DENYING SPACE IN THE MIDDLE FOR PSG'S ATTACKING PLAYERS.

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COACHING COMPACTNESS I 5v4 POSITIONAL COMPACTNESS GAME: Game starts with attacking team (black) in possession of the ball. Attacking team will start in a 2-3 shape, while defending team will play in a 2-2 shape. The main objective for the defending team is to keep a compact shape and prevent attacking team from scoring playing in numerical inferiority. When defending team recovers the ball, they have 6 seconds to score into one of the three minigoals.

HORIZONTAL COMPACTNESS GAME: Game starts with team in possession (black) trying to play through the lines of the defensive team (blue). Possession team scores a point when transferring the ball cleanly to one end and back, while defending team scores a point by intercepting the ball, after which it goes back to the starting position. In order to intercept the ball, defending team must move together to keep horizontally compact shape and cut off the passing lanes for the team in possession. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Interceptions, Body shape, Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Cover, Communication, Compactness, Switch across together, Force play wide, Patience, Anticipate long balls, Recognise when to press, Cut off passing lanes.

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COACHING COMPACTNESS II 9v8+GK PHASE OF PLAY GAME: Defending team (blue) plays in a 4-4 low block to prevent attacking team from scoring, while playing in a numerical inferiority. In order to achieve that blue team needs to play in a compact block, denying attacking space and cutting off the passing lanes. Defending team will play narrow, employing space oriented zonal marking to protect central zones and forcing the ball wide. Once defending team recovers the ball, they have 10 seconds to score into one of the three mini-goals on the half-way line. Offside rule applies for the attacking team (black).

11v11 COMPACT SHAPE GAME: Game starts with the goalkeeper of the attacking team (black) in possession of the ball. Defending team will play in a high defensive line, in a ball oriented zonal marking. Defending team (blue) must stay within 4 conjoining grids (2 vertical and 2 horizontal, as highlighted in the diagram) to keep the compact shape. Divide the game into three equal parts where the team defends in high, medium and low blocks. Offside rule applies. Defending team (blue) has 15 seconds to score a goal after regaining the ball, with an emphasis on the quick attacking transitions. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Interceptions, Body shape, Anticipation, Man Marking in the box, 1v1 Defending, Tracking runners. Team principles: Support, Cover, Communication, Compactness, Switch across together, Force play wide, Patience, Anticipate long balls, Second actions, Recognise when to press, Cut off passing lanes, Recovery runs.

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PRINCIPLE NR. 7: COUNTER-PRESSING “Do you know how Barcelona win the ball back so quickly? It’s because they don’t have to run back more than 10 metres as they never pass the ball more than 10 metres.” – Johan Cruyff The offensive and defensive aspects of the game cannot be separated in Positional Play. The team’s offensive ideas have a direct impact on their defensive work. Therefore, the team’s ideas in possession set the tone for all other aspects of the match. Because Positional play teams attack in compact units, they are well positioned for an immediate counter-pressing in defensive transitions. First objective of the counter-pressing is stopping opposition’s counter-attack and/or disrupting buildup play. Second objective, is to win the ball as high as possible (thereby shortening the distance to the goal) and increasing the chances of scoring from the counter-attack. The reason Guardiola likes his teams to counter-press is because it provides him with more control. When executed effectively, it allows to skip the defending phase altogether. Preparation is an important aspect of counter-pressing. In order to properly pressure the ball, players must be positioned in the correct areas before the ball is lost. It requires concentration as well as the ability to quickly switch mentality from attack to defense. For counter-pressing to be effective, the team must maintain vertical compactness, which is achieved with a high defensive line.

AT BARCA GUARDIOLA COUNTER-PRESSING FOR 6 WHICH THE BALL WOULD THE TEAM WOULD DROP SHAPE.

