Throw ins and corners occur when a ball is kicked out of play. The throw in or corner is given to the opposite team depending on which individual puts the ball out of play. This is another area of the game that I must consider. There may be moments in the game where I may need to clear the ball away under pressure. It could therefore lead to giving the opposition a throw in or possibly a corner if the ball is cleared over my team’s goal line. In some instances however, I may attempt to win a throw in or goal kick off the opposition by attempting to knick the ball off of an opposing player. This is only done predominantly if I have the time and space to do it and if it is a viable option. The only danger in doing this is that the opposing player could gain possession of the ball, giving them the chance to go on and attack.
Committing a foul is another aspect of football I must be weary of. Committing a foul occurs when a player commits a challenge which is deemed illegal by the referee officiating the game. They may decide to award a free kick (or penalty if the foul is committed within your own team’s penalty area) and possibly a sanction of a red or yellow card if the foul is particularly dangerous. As a defender, committing a foul near your own goal is a very dangerous and naïve thing to do. It is important that tackles are timed correctly, winning the ball at all times. If I did not execute a tackle correctly, it could lead to a goal from either a free-kick or a penalty. The most appropriate tackle near your own goal is the head-on tackle (one of the four core skills underpinning my performance). This is because there is little risk of committing a foul providing the tackle is well timed and I do not make a connection with the oppositional player. A slide tackle is a dangerous tackle to commit as it runs the risk of going through the oppositional player, therefore increasing the chances of committing a foul. In some instances however, a slide tackle may be the only appropriate tackle to commit, especially when a defender is tracking opposing attacking players back. It is therefore important to consider what tackle to commit as a defender. The benefits must outweigh the consequences in whatever method is chosen in order to prevent the chances of losing possession and giving the opposition the chance to score.
Strategy
The strategy utilised in football is largely dictated by the formation which is used by a coach. A formation will be either predominantly defence or attack minded. A coach or manager may adopt a different strategy for certain games as some teams may pose a greater threat whilst others will be less threatening. At School, we play a formation of 4-5-1 (example can be seen to the right). This formation works on the basis of having two right and left wingers supporting the lone centre forward. It is more of an attack minded approach, having in effect three attackers whilst still having a holding central midfield player to patrol in front of the defensive back four. At school, we regard this formation as being very effective as the wingers utilise the wide space well and support our centre forward efficiently. Furthermore, with the strength and defensive ability of the holding central midfielder and a capable defensive four, the foundation of our team is very strong.
My role within this formation is a right full-back. As I am a defender there is no need for me to attack on a mass scale though I may need to support the right winger at certain points of the game. As a defender, my predominant role is to defend by clearing the ball away from danger or passing the ball out of defence when necessary. I may also need to attack our own corners when necessary in order to add a heightened presence within the oppositional penalty area. As a full-back it is critical for me to track the oppositional winger because they will pose the greatest threat to me as they aim to get past and possibly put in a cross for other attacking players. In order to do this, I must prevent the winger from getting past by tackling and intercepting passes.
One of the most common formations in football is 4-4-2 (as seen to the left). 4-4-2 works on the principle that the two attackers must work independently of each other, feeding passes through and flicking on headers for the other to run on to. As in the 4-5-1 formation, the team is structured around 4 defenders although there are only 4 midfielders due to the 2 attackers situated up front. As a result, my role in this formation may change slightly as I may be required to defend more as a pose to supporting the right winger in the previous formation. The central midfielders in a 4-4-2 formation are pivotal as they must provide a link between the defenders and strikers as well as win tackles and headers in order to break down possession for the opposition and set up attacks for the strikers.
Technique
It is critical for me to understand how I as a team member can contribute to the team’s overall strategy by executing the core skills underpinning my performance effectively. If I can do this, the team’s as well as my own performance should improve.
The side-foot pass is the most fundamental skill underpinning any footballer’s performance. It is critical that passes are executed correctly in order to retain possession and create goal scoring opportunities. If passes are intercepted by oppositional players, it may give them the opportunity to attack and score. Keeping possession of the ball is a tactic employed which helps to contribute to the overall strategy for a team. In my role as a right full-back, it is important for me not to give the ball away as it could result in a counter-attack for opposing players. It is essential for me to pass the ball into our central midfield players and our right winger in order to set up the opportunity to attack.
Tackling is another important skill for me to execute correctly. As aforementioned, executing an unsuccessful tackle could result in a foul, giving the opposition either a free kick or a penalty if the foul is committed within my own team’s penalty area. By tackling oppositional players it breaks up possession and gives the other team the chance to break away and attack. The head-on tackle is a more appropriate skill for me as it ensures that I have the opportunity to recover providing I make a mistake i.e. I am able to track back and attempt to win the ball again. The slide tackle is a more dangerous skill to execute as it runs a higher risk of committing a foul and therefore losing possession. This may be appropriate only when tracking attacking players back, though there is a lower chance that the ball will be won. Furthermore, I would not be able to recover if I did not win the ball as I would not be able to get up from the ground and catch the opposing player.
For me as a defender, heading is another important skill for me to execute perfectly. As balls are continuously crossed into our penalty area, it is critical for me to win every contested header in order to prevent the opposition from scoring. By winning headers, it may give my team the chance to win back possession and create goal scoring chances. However in some instances, this may not be possible as I may be under time and physical pressure from other players. This may mean I might have to head the ball out for a throw in or a corner. From an attacking perspective, heading is just as important when I go up for an attacking corner. Emphasis is placed predominantly on the direction of the ball as a pose to power as and when I need to header the ball away from danger. It is also essential for me to header the ball down towards the ground as there is a higher chance of scoring rather than heading the ball upwards whereby it is easier for the goal keeper to save and there is a greater chance of the ball going wayward, wasting the opportunity to score.
When our defence is under pressure from opposing players, it is critical that the ball is cleared away from danger. This may be done through either heading the ball away or getting a foot through the ball and clearing it up the pitch. From my perspective, this is very important as I am likely to be under significant time pressures. When this happens, I may attempt to clear the ball up the middle of the pitch but when I do not have the chance to pick a ball out, I may just clear the ball away for a throw in or a corner. Clearing the ball does not necessarily build an attack but it certainly prevents the chance of the opposition scoring. This skill is consequently more appropriate to my role as a defender as a pose to other members of a team.
Physical conditioning
From a physical perspective, it is crucial that I am in peak physical condition in order to cope with the demands of a game. As a defender, being physical is ever more crucial, considering I must win headers and tackles in order to gain possession for my team.
In comparison to other members within my team, I must be taller and more physical in order to win the ball. This is especially important when defending set pieces as I must compete for the ball against oppositional players in order to prevent them from scoring. In order to become more physically able to cope with the demands of the game I have been undertaking weights resistance training in order to develop my muscular strength. This should therefore enable me to be more competitive when attempting to win tackles and when trying to win headers.