The Art of Counterattacking – How to do it Right
Historically, counterattacking has been one of the great equalisers in football, enabling ordinary and largely unfancied sides to achieve unlikely successes. The Greece side that won the 2004 European Championship in Portugal built their success on a solid defensive...
Tactics Explained – The Switch of Play
If there’s one tactical trend that continues to dominate football, it’s the use of an increasingly compact defensive block. This applies to both high and low defensive blocks too, as teams look to squeeze the central areas of the pitch and optimise their chances of...
How to Break Down a Deep Defensive Block
There’s no doubt that modern football teams are adopting increasingly compact blocks when in and out of possession, regardless of whether this is deep in nature or high up the pitch. This was in evidence during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where sides like...
How to Defend Against Pep’s 3-2-4-1 Shape
Recency bias is something that often distorts football analysis, with records achieved prior to 1992 and the advent of the Premier League often disregarded by younger fans. Similarly, currently players and managers are often afforded reverential and disproportionate...
How to Overcome and Beat a High Press – 3 Tactics
While football teams have always pressed their opponents to some degree or another, the modern game has seen the sophistication of this tactic and the evolution of more organised, collective pressing. Nowadays, the overwhelming majority of top flight teams adopt some...
Pro vs Zonal Marking – Which is the Best?
While few sides deploy man marking in open play in the modern age, this remains a common and arguably preferable tactic when defending set pieces. In fact, the debate between man and zonal marking continues to rage at all levels of football, with each offering...
How to Start A Football Team | Setting Up A Grassroots Football Team
How to start a football team is a question we regularly receive, so if you're looking to start a football team you've come to the right place. Football is the most popular sport in the world. Watched and played by millions on a daily basis, there are a number of...
A Guide to Football Pitch Sizes | Pitch Dimensions
Do you need to know the sizes of a football pitch? Our pitch size guide has the answers for you! Football pitches are an integral component within the sport. Not only can a pitch be the difference between winning and losing or enjoyment and...
How to Progress Up the Coaching Ladder: UEFA Pro Licence
Following the acquisition of the UEFA A Licence, you’re then ready to take the final step in your coaching qualification journey to obtain the prestigious UEFA Pro Licence. Course Details The FA UEFA Pro Licence is the mandatory qualification for all first team...
How to Progress Up the Coaching Ladder: UEFA A Licence
After gaining the UEFA B licence on your journey of progressing up the coaching ladder, the next step is acquiring your FA Level 4 Award, or as it’s more commonly known: the UEFA A Licence. As can be seen from the qualification pyramid below, the UEFA A Licence is the...
Guide To Football Pre-Season Training | Football Pre-Season Tips
The most important factors to consider during the first days back at pre-season training?After a long layoff from training and/or competition, the body and mind have had time to recover from the stress and pressures that work in conjunction with competing and training...
How To Get Sponsorship For Your Grassroots Football Team
If you're part of a football club looking for sponsorship for football kits, you've come to the right place. Sponsorship is one of those necessary evils that all low-level football teams must eventually face up to. But economic hardship coupled with a lack of...