USED INTENSE SECONDS, AFTER BE REGAINED OR INTO DEFENSIVE

It is important to consider the value of the center of the field. When the opponent wins the ball they can be forced away from the center of the field and towards the touchline or even backwards – limiting his space, ability to turn, and reducing his options. This causes the transition to take longer or the ball to be won back, and if the transition takes longer the defence can reorganise more easily. A team which plays wide and focuses on playing through the flanks would struggle to counter-press effectively as they are not compact. At the same time – a team which plays extremely narrow would not be able to counterpress effectively because they would not control a large enough area of the field. It is all about balancing the positional structure in regards to the opponent’s defence. The moment the ball is lost is the perfect time to press the opposition because the opponent is disorganised, especially the player who won the ball. The player who won the ball usually loses his awareness of how the game and the field positions have changed when he wins the ball. So the player who lost the ball usually leads the hunt to press the ball while others concentrate on interceptions. If a team prioritises blocking passing lines and interceptions instead of directly dueling, once possession is recovered its players are immediately in a position to receive; through not being attached to a specific opponent, the ball can be retained and quickly progressed forwards without succumbing to counterpressure.

CITY COUNTER-PRESSING TO FORCE A LONG BALL AND RESTART POSITIONAL ATTACK.

When at Barcelona, Guardiola had a 6 seconds rule, where his players would counter-press for 6 seconds immediately after loosing the ball. If the ball would not be recovered after 6 seconds, players would drop into defensive shape. At Manchester City he employs slightly less aggressive approach, where his players would try to cut off the opponent's passing lanes to force a long ball, which would then allow a restart of a positional attack, keeping the structure of the team in tact. Again, it shows Guardiola's desire to control the game in every phase of play. TO FORCE THE BALL INTO CONGESTED CENTRAL AREA, CITY'S WINGERS WOULD PRESS CENTRE-BACK WITH THE BALL COVERING PASSING LANES TO THE WIDE AREAS. WITH MIDFIELDERS AND STRIKER READY TO INTERCEPT.

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POSITIONAL PLAY

COACHING COUNTER-PRESSING I 4v2 TO 6V4 DOUBLE RONDO WITH TRANSITIONS: Practice begins with the blue team in possession, in a 4v2 rondo. Blue team scores a point by connecting 10 passes in a row. Once 2 players from the black team recover the ball, it becomes 6v4 rondo, with blue team counterpressing to recover the ball. Black team scores a point by connecting 10 passes in a row, while blue team can score a point by regaining the ball and scoring into one of the 4 mini-goals positioned outside (with black team counterpressing). 2 touches max for both teams throughout rondo phase, however when blue team recovers the ball in a 6v4 situation, they have unlimited touches when trying to score, which encourages dribbling out of pressure zones.

6v4+2 GAME:

TWO

ZONES

POSSESSION

Game starts with the team in possession (black in the diagram), keeping possession in their half in a 6v4 situation. Team in possession scores a point by connecting 10 passes in a row, while blue team press with intensity in order to regain possession. When the blue team recovers the ball they have to play into their own half, while team that lost possession counter-presses in an attempt to prevent the transition. If the ball ends up transferred into the opposite possession zone, team out of possession sends 4 of their players to regain the ball in a 6v4 situation. Start with unlimited touches and progress to 2 touches max. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Interceptions, Body shape, Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Communication, Compactness.

Cover,

Pressing principles: Press immediately after the ball is lost, Speed and Intensity, Press the ball and cut off passing lanes.

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COACHING COUNTER-PRESSING II 7v4 RONDO WITH TRANSITIONS (FC BARCELONA): Practice begins with the black team in possession. Black team scores a point by connecting 10 passes in a row. Blue team press with intensity to regain the ball, once the ball is regained they try scoring into of the 6 minigoals in the finishing zones. They can't score when not inside the finishing zone. Once the black team loses possession they counter-press immediately to prevent blue team from scoring and regain possession. Black team has 2 touches max, while blue team has unlimited touches when the ball is recovered, to encourage dribbling out from pressure zones.

