Introduction To Football Analytics: Soccer Tactics

Gain a deeper understanding of the main principles of the most common tactical formations in football (soccer)

What you'll learn

Familiarise yourself with the most important tactical systems in football

Learn the most important theories of football formations

Understand the roles of players within the system and its strengths and weaknesses

Understand how tactical formations are implemented in real game situations

Requirements

Have at least a basic understanding of football

Be ready and eager to learn

Description

If there is one thing that has permeated football debates since the birth of the sport, it is the question of the validity and effectiveness of one particular formation over another. With no "perfect" answer, history has seen a constant back and forth between formations as coaches tried to overcome and reinvent the prevailing trends of the moment.This relentless race to learn and innovate is one of the main reasons the sport is constantly evolving. Undoubtedly, a coach who can implement a formation strategy that his peers are unfamiliar with has a tremendous advantage going into a competition.Football formations refer to how players in a team are positioned on the pitch, and are decided according to how defensive or how attacking a side wants to be. For example, a manager who sees that the opposition has some dangerous attacking players may opt for an additional defender – and therefore one less midfielder or forward – in the lineup to nullify that threat.Teams are always trying to second-guess what tactics and formations the other teams are going to use in an attempt to outwit them on the pitch. In fact, it’s often the case that a change in formation by one side during a game results in a swift change by the other team to compensate for the change.Formations are arrived at using the ten outfield players (i.e. all the players apart from the goalkeeper), and they describe the number of players in each area of the pitch, from the defence and then working upfield.This course will introduce you to the main tactical formations in football.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Course Introduction

Section 2: 4-4-2 Tactical Formation

Lecture 2 4-4-2 Formation (Core concepts)

Lecture 3 4-4-2 Player Roles

Lecture 4 4-4-2 Strengths and Weaknesses

Lecture 5 4-4-2 Tactics Board

Lecture 6 4-4-2 Game Footage

Section 3: 4-4-2 Diamond (4-1-2-1-2) Tactical Formation

Lecture 7 4-4-2 Diamond Formation (Core concepts)

Lecture 8 4-4-2 Diamond Player Roles

Lecture 9 4-4-2 Diamond Strengths and Weaknesses

Lecture 10 4-4-2 Diamond Tactics Board

Lecture 11 4-4-2 Diamond Game Footage

Section 4: 4-2-2-2 Tactical Formation

Lecture 12 4-2-2-2 Formation (Core concepts)

Lecture 13 4-2-2-2 Player Roles

Lecture 14 4-2-2-2 Strengths and Weaknesses

Lecture 15 4-2-2-2 Tactics Board

Lecture 16 4-2-2-2 Game Footage

Section 5: 4-2-3-1 Tactical Formation

Lecture 17 4-2-3-1 Formation (Core concepts)

Lecture 18 4-2-3-1 Player Roles

Lecture 19 4-2-3-1 Strengths and Weaknesses

Lecture 20 4-2-3-1 Tactics Board

Lecture 21 4-2-3-1 Game Footage

Section 6: 4-3-3 Tactical Formation

Lecture 22 4-3-3 Formation (Core concepts)

Lecture 23 4-3-3 Player Roles

Lecture 24 4-3-3 Strengths and Weaknesses

Lecture 25 4-3-3 Tactics Board

Lecture 26 4-3-3 Game Footage

Section 7: 4-3-2-1 Tactical Formation

Lecture 27 4-3-2-1 Formation (Core concepts)

Lecture 28 4-3-2-1 Player Roles

Lecture 29 4-3-2-1 Strengths and Weaknesses

Lecture 30 4-3-2-1 Tactics Board

Lecture 31 4-3-2-1 Game Footage

People who want to gain a deeper understanding of football formations,Students of the game who wish to pursue a career as coaches or analysts