Week 47: Attacking Through the Half-Space

The first session of the training week starts with how the ball can be played into the half-space in order to look to play in behind the defence from there.

Depending on your own and the opponents' formation and style of play, there are different ways of playing into the half-space. If the opponents play a 4-4-2, for example, their midfield line can very effectively be bypassed with a pass through the gap between the wide and the central midfielder. Against formations such as the 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond or the 4-3-3, playing into the half-space becomes more difficult. But even against these formations there are ways of playing into the half-space.

However, we would like to look at playing into the half-space in more general terms, or rather present a few approaches that can be used against any system.

First of all, the ball has to be moved within your own back line in such a way that the half-space is not blocked by an opposing striker or winger. A dropping holding midfielder can help here, for example, so that the centre-backs have a numerical advantage against the opposing strikers. But quick switches of play can also create the space needed. From the full-back position, the half-space is particularly easy to play into when the direct opponent blocks the passing lane along the line. For this, the full-back can position the ball with the first touch as if intending to play down the line. As a rule, the opponent then moves further outwards. At that moment, the full-back dribbles inside with a sudden change of pace, and the half-space is open to play into.

Now we come to your own team's central midfielders. They should not simply shift across with the ball without thinking. Because that way the ball-side holding midfielders drag their opponents with them into the half-space. So tell your holding midfielders not to run into the half-space, but instead, for example, to drop away on the far side or at least hold the centre. That way the holding midfielders tie up their opponents, which makes the half-space easier to play into.

All that remains is to look at the players in the front line. For them, the half-space also has to be attacked with runs. In a 4-4-2, for example, this means that the strikers do not just stick to the centre and the wingers to the flank. If the players spot a passing option into the half-space, the striker can move away towards the outside or the winger can come inside.

If the back line carries out its tasks in the build-up, the holding midfielders leave the half-space free, which ties up the opponents in the centre, and the strikers run into it, nothing should stand in the way of the aim – successfully playing into the half-space.

The first session was about how to play into the half-space well in the build-up. For this, the central midfielders should preferably hold the centre and the full-backs the width, in order to open the passing lane into the half-space. At the same time, the players further forward have to run into the half-space to be available for a pass. The ball can now be played from the defence, or via midfield, into the half-space in front of the opponents' last line.

This session is about how play can then continue. The aim is to look to play in behind quickly. If the receiver in the half-space can operate open to the direction of play, team-mates need to make runs in behind so that a pass in behind the defence can be played.

In the introductory text to training week 47, we already established that diagonal passes can be played very well from the half-space. These can be played either into the dangerous central area in front of goal or onto the wing. There the wide player can ideally operate towards goal. But vertical passes in behind can also be played from the half-space. For example, with a pass through the gap between the opponents' centre-back and full-back. The ball-side winger or the far-side striker are particularly suitable receivers here. Both players can move parallel to the line and run in behind as the pass is played.

But playing straight in behind is not always possible, because the receiver in the half-space often has an opponent behind them. In this case it is particularly important that team-mates push up for a lay-off. The holding midfielders or the ball-side full-back in particular can be brought into play well if they push up quickly after a pass in front of the opponents' last line.

The 3rd and final session of this week is also about playing in behind from the half-space. From the half-space there are many ways of looking to play in behind the defence.

In the last session we already looked at ways of playing passes through the gap from the half-space. A ball was played through the channel between the opposing full-back and centre-back. The receiver was the far-side striker, who first moved parallel to the back line and then ran in behind the ball-side opposing centre-back.

In today's session, the same gap in the back four is played into. This time, however, the receiver is a winger. The winger, too, moves from a wide position parallel to the back line, or at least diagonally towards it.

But there are further ways of playing in behind from the half-space. For example, the gap between the opposing centre-backs can also be played into. This option is particularly effective when the opponents' ball-side centre-back has already shifted a long way towards the side being played on and their partner does not follow quickly enough.

Another common option is crosses from the half-space. These are played to the far post and force the opposing line to drop deeper. In addition, the attackers at the far post are hard for the defenders to keep an eye on. Because they run in behind the defenders. Furthermore, because of the backward movement, it becomes harder for the defence to clear the ball far enough out of the danger zone.