9v9 CONDITIONED GAME: Game starts with the blue team in possession. Blue team has 3v2 numerical superiority in two grids, with 3 players (blue 6, 8 and 10) able to switch between grids as they wish, however one player must always be inside the narrow stripe grid. Defending team (black) has 2 players in each grid and 3 players in narrow strip grid, they must stay in their respective grids (as shown in the diagram) until they recover the possession. Blue team has 2 touches and scores a point every time they transfer the ball from one end of the grid to another, without losing possession (as shown in the diagram: ball travels from blue 5 to blue 9). When defending team regains the ball they have to play it to one of the players positioned in the finishing zones (black 7 and 9) and try to score into one of the 4 mini-goals. Blue team counter-presses trying to prevent the ball leaving into the finishing zones. Once the ball is in finishing zones everyone can move out of their respective grids and 9v9 game begins. If blue team regains the ball in one of the finishing zones, they attack the two mini-goals on the opposite finishing zone. Once the goal is scored or the ball goes out of play, the game begins from the starting position. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Interceptions, Body shape, Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Cover, Communication, Compactness. Pressing principles: Press immediately after the ball is lost, Speed and Intensity, Press the ball and cut off passing lanes.

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PRINCIPLE NR. 8: COMBINATION PLAY "Third man is the future of football" - Marcelo Bielsa Space is reducing in modern football, as teams are increasingly playing in compact units. Attacking teams must use creative passing to counter it. “Third man” passing combinations are nothing new in football, however, according to Bielsa, they are not being used enough and will be utilised much more in the future. Combination play involves the creation of shapes like triangles and diamonds or synchronized movements and positional interchanges in order to attack with greater fluidity and organisation. It creates a roadmap of movement for players, it does not have to be exactly as practiced on the training ground, but it provides players with basics, which they can improvise on. Actions become automated, which increases the speed of play, and speed is crucial when penetrating a congested final third. Correct positioning is crucial for Guardiola, however in the final third he allows his players freedom to express themselves. Combinations become tighter and quicker when a space is overloaded. It’s possible to break through the defence on the near side of the field, to open spaces on the far side of the field, and it allows for the stable possession. Working on this type of play requires working in tight areas with a number of players, with ball security under-pressure being one of the main factors for success. It also requires patience and good organisation of actions, along with good decision making in the limited space and time. Guardiola looks to move the ball quickly and often over short areas to create passing networks and bypass the lines of opposition pressure. Usually a triangle is created between winger, central midfielder in the half-space and a full-back. These players are then supported by holding midfielder, centre-back and potentially a striker acting as a false 9. This structure allows his teams to quickly and safely switch the ball through players in order to play through the defensive lines and create attacking opportunities. Training patterns of play helps players identify and execute predetermined passing and moving combinations to beat the opponent’s defence. When the attacking team is only playing in reaction to one another, this means they are trying to discover moments and gaps out of pure randomness to get success. At the same time, the opponent can anticipate and defend. The likely outcome is a lot of technical and tactical errors that subsequently result in higher turnovers. On the other hand, when a team that knows the system and can execute plays on minimal touches and a high speed, the opponent cannot always react appropriately, which in turn, offers a higher chance of success.

GUARDIOLA CREATES COMBINATION TRIANGLE IN THE WIDE AREAS IN ORDER TO PLAY THROUGH DEFENSIVE LINES, SUPPORTED BY THE PLAYERS IN THE CENTRAL CHANNEL.

TEAM OVERLOADS LEFT SIDE AND CREATES 5V3 NUMERICAL SUPERIORITY WHICH RESULTS INTO QUICK PASSING COMBINATION AND FINAL THIRD PENETRATION.

