-->
Custom Search

Styles of play

Counter-attacking football

The objective of this type of football is to catch the opponent on the "break". When they give possession in midfield or attack, defensive players will tend to be higher on the ground than usual and may not be able to adapt quickly to a defensive mindset. Counter-attacking football in May involve leaving one or two strikers near the half way line in the hope of passing the ball may be played to catch the opponent by surprise. This tends to go hand in hand with a long through ball tactic . 


In other cases, defenders and midfielders may join in the cons-attack, trying to outdo or exceed in number the opposition by quick and intelligent movement and passes quickly. Speed is an important factor in both attack and defense, as the probability of scoring decreases sharply when the opponent has managed to organize their defense.

Teams playing efficiently fight against football striker will try particularly hard to dispossess midfielders opponent. A measure to prevent this is to play long ball defenders to attackers, temporarily omitting the players in the middle.

Possession football

The teams aim to keep control of the ball for long periods of time in the process of a large proportion of passages that give low risk of losing the ball is said to play possession football. Using this tactic requires skillful players in ball control and accurate passing. If successful, it will tire the opposing players because they have to run and tackle more. Moreover, the term may indicate that each player retains possession for a period of time longer, with more keys. This will ensure that the move will be accurate and effective.

Direct football

More often associated with counter-attacking football than with possession football, direct football means that players spend little time with the ball before passing. In order to achieve this, each player frequently uses only one or two touches. The direct attack is sometimes associated with the long-ball style. Long ball is the term used in association football to describe an attempt, often speculative, to distribute the ball a long distance down the field via a cross, without the intention to pass it to the feet of the receiving player. It is a technique that can be especially effective for a team with a tall striker to get in the box.