Corners

Sunday, 08 March 2009 20:39

The Game - Football Strategy, Training and Parenting

Well thought out corners are difficult situations for the opposition to defend against and often lead to goals being scored. The offensive tactics used in corner kicks and the positions of the players used often depend on several factors:

Attacking ability: Does the attacking team have players who are strong in the air or are they technically god enough to play the ball into the front post?

Defending ability: Is the opposition goalkeeper good at clearing aerial corners and are the defenders known for their heading ability?

Playing conditions: Does the attacking team play the ball directly into the penalty area knowing that the goalkeeper will have difficulty catching it due to the rain ?

Generally, the offensive strategies for corner kicks are based around:

Number of players: The greater the amount of players (attackers and defenders), the greater the degree of difficulty for the goalkeeper to get to the ball. It can be useful to have players acting as "troublemakers" to disturb the oppositions defensive plan.

Type of corner: In-swinging, out-swinging, near-post, far-post and short/medium corners can all lead to scoring opportunities.

Variety: Variations are useful in keeping the opposition guessing. However, a team who wins several corners in succession from an in-swinging near-post corner, by suddenly playing a short corner, this may take the pressure of the opposition. If the coach and players feel the opposition will eventually "crack" then keep the delivery similar, simple and direct. Otherwise a good example of variety is if a player notices that the defence is closely marking the near post, then a far-post corner may be played instead.

As mentioned earlier, there are different types of corner kicks (Fig1) and a team must be able to use all the following tactical options.

In-swinging Corner: A FIFA report on the 1982 World Cup showed that in two out of three goals scored from corners, the ball was played to the near post showing the importance of playing in-swinging corners. The player taking the corner must be capable of providing regular accurate delivery. The ball should be played in between head and bar height to the front part of the 6 yard area. At least one attacker with good heading ability should be positioned to flick the ball on. It can be useful for the playing taking the corner kick to try and drop the ball slightly in front of the player flicking the ball on so that he has to move forwards and bend to flick it on. In this way, it is very difficult for the defender to challenge for the ball.

Other attackers may be positioned in the 6 yard box to block the goalkeepers view. When the corner is kicked, they may move out of this area and back in to create space. There should be players in the centre of the goal and at the back-post in case the ball is flicked on. These player must be careful not to get caught offside if the ball is cleared and played back in.

In-swinging corners played deep to the back post should not be neglected. This can catch the defence out, especially if a player with good heading ability makes a run to the back post area to play the ball back in to the danger zone.

Out-swinging Corner: This type of corner produces less goals than its in-swinging counterpart. It can however be useful and should be practised when a team has no player to take an in-swinging corner. Also, out-swinging corners hit into the middle of the goal can make it difficult for a goalkeeper to come out and clear and if met correctly by the head of an onrushing player may bring about goals.

Short/medium Corner: Here, the aim is to widen the angle and achieve a better position for the cross (nearer to goal) by playing the ball back to a team-mate close to the corner flag. Short corners take advantage of the fact that defenders have to be around 10 metres from the kick. This is especially useful if the attackers have numerical advantage in this area. If no numerical advantage is available (at least one player free in space), short corners may end up being wasteful.

When the team plays a medium corner, this usually involves a player making a run from inside the box (the player positioned at the near-post) to receive the corner pass. He can either turn if not followed and shoot or cross or play the ball back to allow a cross from a wider angle. It is important that the initial run is disguised and only made when the player starts to take the corner.

The role of the players waiting in the penalty area for the cross is important. Coaches should encourage players to switch positions, provide movement to create space and lose markers. Having players making runs at speed from the edge of the penalty area as well as positioning players in the 6 yard area can be constructive (as mentioned earlier). Also, players should be encouraged to make decoy runs and try to take defenders out of position to create space. These movements should be really emphasised in training practice.

It is also useful to have a player on the edge of the penalty area to intercept and shoot from any cleared balls. Teams may want to develop signals for choosing different tactical ploys at corners although they should be aware of the opposition working these out. Finally, it may be of use if the ball is cleared from a corner, to play it back in quickly as defences can lost their shape and marking as they think their job is done (forwards should however be beware of being caught offside). A good example is the Goal scored by Spain against France.

So what are the important points in organising and analysing practice?

A full-size pitch and goal should always be used. At first, practice the corner without defenders. The coach may want to start off by simply concentrating on the attackers positioned in the 6 yard area and then introducing more forwards (making runs from deeper positions) and eventually defenders. All types of corner kick must be practised and the timing of the movements in relation to the ball being kicked have to be perfected.

Only once the situation has been mastered without defenders should the latter be brought in. Defenders should be instructed to position where they please. Between 5 or 10 corners can be taken from both sides of the pitch and a competition introduced. Avoid corner kick practice if the weather is cold and make sure players do not get bored through getting everyone involved and giving lots of encouragement. Coaches may want to surprise teams by giving a corner when unexpected, for example if the ball goes out for a goal-kick, instead he awards a corner.

There are various parts of the kick which need to be carefully analysed by the coach:

1/ The technique and accuracy of the corner kick.
2/ The effectiveness of all the attacking player positions and movements, the timing of the movements in relation to the kick and do the attackers create space and lose markers ?
3/ Was the choice of taking short and medium corners or in/out swinging kicks the good one ?
4/ The success rate, number of goals or scoring opportunities created.
5/ Analyse the mental attitude of the players, are they determined to be first to the ball and is their discipline good (avoid giving away needless free-kicks) ?

< Prev		Next >