"Up, back, through" (Marcelo Bielsa's term) is an effective attacking combination, often utilised by Positional play teams. Through the use of the passing patterns of a different heights, “Third man” is able to lose his marker and receive the ball at the furthest (highest) point. The real purpose of the pattern: to move the defender marking the “Third man” toward the “second man”, so that the “Third man” is unmarked and can receive the ball in a dangerous area with time and space to advance the play. To help with attacking combinations, Guardiola brought back the idea of "False 9" (Messi excelled in this role, inspiring other coaches to adopt the tactic), originally used by Cruyff at Barcelona, utilising positional fluidity of then centre-forward Michael Laudrup. Essentially, "False 9" drops between the lines to provide a vertical option during the build-up phase. This provides interconnectedness within the team as well as confusing the opponents and disrupting their defensive lines. Not only it creates numerical superiority in midfield, it also provides space for other players to attack the penalty box, adding an element of unpredictability. It is an effective tactical against the teams defending in a low and compact defensive block. "UP, BACK, COMBINATION.

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POSITIONAL PLAY

THROUGH"

ATTACKING

COACHING "UP, BACK, THROUGH" COMBINATION I 3+3v3 RONDO (GUARDIOLA): 2 teams of 3 players keeping possession of the ball against the third team, with 2 players on the outside positions and 1 from each team inside. Players have maximum 2 touches and can only pass to a player from the different team. Point is scored when the ball is progressed with a "up, back, through" combination (as shown in the diagram). When possession is lost, team responsible for the loss switches roles with the defending team.

6v4 POSITIONAL RONDO: Game starts with attacking team (blue) in possession in one of the grids, in 4v2 situations. Other grid is occupied by 2 attacking players and 1 defender. One attacking player has to drop into narrow middle grid in order to play a back-pass. Team in possession can only progress the ball in a "up, back, through" combination. Once the ball is on the way, side players (blue 2 and 3), move into the next grid, where 4v2 situation is created again (with one defender moving into the next grid as well). Players in possession have 2 touches max. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), Movement, Play vertical when there is opportunity, Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos, Look for the third man, Recognise opportunity for pattern play, Runs in-behind.

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COACHING "UP, BACK, THROUGH" COMBINATION II 7v7+1 SMALL SIDED GAME: Game starts with the team in possession in their own half, while defending team (black in the diagram) has to be inside the attacking half, pressing the team in possession. Ball can only be progressed using "up, back, through" combination play through the neutral player (green 9), positioned in the narrow middle grid. Once the ball is played into an attacking half, game has a natural flow to it until the goal is scored or the ball goes out of play. After playing a back pass, neutral player attacks together with the team in possession. Offside rule applies. If defending team wins the ball in the attacking half, they have 5 seconds to score.

8v8+GK PHASE OF PLAY GAME: Game starts with the attacking team (blue) in possession of the ball. Attacking team will play in a 2-3-5 formation, while defending team will play in a 4-4 low block. Attacking team can only progress through the penetration line using "up, back, through" attacking combination. Penetration line also serves as an offside line. If defending team recovers the ball, they have 10 seconds to score into one of the three mini-goals on the half-way line. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), Movement, Play vertical when there is opportunity, "La Pausa", Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos, Create overloads, Look for the third man, Recognise opportunity for pattern play, Runs In-behind.

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PRINCIPLE NR. 9: OVERLOAD TO ISOLATE “Move the opponent, not the ball. Invite the opponent to press. You have the ball on one side, to finish on the other.” – Pep Guardiola The concept of overloading is quite straightforward: while in possession of the ball create situations of numerical superiority in a set area of the field. The key principle of isolation is to create an opportunity on the underloaded side of the pitch, where an attacking player is isolated in a 1v1 situation. Main objective is take advantage of the qualitative superiority. To achieve this, Guardiola demands for at least one player to stay on the touchline of the underloaded side. It stretches the defensive structure of the opponents and creates space for the player on the far side. On their own the concepts of overload or isolation are far less effective than if you combine them. A part of what makes it so difficult to defend against teams using this concept is that defending team can never be sure which concept will be used in any given attack in order to penetrate. Attacking team may choose to play through the overload using series of quick, short passes combination or they may draw the defending team across before switching to the isolated player on the far side.

