24 No. 5 - October 2004

The 4:2:3:1 is an ideal system to learn because of its tacticalflexibility. Minor ad-justments in positioning and mentality easily allow the system to become a more de-fensive 4:5:1, or a more attacking 4:2:4. These adjustments are easier tomake in the 4:2:3:1, especially for younger players, than inmost other systems. This article, which focuses on defensiveconcepts and shape of the back four, is the first of severalwhich will explain in detail some of the specifics of the 4:2:3:1system in both attack and defense. Though labeling the systemas a 4:2:3:1 may provide more accurate illustration of the lineson the field, for simplicity’s sake, the system will be referred tosimply as the 4:3:3 for the rest of the article.

Showing players the patterns of movement and shape in a4:3:3: on paper enhances their understanding of the system,and allows for quicker learning on the training field during func-tional training. It also provides a guide and reference for play-ers to return to after training for continued learning. Playersthat are familiar with the basic concepts of each line in thesystem, both in attack and defense, will be smarter and betterprepared to make quick decisions on game day.

General Defensive Concepts:The general defensive concepts of the game are the same in

any system, but they deserve to be repeated whenever tea-ching a new system.

Pressure must be applied to the ball before defense canbegin.

Until there is pressure on the ball the team must drop towardstheir own goal. When pressure is applied the team then canstep and compress space.

• Pressure must be immediate.• Pressure must force that attacker’s vision down.• Pressure must make play predictable.• Pressure must prevent passing penetration.

Pressure must be accompanied by immediate cover.

Covering players are re-sponsible for filling space behind thepressure to eliminate the threat of dribble penetration. Qualitydefending requires a team to get numbers up around the balleverywhere on the field!

The team defends together. When pressure is applied, the entire team must step together

to stay compact, and when pressure breaks down the teammust drop to-gether. Space can not exist between lines on the

The best teams are able to adjust their system ofplay to meet the demands of a game, opponent orweather condition. However, before adjusting bet-ween systems becomes a possibility, players mustbecome experts in the basics of each system andtheir roles within it.

By: Christian LaversUSSF “A” License Region II Boys and Girls ODP StaffMarquette University

Teaching the 4:2:3:1 (4:3:3)

Part One: Defensive Principles and Organization of the Back 4Part One: Defensive Principles and Organization of the Back 4

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25No. 5 - October 2004

field, or between pressuring players and the rest of the team.The team must also shift across the field together as the ballmoves. In general, the team must move as one unified blockwhenever the ball moves. This puts high demands on work rateand coordination.

The team must step and compress space everytime the ball moves back-wards. On defensive clearances and on any backpasses played by theopposition the team must step to recover space and to elimina-te time the opposition has to make decisions.

The following pages go through the team defensive movement,line by line, as the ball moves across the field. In general, theentire team must shift into the quarter of the field around theball, as illustrated below.

General Defensive Play of the Back Four: Combinationn Man/Zone

Defending in a 4:3:3 should be done primarily with zonal defending. In a zonal system, players are not solely responsible for mar-king an individual opponent but instead are responsible for fil-ling areas of space and marking any opponents in those spa-ces. Zonal defending allows the team to keep better defensiveshape, while also reducing some of the physical demands ofman marking.

Because the 4:3:3 system does not have outsidemidfielders, the back four must not play with asweeper-stopper system. The two center backs should play as a right center back and aleft center back, and should nearly always be slightly staggeredfrom each other. The exact positioning of the center backsdepends on both where the ball is and the quality of pressurethat is on the ball. If the ball is on the left, the right centerback should play even with, or slightly deeper than, the left cen-ter back, and vice versa. The better the pressure on the ball,,and thus the lesser the ability of the opponent to serve behindthe defense, the more the center backs can push even witheach other.

Playing with 2 centerbacks will also allow the outside backs tostep into wide spaces more effectively defensively addressingan inherent weakness within the system. (More on this later.)

Ball on Left Ball in Center Ball on Right

Red box = Concentration of Defenders

“Players must become experts inthe basics of each system”

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26 No. 5 - October 2004

Inside the penalty box, the system switches topurely man-to-man marking.

The proximity of the ball and the attackers to the goal will notallow for space or time to zone and pass runners betweendefenders.

Specific Tactical Cues for the Back Four:When playing with a zonal four in the back, the speed ofthought of each defender, and coordinated movement as a lineof four are of primary importance. There are several generaltactical cues that aid in general understanding of this move-ment, and in increasing a defenders tactical speed:

1. Priority One: Protect the space behind the back lineWhen pressure breaks down in midfield, all four backs shoulddrop back and central as a group to protect the space behindthem. Ideally, the backs will drop so that they could head awayany vertical ball. At a minimum, the backs must be able tobeat any attackers to a vertical ball played behind them centrally.The backs must continue to drop until pressure is re-establis-hed and the threat of the vertical ball is eliminated, or until thespace behind them is small enough that the goal-keeper canintercept vertical passes.

2. Priority Two: Intercept balls to feet or deny the turnThe best backs will be able to position themselves to eliminatethe danger of balls played behind them, but also such that theycan step forward to intercept passes to the feet of forwards orattempted passes into the gaps between the back four.Defenders will increase their chance of intercepting passes bypositioning themselves ball-side and goal-side of attackers

within their zone. If it is impossible to intercept the pass, thenthe backs must be quick enough to close space and denyattackers the opportunity to turn and run at the back line.

3. General Guideline: Never cross in front of each otherWhen the ball is in front of a specific back, only that backshould step to pressure the ball. The remaining three backsmust drop into covering or balancing positions. One backshould never cross in front of another back to pressure theball, and to “do another back’s job”. When backs cross in frontof each other, gaps are left in the field which attackers willexploit.

