5. Tactics

In addition to developing basic technical skills, players must understand basic concepts of offense and defense in order to play the game more effectively. The ability to see the field and observe the movements of teammates and opponents is imperative in the application of tactics. Knowing when and where to move during the game plays an important role in successfully defending and attacking. Additionally, communicating with teammates is vital to coordinate what to do next.

Offense
The objective of soccer is to score goals. Therefore, understanding some basic offensive principles will facilitate performance. When in offense, a player should:

• Look to position him/herself in open spaces to balance the field and create additional options for teammates.
• Try to stay in a passing lane (clear path between ball and him/herself) to facilitate pass accuracy.
• Always be looking for the position of teammates and opponents to determine where he or she should go.

A key objective when playing offense is to keep changing directions and moving at all times to keep the defense guessing and make it more difficult to predict future actions. If players on offense stay still, it will be easier for defensive players to guard them.

Defense
In order to win a game, a team must be able to defend its goal and take the ball away from opponent’s possession. Understanding basic defensive principles will assist players in successfully dispossessing opponents and gaining control of the ball to generate offense.
Similarly to offensive tactics, a player should:

• Try to decrease the spaces available for offensive opponents without overcommitting. The less space opponents have on offense, the more difficult it will be to create opportunities.
• Always be aware of the positions of teammates and opponents to determine where and when to move. In order to disrupt opponents on offense, a player should try to close on opponent’s passing lanes (between opponent and ball) to make passing more difficult.

A key concept on defense is to always stay between the opponent and defending goal, while considering the position of teammates to help when needed.

FIFA provides valuable information at their website on how to teach tactics.