GUARDIOLA LURING MADRID DEFENCE BY OVERLOADING DEEP MIDFIELD AREAS, THEN EXPLOITING SPACE LEFT IN-BEHIND OUT WIDE.

Positional Play teams determine which spaces they want to attack based on the game strategy, then use a distraction in another area before striking the opponent in the desired area, for example playing on the left side to gather the opponents there, in order to finish the attack on the right or playing in deep areas to lure the opponents out in order to finish the attack in behind the opponent in the open spaces. In order to operate effectively in an overload situations, players must be able to occupy space effectively, continuously providing passing options to each other. A good example of Man City overloading to isolate, transpired in the 2020 Champions league quarter-final 1st round game vs Real Madrid. Guardiola knew that Real are defensively compact and aggressive in the center, that would have made life difficult for a center forward acting as a "false 9". Thus, he decided to overload low area of the central midfield, luring Real's defenders to move higher, while isolating his wide attackers on the wings. He did not field a centre forward (nominal striker Gabriel Jesus was positioned on the wide left). Instead, he asked his attacking midfielders (De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva) to start high and drop deep to collect the ball, once they had the ball they would play a quick diagonal pass out wide, where wide players (Jesus and Mahrez) would have plenty of space to exploit in-behind, as Real's defensive line would be playing high and engaged centrally.

5V3 OVERLOAD CREATED ON THE LEFT SIDE, WHILE BLUE 7 STAYING WIDE ON THE UNDERLOADED SIDE, IN A 1V1 ISOLATION VS WHITE 3.

A long cross-field pass generates pressure at its destination as it gives the defence more time to read its flight as well as more time to arrive. For this reason, statistically (as per Colm McMullan's research), cross-field diagonal passes lead to a low probability of chance creation. One way of improving it, is hitting low cross-field passes, they travel faster and it takes the receiving player less time to control the ball. Guardiola utlised Xabi Alonso's skill to hit low long range cross-field passes at Bayern. Best way, however, is playing a lay-off pass to a supporting teammate. This allows the ball to be given to a player who now has a better view of the field and much less pressure around him than a player who was targeted with a cross-field pass. Therefore it is crucial that players are coached to make supporting runs. For this reason, Guardiola insists on players positioning in central areas as it allows a quick access to underloaded areas. BY THE TIME THE BALL REACHES BLUE 7 ON THE UNDERLOADED SIDE, 2 DEFENSIVE PLAYERS CLOSE HIM DOWN. NUMBER 10 MAKES A SUPPORTING RUN INTO HALF-SPACE AND RECEIVES A ONE-TOUCH LAY-OFF PASS.

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COACHING OVERLOAD TO ISOLATE I 5v3 TWO GRIDS RONDO: 2 teams (blue and black) looking to control possession, while 2 neutral players play with the team in possession (each neutral player has to stay inside their respective grids). 2 touches max. 1 defending player must stay in the outside grid until the team in possession plays a sequence of 5 passes. After 3rd defender enters the grid, team in possession can transfer the ball into the next grid and switch across. If team out of possession wins the ball, they are able to transfer the ball into the next grid straight away.

5v3 INTO 3V2 CONDITIONED GAME: Game starts with the team in possession (blue) in a 5v3 rondo, with a maximum of 2 touches. After a sequence of 5 passes is played, the ball can be transferred into the finishing zone, with 2 attacking players and 1 defender allowed to enter the zone, which creates a 3v2 overload. Attacking team has 5 seconds to score. If defending team recover the ball, they can score into one of the two mini-goals. Defending team players have unlimited touches when they recover the ball, but must score within 6 seconds. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Quick thinking, First touch, Passing and Receiving, Positioning (Angles), Movement, Play vertical when there is opportunity, Anticipation. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos, Create overloads, Look for the third man.

