How Changing Tactics Have Transformed Soccer

Here are a few ways how soccer has changed in recent times.

Talk to soccer fans of a certain age and you may be surprised to learn how dismissive some are about the tactics and formations that we see today. There was once almost a distrust of “over-thinking” the game, relying instead on natural ability and a more spontaneous way of reacting to what was going on.

But any soccer fans who do adhere to that kind of opinion would actually be disregarding the fact that even the sport that they were watching 20 or 30 years ago was one of constant evolution. At that point, there was not the same level of talk of tactics we enjoy today. But that is not to say that it wasn’t going on in the changing rooms.

Head coaches have always spent a lot of time watching how other teams play and adapting their own team’s style to deal with any issues or problems. In the modern game, teams like Manchester City and Real Madrid have been able to be successful and become the best soccer teams in the world thanks to the tactics and formations implemented by their coaches.

Pressing

This is one of the most common sights in soccer these days. Whereas teams were once content to sit back and allow opposing teams – especially ones that were deemed superior – to move forward almost at will, now a high press is used. This tactic has changed the way defenders, in particular, now play the game.

The high press puts added pressure on the team with the ball, usually in a defensive context. This means that defensive players tend to have less time on the ball and need to be just as proficient when it comes to control and passing as more attacking-minded players. Even goalkeepers need to be able to quickly lay off a pass, with either foot, instead of blindly launching the ball forward.

Player Roles

This is an interesting area of the game where players have become more specialized, while also being able to adapt to what is going on in a faster fashion. The Netherlands national team of the 1970s was one of the first to play what was then called “total football”, meaning all players were capable of fulfilling any role on a pitch. But now this way of thinking is far more commonplace.

Although we still refer to individual positions when it comes to players, they are expected to work as part of a team and fulfil roles rather than occupy a space on the field of play. Players understand their responsibilities in a far more sophisticated way and this evolution has probably led to more traditional soccer fans bemoaning the modern game as being less exciting.

Playing on the Wrong Side

There was a time when a left-footed player would always occupy a position on the left-hand side of the field, with right-footers on the other. But this way of thinking has changed dramatically in recent years, partly down to the fact that coaches now demand that their players are better able to kick with both feet anyway.

There has been a definite move for wide attacking players, in particular, to start from a position on the other side of the field than before. This enables the player to cut in on their stronger foot and attack the opposing goal in a much more threatening way. As crossing has declined over the years, this way of advancing on goal has become far more popular.

Pass Completion

Modern soccer players play the percentages much more than their predecessors. There used to be a common sight of moving the ball up the field as quickly as possible but without the guarantee of retaining possession. Now possession is everything and that has seen pass completion rates skyrocket.

As skill levels have evolved, players are far more relaxed about moving the ball from side to side – or even backwards – if it means keeping hold of the ball. Recycling the ball has become a popular phrase and teams are happier to keep the ball to try something else to find the breakthrough, rather than force the issue.

Playing Without the Ball

Although there were always great defenders who would rely on their know-how to thwart even the best attacking players in the history of the game, it could be argued that the art of defense was largely reactive in the past. Defenders would do whatever was necessary to deal with whatever their opponents decided to try.

But now coaches explicitly train their players in what to do when they do not have the ball and this is very noticeable when you watch any modern game of soccer. As soon as the ball is lost you will see the newly defending players taking up the positions they have been trained in and look to win the ball back as soon as possible.

The Evolution of Tactics

As we said at the beginning of this article, soccer tactics and formations are ever-evolving. Although we may think we are watching a new style of soccer that will remain popular forever, there will soon be coaches coming through with new ways of seeing the game. Those new tactics may actually hark back to the past – as seen in the return of the traditional number nine in many modern teams – but they will transform the game once more.

It is true that there does not seem to be quite as many flair players as in the past. But it is also a fact that there are far more players who are comfortable on the ball, no matter what their nominal position is. Soccer players as a whole are able to fulfil more roles and the game – although increasingly technical – has improved overall. It is now up to the coaches of tomorrow to direct the sport of soccer in yet more intriguing directions.