4. General Guideline: Be patient with if the attackers have goodwidth If there is an attacker wider than the attacker in posses-sion, than the outside back can never apply pressure on theball. In this situation, pressure must come from the center ofthe field, and the outside back must drop to keep the widestattacker in front of them. If the outside back tries to applypressure and leave the wide attacker, the back will get caughtin the middle and concede space and balls behind.

Ball on Left Ball Left-Center Ball on Right

“The back four must not play

with a sweeper-stopper

system”

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27No. 5 - October 2004

Here you can see that if the left back attempts to cross in frontof the left center-back to pressure the ball, he will be caught inthe middle as the ball will be played to the now unaccountedfor right midfield attacker in open space. The left center backmust pressure this ball to prevent that problem while the leftback drops into a covering position where he can still defendthe right midfielder.

Coordination between the Backs and Midfield:The inherent defensive weakness in the 4:3:3 is the lack ofoutside midfielders. If this outside midfield space is not defendedappropriately, the team will have major diffi-culties because theopponent’s wide midfielders will have space and time to attackthe outside backs 1 vs. 1.

Because the midfield three are centrally organized, the outsidebacks must be pre-pared to step forward into wide midfieldspaces and mark the opponent’s outside midfielders whenappropriate. The outside backs should anticipate these passesto maximize opportunities to intercept them, but must never betoo early to step to these players before the ball is delivered.A back that arrives too early, or before the ball is played to theopponent’s outside midfielder, will invite penetrating passesbehind himself. Decisions about when and how to step into thisspace are difficult and require outside backs that are bothquick and read the game well.

Though the outside backs and wingers are primarily responsiblefor the wide spaces, occasionally a central midfielder may mark

the opponent’s outside midfielders. The situation will dictateeach decision—whoever can provide the pressure quickestshould do so. However, if central midfielders get pulled widetoo often, the team will be beaten up the middle of the field.Shape When the Outside Left Back Steps To the OpponentsWide Midfielder

Shaping the Pressure: Prevent the “Easy” ChoiceWhen the outside back steps into wide midfield spaces to pres-sure the ball, whenever possible the pressure should be angledto prevent balls played down the sideline, and to force theattacker to play back inside the field. If the back allows theattacker to run down the sideline or to serve a long ball downthe sideline, the back is inviting a foot race, and at best willend up defending much deeper in their own end of the field.When the back eliminates this option, the attacker is forced toplay more centrally, where the defense has a higher concentra-tion of players, and has eliminated much of the space.

Defensive Summary:In all of these illustrations, you can see that coordination ofmovement is essential. The team as a whole, and each line asa group must adjust and move with the ball across the field.You should also see the high concentration of players in thecenter of the field. The team will be leaving space on the farside of the field open, relying on quality pressure to preventlong dangerous switches of play into these spaces. This willallow the team to keep numbers up around the ball.

Ball on the left Side

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28 No. 5 - October 2004

Individual Defending

Objective:

Training defenders in 1 vs. 1 situations. Training defenders to recognizewhen to drop back into space to prevent penetration and when to stepto the ball to intercept or deny turns

Organization: 1 vs. 1 to endline targets

Set-up: - Attacker (A) attempts to receive the ball from one target (T), turn and

play to the other target. If he does so successfully he receives apoint.

- Targets can play to the attacker in two touches. Targets can playacross to each other but in 1 touch only. If they do so, the attackergets a point.

- If the defender (D) wins the ball, he becomes the attacker.

Training:- The defender must recognize when to step and pressure the attacker

to intercept the pass or to prevent the turn, and also must recognizewhen to drop off the attacker to defend the penetrating pass from thetarget. This game trains recognition of when defenders can step toclose space and when they must drop off because there is no pressu-re on the ball.

- Progression: This game can progress to 2 vs. 2 in the middle, thusshifting the focus to defending as a pair.

Articlecode: 75d4879a

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Functional Training for Center Backs

Training the Back Four as a Group

Objective: Training center backs functionally to defend against center for-

wards.

Organization: 2 vs. 2 to goal playing inside the width of the 6-yard box.

Set-up:- Attacker 1 (A1) plays a ball into forward A2, who is checking back to

the ball. D1 defends A2 and D2 provides cover. A2 can either turnand go to goal, or lay the ball off for A1 to join the attack to goal.

- If the defenders win the ball, they score by serving the ball throughwide gates at midfield.

Training:- Defenders must communicate and organize to pass the attacker to

each other as he moves laterally before receiving the ball. - Defense must organize who will step to pressure the attacker to pos-

sibly intercept the entry pass, or to at least to deny the turn.- The covering defender must be in a good covering position.- When the ball is laid back, the defense must re-organize to confront

the new attacker and also to mark the initial attacker. Use of off-sides space will be important.

- Progression: You can add another attacking forward, so that thegame becomes 3 attackers vs. 2 defenders.

Objective:

Training the back four functionally.

Organization: 6 vs. 4 to goal playing inside the width of the 6-yard box.

Set-up:- 6 Attackers (4 midfielders and 2 forwards) attack the large goal. The

back four and a GK defend the large goal and counter to wide gates atmidfield.

- Attackers get 1 point for a goal. Defenders get 1 point for every 3 cle-arances through a wide gate.

Training:- Defenders must organize to prevent penetration behind them, establis-

hing good pressure and covering shape as the ball moves.- The defense must shift, step and drop together, so that the backs do

not get pulled apart. The backs should always be within 6 – 10 yardsof the back next to them.

- The defense must hold the line when possible to use off-sides to limitattacking runs behind them.

- Progression: You can add a defensive midfielder and another attackingplayer to increase complexity in a 7 vs. 5.

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