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COACHING OVERLOAD TO ISOLATE II OVERLOAD TO ISOLATE 2 GRIDS GAME: 2 teams (blue and black) looking to control possession, while 1 neutral players plays with the team in possession. 2 touches max. Once the team in possession connects a sequence of 5 passes, they can transfer the ball to winger (blue 7) in the isolation zone, who has to play one touch lay-off pass to his full-back (who can leave his restricted area once the pass is played). Defender in the isolation zone only becomes active when full-back receives the ball and 2v1 situation will play out for 5 seconds, where attacking team will have to score in one of the two mini-goals. If the goal is scored same team restarts possession in the overload zone, if defender is successful in denying the goal, his team will restart with possession in the overload zone.

10v10+GK CONDITIONED GAME: Game starts with the attacking team (blue) in possession of the ball. Attacking team can only progress through the penetration lines in the wide areas. Once the ball is through the penetration line, there are no more movement restrictions for any team. Defending team can score into one of three mini-goals (they have 12 seconds to score after regaining the ball), which forces attacking team to position its rest defence in the central zone without committing everyone to wide areas. Once the ball is in the wide area, defending full-back from the opposite side (black 2) must move inside the central zone. Offside rule applies for the attacking team. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Positioning (Angles), Movement, Play vertical when there is opportunity, Anticipation, Finishing. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos, Combination play, Create overloads, Stay wide on the underloaded side, Runs In-behind.

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PRINCIPLE NR. 10: EXPLOIT HALF-SPACES “I look for [the opponent’s] point of weakness, and I try to put [skilled] players in those positions.” – Pep Guardiola Half-spaces are arguably the most important spaces within the center, as this is usually in between the horizontal defensive lines. From here, players can have the biggest impact in eliminating opponents as well as moving diagonally towards the goal. Guardiola considers half-spaces (also known as the interior corridors) as a crucial entry point when building attacks (with inverted full-backs moving into half spaces to help controlling possession in the central areas) and penetrating the final third. Central channel is often congested with opposition defenders and is hard to play through, while options in the wide areas are limited by touchline and a distance to goal. When a player is in a halfspace, he has a better body position in relation to both: goal and passing options. Movements of players into these areas allow the team to progress an attack more dynamically. Half-space is the gap between the opposition central defenders and their full-backs, thus not fully covered. Instead of passing long, players in halfspaces can use more efficient diagonal passes to connect with attackers. Furthermore, shorter diagonal passes have better chance of going to the feet, thus improving ball control in the final third. Understanding the importance of half-spaces, Guardiola adjusts his system accordingly, which allows his most talented and creative players to operate there. Players between the lines, called "interiores", dominate Positional Play. At Barca, Guardiola relied on Xavi and Iniesta to play in half-spaces. At Bayern, wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben were often playing there, while at City, he relied/relies on David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan to command the half-spaces (but not only, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva are also frequently playing in half-spaces). Modern game has moved on from traditional 10. The rise of the 4-3-3 formation, has seen teams using number 6 at the base of the midfield and two number 8's in a more advanced positions. Which led to a creation of "Free 8" position. A tandem of playmakers, operating in both half-spaces, to create chances for forward line. It differs from a nominal 8 in that the players are not expected to arrive late in the penalty area or provide the engine in midfield. Instead, they weave between the opposition lines, floating somewhere between the conventional 8 and 10 positions. To penetrate a low defensive block, Guardiola has been using attacking 2-3-5 formation (or 3-2-5). The idea behind having 5 attacking players is that they spread across all five vertical channels, which creates gaps between defensive lines and helps create positional overloads. 3 players in midfield act as support options and as the first line of defence, in case the ball is lost. 2 players at the back act as the rest defence, in case counterpressing effort is unsuccessful. Full-backs or wingers are usually wide on the sidelines of the pitch. They stretch the defence and create interior spaces and passing lanes. The opening of these spaces provides a better environment for the "interiores" and creates superiorities and free men in the most strategically important area of the field - the center (including half-spaces). When the ball goes out wide, opposition's full-back faces a dilemma (especially in a 4 men defensive set-up) whether to close down the wide player (and open up the half-space) or allow the wide player to penetrate inside the defensive third through the wide channel. If opposition plays with 5 defenders to match 5 attacking players, it will open up spaces in midfield, which, a well coached Positional play team will exploit immediately. And that is the essence of it.

