3-2-3-2 (3-5-2) Formation

Category: Tactical: Positional understanding Darren Kalthoff, Blue Springs, United States of America
Difficulty: Advanced Individual-Young Member

Description

3-2-3-2 Basic
3-2-3-2
CB = Center Back; RB = Right Back; LB = Left Back; RDM = Right
Defensive Midfielder; LDM = Left Defensive Midfielder; CM = Center
Midfielder' LM = Left Midfielder; RM = Right Midfielder; RF = Right
Forward; LF = Left Forward
PRINCIPLES OF PLAY
PLAYERS
1. Minimize the number of touches to improve the speed of play.
2. Keep the game simple: Do not force situations, over-dribble or
be careless with the ball.
3. Keep the ball on the ground: A ball on the ground is easier to
control and can be moved more efficiently by the team.
4. Accuracy and quality of the pass: Passing must be firm and
accurate, with the proper weight / pace.
5. First touch: Make a clean, controlled first touch without stopping
the ball ("active trapping"). Take the touch away from pressure and
into free space.
6. Perception and awareness: All players with or without the ball
should constantly scan the field.
7. Transition: Players must react quickly when possession change from offense to defense and vice-versa.
8. Shooting: All players are encouraged to shoot.
9. Take risks: Mistakes are part of the game and learning process. Players are encouraged to take risks to increase goal scoring
opportunities and speed of play.
TEAM
1. All players attack and all players defend: All players must be involved in the game as a unit.
2. Numerical advantage: Soccer is a game of numbers where we try to create a numerical advantage in attack and avoid being in a
numerical disadvantage in defense.
3. Flow of the ball: INSIDE - OUTSIDE SOCCER (inside - outside - inside - outside - inside). The ball should flow from inside (of the
space) to outside and outside to inside. Balls out wide are more secure and the ball in the middle increases the options of play.
4. Triangle principle and passing options: The player in possession of the ball must receive constant support and have at least two
passing options.
5. Speed of play: Quick movement of the ball creates outnumbering of opponent situations.
6. Movement off the ball: Find the best available space to create passing options for the player in possession of the ball.
7. Pressure as a unit: Organized pressure forces the opponents to commit errors.
8. Transition: Improve transition by reducing the number of passes needed to arrive at the target area or the opponent’s goal.
9. Take initiative during the game: Team breakdowns will occur. The team must be capable of adapting to new situations and
imposing its own style of play during the game.

3-2-3-2 Basic

RB = Right Back
LB = Left Back
+ Tackle, intercept, regain possession of ball
+ Collecting the ball efficiently, serve, push forward on attack
+ Full passing range, make crosses from side channel
+ Release pressure by holding your form as a wide wing back
+ Recognize, execute penetration from side channel
+ Patrol side channel and look for opportunities to join offensive
attack
+ Organize and direct LM or RM in defending role
+ Central channel balance, cover for CMs
+ Provide cover and balance when ball is on opposite side
CB = Center Back
+ Marking, tracking, intercepting and tackling
+ Heading, 1-touch passing on aerial serves
+ Passing to penetrate (all service types)
+ Decide, execute - mark opponent or mark space
+ Build-out, possession, tempo in central channel
+ Organize, direct outside backs and midfielders
LDM / RDM = Defensive Midfielders
+ Marking, tracking, intercepting and tackling
+ Collect, turn, re-direct to all regions of field (360)
+ Passing to penetrate (all service types)
+ Primary option for build out and possession
+ Composure in the middle channel ensuring to keep the midfield shape
+ Dynamic in attack, exploit areas behind opponent's defensive line
+ Combine with wideout midfielders, CM and forwards as much as possible to penetrate and join offensive attack
+ Defensive control centrally in front of backs
+ Penetrate - movement, passing or running w/ ball
RM = Right Midfielder
LM = Left Midfielder
+ Side channel play at high pace w/ either foot
+ Marking, tracking, intercepting and tackling
+ Collect, turn, re-direct to all regions of field (360)
+ Passing to penetrate (all service types)
+ Composure in the side channel ensuring to keep the midfield shape
+ Dynamic in attack, exploit areas behind opponent's defensive line
+ Combine with forwards and AM as much as possible to penetrate and join offensive attack
+ Defensive control of outside channel and join defensive line in defensive 3rd
+ Penetrate - movement, passing or running w/ ball
RF = Right Forward
LF = Left Forwrad
+ Side channel play at high pace w/ either foot
+ Running with the ball, high pace (penetration)
+ Ball preparation, dribbling and ball manipulation
+ High pressure on the opponent back line
+ Create turn overs and havoc for the opponent building out of the midfield
+ Create team crossing opportunities
+ Appropriate timing of runs
CM = Attacking Midfielder
+ Primary link with forwards
+ Primary distributor into opponents final third
+ Create goal scoring opportunities for team
+ Take players on at speed in the final third
+ Create turn overs and havoc for the opponent building out of the midfield
+ Excellent vision. Needs to know where all players on the field are at all times. Constantly scanning the opposition for points of
weakness.
+ Control tempo of attack - know when to penetrate on the dribble, reload against packed in defenses, or how to release forward to
goal.
+ Becomes 3rd forward in opponents final third and on attack.

