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TECHNICAL SECTOR
FIGC

CHAINS OF PLAY
LATERAL IN A 4-4-2

by Stefano Pioli

Speakers: Franco
Ferrari
Roberto Clagluna

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TECHNICAL SECTOR
FIGC

CHAINS OF PLAY
LATERAL IN A 4-4-2

by Stefano Pioli

Speakers:Franco Ferrari
Roberto Clagluna

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2
 INDEX

1 - Introduction ....................................................... 4
2 - ...................................................4 game system
3 - Definition of "chains of play" ................................ 6
4 - Defensive phase ..................................................... 7
5 - Offensive phase ..................................................... 16
6 - Conclusions ........................................................ 25
7 - Bibliography ........................................................ 26

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1. Introduction
In the game of soccer, regardless of whether you play man-to-man or zone, the main tactical foundation
must be organization. The goal that every coach must set himself is to transfer his skills and ideas to
the group so that everyone understands the same things in the same situation; thus creating a common
language, to collaborate, cooperate and think in a univocal way.
In setting up his work program, the coach cannot disregard the evaluation, knowledge and enrichment
of the individual technical-tactical background of each player. It is therefore essential that individual
skills are included in the collective, thus creating the organization of the game. Within this,
collaboration and interrelation are of fundamental importance, in order to have a team that is always
balanced, functional and rational.
The coach's skills must be "absolute" so that his messages become clear and precise signals that can be
assimilated by the entire group.

2. Game System
The game system represents and explains the basic deployment, through the tasks and functions of the
players on the field.
Any game system you wish to implement must take into account the fundamental and indispensable
characteristics that represent the general principles of any system
They require that a game system be:
Balanced: taking into account equally and at the same time the two phases at any given time
of play.
Elastic: one that can easily adapt to any opponent while always maintaining balance.
Rational: that adapts to the characteristics of the players available.
My choice for the current season, given the psycho-physical characteristics of the players at my
disposal, was to adopt a 4-4-2 zone (Figure 1), considering it a system that can guarantee compactness,
balance and security in the defensive phase and effectiveness and variety in the offensive phase.
In addition, it is a system of play that allows the team to keep short in both phases of the game, to
constantly attack the opponent and to occupy space in an optimal way, trying to make the most of the
lateral sides.

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4
 1 Goalkeeper
2 Right defensive lateral
5 Central defensive right
6 Central defensive left
3 Left defensive lateral
7 Right outside
midfielder
4 Right central
midfielder
8 Left central
midfielder
11 Left outside
10 9 midfielder
9 Striker
10 Striker

11 7

8 4

3 2

6 5

Figure 1: dislocation in 4-4-2

Legen Ball guidance

da:

Ball movement 1 Player

Player movement
without ball Opponent

Player space run

without ball Ball

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3. Definition of "chains of play"
The "chains of play" should be understood as a collaboration between several players located close
together on the ground horizontally or vertically from the system of play.
They will perform coordinated and functional movements in relation to a given situation in a given
field sector.
The "chains" include innumerable technical-tactical solutions, whose effectiveness and multiplicity
depend on the technical skills of the interpreters, on their technical and tactical knowledge, on physical
and psychological factors and on the reaction of the opponents.
In the 4-4-2 the "chains" of players predisposed in a vertical sense to the exploitation of the lateral sides
are composed of: fullback, central midfielder, and outside midfield.
Thus we will have on the right 2-4-7 and on the left 3-8-11 (Figure
2).

10 9

11 7

8 4

3
2
6 5
Left chain Right chain

Figure 2: Side chains

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It is essential that these triads of players interact with each other moving with synchronicity and
collaboration, which is the main prerequisite for the game of any team.
Occupying, manning and exploiting the flanks is one of the requirements of zone play. In both phases
of the game we should definitely take into account two fundamental factors of the game of soccer: time
and space.
The goal of every coach is to try to continuously improve these two components, because gaining
and/or losing playing time and space in any situation means prevailing and/or succumbing to the
opponent.
In the next steps I will go over how the side "chains" can behave and interact in the two phases of the
game.