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2-3-5 ATTACKING FORMATION

DEFENDING FULL-BACK (WHITE 3) MOVES WIDE TO CLOSE DOWN WIDE ATTACKER (BLUE 7) AND LEAVES SPACE OPEN BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE CENTRE-BACK, WHICH BLUE 10 EXPLOITS.

TO DISRUPT DEFENSIVE LINE OF 5, BLUE 9 DROPS AND ACTS AS A "FALSE 9". BLUE 8 ,POSITIONED HIGH, DROPS, DRAGGING WHITE 4 OUT OF POSITION AND OPENING SPACE, WHICH BLUE 9 EXPLOITS AFTER A PASS FROM A FULL-BACK (BLUE 3).

BLUE 7 DRAGS A DEFENDER WIDE WITH HIM, WHICH LEAVES THE HALF-SPACE OPEN. BLUE 8 MAKES A RUN FROM THE OPPOSITE HALF-SPACE, WHICH IS NOT PICKED UP BY THE DEFENDERS AND RECEIVES A LOBBED PASS FROM THE FULL-BACK (BLUE 2).

COACHING PLAYING THROUGH HALF-SPACES I 4v4 SMALL SIDED GAME: 4v4 game has a natural flow to it, however a goal into one of the two mini-goals can only be scored after player dribbles through the penetration line or receives a pass through the penetration line. If out of possession team regains the ball, they can counter and score without necessarily passing through the penetration line, however they have only 6 seconds to complete the counter. If the counter is not complete in 6 seconds, the rule of penetration line goes back in effect. Start with unlimited touches and progress to 3 touches max.

6V6 SMALL SIDED GAME: 6v6 game has a natural flow to it, with two teams trying to score into one of the three mini-goals. However if a team scored from the wide channels, it will count as double, which encourages players to exploit wide channels, overloading one side and finishing on the other. Start with unlimited touches and progress to 3 touches max. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Positioning (Angles), Movement, Play vertical when there is opportunity, Anticipation, "La Pausa", Finishing. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos, Combination play, Create overloads, Switch play, Through balls, Runs In-behind.

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COACHING PLAYING THROUGH HALF-SPACES II 6v4+GK TACTICAL SITUATION GAME: Game starts in Zone 1, with attacking team (blue) in possession against the two defending team mannequins and a passive defending team forward (black 9). That forward does not become active until one of the defenders recovers the ball. In Zone 2, attacking team uses the full width of the pitch, with two players wide and one central. The three defenders start off narrow and only become active once the ball progresses into the Zone 2. The line that separates Zones 2 and 3 acts as the offside line when the ball is in Zone 1. When the ball is in Zone 2, the normal offside rule applies. Attacking team must enter Zone 3 with a pass. Once they have done so, they have 8 seconds to score. If they score with a one touch shot after a pass from the half-space to central channel, it counts as double. If defending team recover the ball they can counter, but have only 8 seconds to score.

8V8+GK CONDITIONED GAME: Game starts with the attacking team (blue) in possession of the ball. Goals scored from half-space (highlighted in blue) or with a one touch shot after a pass from the half-space into the central channel, count as double. Defending team plays in a 4-4 low block and have 10 seconds to score into one of the three mini goals on a break, after regaining the ball. Start with unlimited touches and progress to a 3 touches max. COACHING POINTS: Individual principles: Positioning (Angles), Movement, Play vertical when there is opportunity, Anticipation, "La Pausa", Finishing. Team principles: Support, Positioning (Triangles and Diamond shapes), Communication, Short passing, Transitions, One-twos, Combination play, Create overloads, Switch play, Through balls, Runs In-behind.

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