3-2-3-2 Out of Possession

3-2-3-2 Out of Possession—Shape

When we lose possession or don't have possession, it is
important for the midfielders to form a flat line to close passing
lanes and gaps.
The Defensive Midfielders should move basically even with the LM
and RM.
3-2-3-2 High Press

3-2-3-2 Defending—The High Press

Ideally, we will win the ball back in the opposition half. If not, we
will at least delay their advancement to afford us enough time to
find our defensive shape. A HIGH PRESS DOES NOT MEAN WE
WILL CHASE THE BALL. Our aim is to either force a loss of
possession by the opposition defense or to prevent their midfield
from turning forward.
1) CM should work to block passing lanes to opposition DMs. They
should not chase down or apply excessive pressure to the
defensive line unless they take a poor touch or make a sloppy
pass back
2) DMs should, as always, protect the middle. This will often mean
man-marking opposing CMs, and it always means staying goal-
side of your mark. 50-50 balls should always be played with a
head or a foot.
3) LF / RF should block passing lanes to opposing outside
defensive backs. If the ball is played to an outside back, the LM /
RM should force them outside to create pressure and block
passing lanes into the middle, but should always remember that
the most important aspect of 1v1 defending is to keep your player in front of you
4) To avoid 2v1s against a LM / RM, Defensive Midfielders should track central runners if they move wide
5) LM / RM are man-marking outside midfield players, always prioritizing delaying opposition attacking moves over winning the ball
We will not always win back the ball so high up the field, but the more we can keep the game in the opposition half, the more
successful we will be.

3-2-3-2 Defending

3-2-3-2 Defending—Shape
When defending in our half of the field (moving toward our
defensive third), in the 3-2-3-2 all midefielders will form a flat
horizontal line to essentially build a wall of defense to protect our
defensive third. The goal is to alleviate as much pressure from the
defense as possible by maintaining a compact and disciplined
midfield line.
1) Chief aim defensively is to prevent forward passes into the
middle of the field. This means cutting off passing lanes and tight
man-marking by the defense.
2) LF & RF should apply aggresive pressure to the back
defenders. While it is the midfield and defensive lines' job to block
passes, it is the Forwards job to force the opposition into making
decisions
3) The midfield line should help to apply back-pressure to force
errors. When we done properly, it creates a significant numerical
advantage, making it extremely difficult for the opposition to
produce anything worthwhile
4) It is the LB & RB job to provide defending of an attacking player possessing the ball on the deep outside lane and the edge of the
box. LDM & RDM should move to LB / RB opening to provide continuity of back defensive line.
Workrate, communication, and patience are the keys to defending successfully.

3-2-3-2 M oving Forward

3-2-3-2 Transition - Moving Forward
Advancing up the field, it is critical that we move together so that
we have adequate support to maintain possession. Effectively, this
means that whenever possible, we should play to feet. When the
front three move properly, we will have opportunities to play balls
over the top or through the channels, but we will find much more
success if we do this the right way than if we try to play long balls
that leave our CM or LF / RFs at a numerical disadvatage and
without midfield support.
As far as playing quickly and incisively, the longer ball is always
the better ball, but would rather we maintain possession than try to
force the issue.
Finally, the key to our team movement will be connectivity and
partial rotation:
1) The DMs (defensive midfielders) provides the safety net should
a LM / RM get caught out of position high up the field. Again, we
want our Defensive Line to do as little work as possible.
2) The DMs can look to take space in front of him. This may open
up a passing lane directly from the defensive line to one of the front three.
3) One or two of the front three should look to check back into space to receive the ball at their feet. Usually, we are not looking to turn,
but instead to receive the ball and play it back to a teammate in space. Either the LM or RM should always be looking to make a run
forward, but not both. This will be where we play our long balls over the top or through the channels.
4) LM & RM should provide as much width as possible in the early stages of build-up play, but as we move forward they should look to
make runs where their wings are not, i.e. if the LF makes a run down the line, the LM should make a run inside, or if the LF checks
back, the LM should overlap or look to get a long ball down the touchline.
5) The LB & RB should get involved as well. They should always provide an outlet for a Midfielder who needs to drop the ball back.

3-2-3-2 Attacking Possession

3-2-3-2 Attacking—Attacking Possession

A big focus on this formation is to maintain possession in our
attacking third. This will require patience and awareness. Our
purpose in keeping the ball is to get enough space to shoot from
around the box, to get the ball in space in wide areas to play the
ball into the middle, or to combine quickly in tight spaces to
release a player through into the box.
Again, the name of the game is to go where your teammates are
not. We have much more freedom of movement in this part of the
field, so positioning should look much less rigid. If we move off
the ball, and respond to our teammates' movement, we will be
successful.
1) DMs have freedom to move forward, but should mostly move
together to support wide players. The DMs should usually, for the
most part, be behind the CM to respond to any counter attack
situation and help out the defense.
2) At this point, LM / RMs and LF / RFs should very much be
working together to create 2v1s versus the outside backs, moving
in and out of space.
3) CM should be playing with his back to the goal, operating in the spaces between defenders.If CM has space to turn and shoot, then
he should, If not, laying the ball back to an open player or moving the ball wide is the next best option. CM should also be looking for
penetration into the box in between the central defenders.
4) Wide players can choose to either make diagonal runs into the box or to stay wide to stretch the defense and provide a weak side
option in space.