4. Defensive
phase
The general objective in the non-possession phase is to never get overtaken by an opponent with or
without the ball thanks to the collaboration of the teammate (except when using the offside tactic).
This is what the trio of side players will need to take into account in any situation.
As mentioned earlier, I believe it is important to know and learn the principles of individual tactics
(Table 1), which must be an integral part of each player's technical-tactical background.
Subsequently, the behavior and cooperation between teammates determine the defensive organization,
which cannot disregard the respect and maintenance of the principles of collective tactics in every
situation (Table 2).

Principles of individual
tactics
Ball possession phase Non-possession phase
Unlocking Taking a position
Defence and ball protection Marking
Passage Interception and/or advance
Driving the ball Contrast
Shot on Goal Defense

Table 1

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 Principles of collective
tactics
Ball possession phase Non-possession phase
Staggering Staggering Depth Delaying Action Amplitude
Concentration Mobility Balance
Unpredictability Control and limitation in defense

Table 2

All of the above principles, both individually and as a collective, must be met in order to achieve the
intended goal.
The "chains" of the game must make a multitude of choices in a variety of situations, in the shortest
possible time, so the coach's job is to give his players as much knowledge and tools as possible, to
make them choose the best option.
In the Primavera championship, in which I participate with Chievo's youngsters, almost all the
opposing teams play a system similar to ours (4-4-2), so we often make programmed movements.
In the non-possession phase I chose to perform an offensive pressing on the sides, creating with the
side "chains" density in the ball area with the aim of reducing time and space to the opponents, to regain
the ball in the offensive half of the field and to keep the rival team as far as possible from our area.
Through the positioning of the two forwards in the central area of the three-quarter field, we direct the
opponent's play on the side, where the first pressure movement of player 11 starts (Figure
3).

8
8
 10
9

11

Figure 3

It is important that this player starts at the right time, i.e. during the transmission of the pass, he gets as
close as possible to the opponent, limiting his play.
He must also try to cover as much space with his body as possible and be careful not to get jumped by
the opponent in possession of the ball.
Next, the 3-8 pair, after having ascertained that the teammate's pressure has been achieved in the right
time, climbs forward in the direction of the ball by closing in on the opponents: our number 8 marking
the opponent midfielder who moves towards the ball carrier, and our number 3 who positions himself
on the opponent's wing (Figure 4).

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9
 10
9

11 7

4
3

Figure 4

In this situation the whole team slides and rises forward, accompanying the pressing of the lateral chain,
keeping the distance between departments short.
The progress of the action is related to the play made subsequently by the opponent in possession, who
can either pass the ball or try to dribble past our pressure.
On the pass along the line of the opponent side there will be the immediate pressure of our fullback 3
who is helped by the lateral slide of the midfielder 8, while the other midfielder 4 goes to occupy the
central area and the opposite outside 7 remains more open than the fullback 2.
At the same time, the defensive line, which remained composed of 5-6-2, went up and lined up taking
away depth from the opponents (Figure 5).
Thus three new department lines will be formed: 11-10-9 in attack, 3-8-4-7 in midfield, 6-5-2 in
defense, transforming the game system into a 3-4-3.

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 Attachment
10
9

11

Midfield

8
4
3 7

Defense

6 5 2

Figure 5

Our outside midfielder 11, not overtaken by the opponent but by the ball, remains in the offensive zone
with two clear objectives: to form a hypothetical offensive trident, making any restart more dangerous
and effective and, at the same time, the team maintains balance by equally dividing the task and the
efforts of the two outside midfielders; the one far away works and lowers and the one in the ball zone
remains high (Figure 6).

11
11
 10
9

11

4
7
3

6 5 2

Figure 6

Another behavior that can be highlighted is the case in which the opponent ball possessor manages to
dribble our outside 11 towards the center of the field.
In this situation, the halfback 8 comes out under pressure in the second line with the coverage of No.
4. The outside 11 jumped, tries to recover and bring a double, the fullback 3 reenters the defensive line
(Figure 7).

