Playing out of the back in soccer or across the defensive line is important to set up an attacking chance. I understand that offense and defense are two very different things, however, they can be combined to create something amazing.
Playing out of the back starts with a drop pass by a player, not on defense. The defense’s job is to maintain possession. They do this by switching the ball to the other defenders on the other side of the field. The goal of the defense is to draw in the other team’s players so they can send a long ball to the midfielders. This distraction and quick play create an advantage or “numbers up” situation which increases the probability of getting a shot on goal.
Playing out of the back is a simple strategy that is very important to utilize whenever the midfielders cannot go forward with the attack. The amount of possession held by a single team directly correlates with the winning or losing outcome of the match. Tell your coach or teammates about this so they can also learn to recognize when it is a good opportunity to use this idea.
Click here to find drills to help you improve playing out of the back.