Tactics in the game of football

The tactics can be both collective and individual.

Collective tactics: it is a "coordinated action between two or more players, aimed at achieving a previously determined goal.
Individual tactics: these are all those tricks and movements by which our performance is useful and economic.

The tactic must be performed independently by each player in the game. Each player must be the author of the tactical design.

Everyone is responsible, therefore he has freedom of decision in terms of ways, times, spaces, choice, execution, while taking into account the movements of others.

Beware that without technique you cannot do tactics. Therefore children or amateur adults must be instructed on the technique. You cannot teach tactical drawing or study pre-ordered movements if you are unable to handle the ball.
The ideal player is the one who possesses a precise technique and rapidity of execution combined with repeated speed of movement, inserted in game actions, with a rapid and varied tactical decision-making ability.
Time is the key to playing football. Time of marking or unmarking, time of hitting, time of passage etc .....
The coach's work must be aimed at improving playing times, not on the passive application by the players of pre-ordered schemes and fixed times. Football is a situation sport, it is not possible to predict what will happen during the match, therefore the coach must accustom his players to decision-making autonomy in a system that is clear to everyone.

We can divide the football match essentially into two distinct parts:

Ball possession phase (my team has the ball, regardless of the position of the court and the player)
Non-possession phase (the opposing team has the ball, regardless of the position of the field and the player)

In individual tactics in ball possession the player must know:

The unmarking: in the light area (area where it is possible to receive the ball); diagonally
Defense and protection of the ball: at each reception I have to put my body to protect the ball; always go against the ball; always go to the point of falling on balloons that come from above
Passing: accuracy determines the advantage over conducting the ball: it is faster; I overtake multiple opponents in one shot; results in less energy consumption
Ball guide, feint and dribbling
Shot on target

In the non-possession phase, he must know:

Taking stance: diagonally to the ball; go back to the door
Marking: by man (the position is determined by the opponent); by zone (the position is determined by the ball)
Interception and / or advance: direct contrast; indirect contrast (putting the opponent in the "shadow" area)
Defense of the goal: defending the goalkeeper in his interventions; do not turn around on occasions of possible opponents' shots; covering part of the door with the body; do not obstruct your goalkeeper

The collective playing principles during ball possession are:

Staggering: Players must never be in line, but must form triangles between them.

Penetration: or also depth and verticalization. It is necessary to arrive as soon as possible in the vicinity of the opponents' penalty area, to be in a dangerous area for the opponents and far from that of danger for our team.

Amplitude: take advantage of the full width of the playing field to create useful spaces and open the meshes of the opposing defense

Mobility or movement: football is movement. The creation of space is dictated by the movements of individuals

Unpredictability: every situation must be made unpredictable for the opponents, even if repeated, through feints, etc.

The principles of the game in the non-possession phase are:

Staggering: you have to arrange yourself in such a way to tighten the free field to your opponents as much as possible. Staggering also means being able to give mutual cover to comrades.

Delaying action: intervening to alter the playing times of the opponents, making the opposing team waste time in depth, or limiting the playing time. It can be implemented through two different attitudes: procrastination; pressing and offside

Concentration: referred to the location on the pitch. The defense must be positioned in such a way as to defend the dangerous area of the pitch, that is the one in front of our goal, with more elements.

Balance: maintaining the possibility of mutual coverage in all circumstances

Control and limitation: do not let yourself be attracted by the ball, but respect the defense of the spaces in front of our goal.

Analyzing some of the most used terms in football, their meaning is:

The principle tactic or game strategy: it is the choice that you want to make in view of a single match.
Pressing: can be defensive or low, offensive or medium, ultra offensive or high. It is a collective tactic aimed at regaining the ball, following the pressure.
Pressure: it is an "action of applied technique (individual tactic), which has the purpose of limiting time and space to the opponent's possession of the ball.
The offside is a consequence of pressing, as the team gets up towards the ball and towards the players closest to the ball to limit space and time to the opponents.
Crossings and overlapping: crossings are actions of individual tactics without the ball that involve changes of position, through cross races between two teammates. It is mainly used in the attack phase to free up spaces.
Overlaps are run behind a teammate to whom the ball has been passed, overtaking him in an attempt to gain space forward or numerical superiority.
Possession of the ball: it is a "departmental or team tactical action, by which you try to make your opponents free some space. It is carried out through a series of simple steps, trying to make the ball run over the entire width of the field."
Support or support: Going close to a teammate in possession of the ball, in order to implement ball possession or an attacking "action".
Numerical superiority: it is the tactical condition that is sought with every game action, in opposition to the opponents, thanks to the continuous movements in synchrony in space and time.