12
12
 10
9

11

4
7
3

6 5 2

Figure 7

In this new action, for a few moments the opponent's ball possessor will have time and space to play,
so our defensive line will have to recognize the "free" ball situation and behave accordingly.
The defense on a "free" ball must never stand still, but must slide behind it, removing depth from the
opponents, anticipating the movement of the attackers so as not to start on the same line.
On the eventual and subsequent pressure, then on a "covered" ball, the defensive line rises, scaling the
markings forward to leave the attackers offside, thus taking away play depth.

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If, on the other hand, the opponent's side dribbles our 11 on the outside, the fullback 3, already
having a direct opponent to control, will find himself in a situation of numerical inferiority and will
therefore slip behind,
stalling and waiting for the arrival and help of No. 8 (Figure 8).

10
9

11

4
7
3

6 5 2

Figure 8

When, on the other hand, the pressure of our outside midfielder 11 is effective, we will force the
opponent to kick forward hastily, facilitating the task of ball recovery by the defensive line.
It is clear that we cannot always be optimally positioned to be able to press offensively so it is important
that players know how to communicate and interact in every

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situation through simple and precise signals that can be summarized in the following rules of the
game.
- The lateral "chain" must at all times be able to mark and cover and be able to scale markings
with the vocal help of the partner behind.
- When the ball is free, the players must be ready to mark the man less and cover the space more,
while when the ball is covered, or the opponent's action develops in the vicinity of our area,
both marking and covering will be tighter and closer.
A simple basic exercise where we can train and highlight the defensive collaboration of the "chains"
side, in all its various situations, is to play the two lines
defensive (defense and midfield) to defend against ten or more opponents (Figure 9).

11 7
8 4

3 2
6 5

Figure 9

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5. Offensive
phase
Technical ability in speed of execution, speed of movement with the ability to read any technical-
tactical situation are the qualities required of the player by any coach who intends to develop an
effective offensive maneuver.
We need to educate and train players to move, to take initiatives without the ball, to make these
movements combined and synchronized in order to have a common tactical design.
The soccer of our days is increasingly dynamic, the spaces and playing time smaller and faster so the
movement without the ball and the speed of thought become fundamental elements for the teaching of
any attacking game.
Collaborating in the offensive phase means making movement, moving continuously in function of the
companion in possession of the ball to always give support and backing in order to offer more
possibilities to the development of the maneuver.
Knowing the importance of the fast pass, being able to use the body in such a way as to see as much of
the field as possible, getting out of the way at the right time through a counter-movement are skills that
must belong to the heritage of each player regardless of the role he occupies and the game system
applied.
Passing and movement without the ball must be simultaneous.
It is important to make your players understand that it is the teammate without the ball who, through
his running at speed and in the desired direction, dictates the pass and not vice versa.
The player without the ball must immediately understand that, if the teammate in possession of the ball
is in difficulty because he is pressed, he must make a movement of help and support while he must
move gaining field forward if the teammate has space and time available to play.
In this case, the release should be prepared by performing a counter-movement: through a transfer run,
while the ball is reaching our teammate, we move away from the chosen area, then when the teammate
is able to propose the pass we will perform a change of speed and direction in the free space.
In order to develop effective and varied maneuvering, it is essential to be able to exploit the
lateral sides.
It is difficult to overcome the concentration of an opposing defense if we do not force it to widen its
distances by occupying the lateral zones with speed and surprise.
In the offensive phase the lateral sides must always be occupied through combined and synchronous
movements that will allow us to avoid the trap of the out of play.

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In the 4-4-2 game system, this task is clearly assigned to the lateral "chains" that must move in a
coordinated manner at the right times and that in various situations can take advantage of the help of
the
Of the biased attacker (Figure 10).

10 9

11 7

8 4

3
2

6 5
Left chain Right chain

Figure 10

In all solutions it is necessary to respect the timing of the play that we can train starting from free
combinations with three players working on time and space factors, on the concept "play with who you
see" and on support and backing (Figure 11), and in ball possession drills with the possibility of varying
the final objective.

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 Figure 11 - Three-
player combination:
A in possession of the ball
serves B who, receiving
from behind, unloads to C
who comes to support
him.
C serves in depth for
the inclusion of A.
B
C

Psychokinetic drills, in all their varied applications, can also be of great importance, because they force
and accustom players to see and think sooner, thus accelerating the speed of thinking.
Subsequently I train the attacking phase through offensive schemes, without the presence of opponents,
trying different solutions where the presence of side "chains" becomes essential, paying particular
attention to the execution time and movements.

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 Figure 12 -
Overlapping
fullback:
The two central defenders
5 and 6 pass the ball to
each other. The outside
11 makes a counter-
movement to receive
inside the field. 11
unloads for the support 8
who verticalizes for 3.
11

6 5

Figure 13 - Inside-
out movement of
the exterior:
With 4 in ball possession,
7 squeezes to receive. 4
serves laterally 2, 7
through change of speed
and direction opens again
to receive on the
7 run.

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Figure 14 - Insertion
of half wing:
8 serves 11 on the long-short
movement. 11 serves
support 3 which verticalizes
externally for 8.

11

3 8

Figure 15 -
Half-wing
overlap:
3 serves on the inside cut 11
who receives and
centralizes. While the mid-
winger 8 runs over 11, the
forward 10 gets
moves, receives from 11, and 10
closes the triangulation
with
8.

11

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 Figure 16 - Exterior
opposite the
conclusion:
4 transmits to 8 serving on
the run to enter 11. The tips
10 and 9, move releasing the
10
space to encourage
9 the
insertion of 7.

11 7

Figure 17 - Outer
intersection - toe:
2 receives from 4 and serves
deep 9. 7 centers to go for
cross. 2 moves to support
9.

10 9

11
7

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Figure 18 - Change
of position outside -
middle:
With ball served by 3 for tip
10, coming in support, 11
and 8 si
change position for 10
give two possibilities of 9
played at 10.

11

Figure 19 - Median
opposite the
conclusion:
With a side ball to 2, the
closest tip 9 cuts deep. The
second point 10 moves and
receives from 2. 7 cuts
underneath, receives and 10 9
serves to
11
the insertion of 8.

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 Figure 20 - Deep
game change:
7, closed, dump for 4 serving
11 deep after an inside-out
move.

10 9

11

4
2

Figure 21 - Median to
support, outside in
depth:
2 throws on 9 coming across.
4 goes to support, receives
and serves 7 deep.
9
10

11

4
2

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Subsequently and alternatively we can search for the development of the offensive action through a
game situation in numerical superiority, thus inserting active opponents; these can be both attackers
who disturb the initiation of our defense, and defenders who hinder the final phase. It is possible to
play an 11:7 where we look for the continuous movement, the
passing speed, game vision, and offensive collaboration (Figure 22).

10 9

11 7

8 4

3
2

6 5

Figure 22

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6. Conclusions
The solutions shown here in the development of team play are only a fraction of the countless possible
combinations that can be created during a competition.
Through drills that take care especially of the timing, space of movement and collaboration between
players, constantly moving from the simple to the complex, the coach can convey his idea and mentality
of the game, within which the individual player, each with its own capabilities, can express themselves
to the fullest.
Skills, ideas, balance and passion are key qualities for any coach.
Our task is to succeed in transmitting the culture of enthusiasm in daily work, without which it becomes
difficult to achieve anything important.
Among the many clichés in soccer there is one that I believe to be true: you play on Sunday as you
train during the week.
This does not mean that if a group works with seriousness, enthusiasm and intensity in every training
session it will always be able to win, but it certainly means having a team ready, prepared and focused
for every situation.
The players, who are the main actors, must be fully convinced of what is proposed to them; only in this
way will we be able to have total participation and availability in order to obtain a valid team
organization.
The most exciting aspect, beyond the technical-tactical values, is to be able to "get into the head" of
the players and make them participate and aware of being part of a group that wants to work, grow and
improve together.
It is clear that having at our disposal not only good players but above all intelligent, selfless and
ambitious men will make our task easier and it will be easier to try to help produce good, effective and
spectacular soccer.

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 BIBLIOGRAPH
Y

Notes taken from the "Tecnica Calcistica" lessons given by Franco Ferrari and Roberto
Clagluna during the 2002-2003 Master course.
F. Ferrari, "Elements of football tactics" Vol. I, 2001 (ed. Correre Milano)

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