The Debrief · Football explained
How to analyse a set piece
Set pieces, using the corner as the example: the delivery, the runs, the blocks and the players who stay back.
By Harry Lowe · 6 min read
Read the article →
Introduction
A large share of goals come from set pieces. They are the one part of the game a team can rehearse in detail, which makes them one of the most useful things an analyst can study.
A good set-piece analysis breaks the routine into parts: the delivery, how the defence is set up, the runs, the blocks and the players who stay back.
Here are five things to watch for. In every board, Blue is taking a corner at the top of the page.
01 · The delivery
Note the type of delivery
- What you see
- Most corners either curl in towards the goal (an inswinger) or away from it (an outswinger); others are driven flat or played short. Each lands in a particular area.
- How the team does it
- The taker’s foot and side of the pitch decide the swing. The target area is agreed before the corner is taken.
- Why the team does it
- An inswinger heads towards goal, so any touch can turn it in, and it lands in the crowded area near the goalkeeper. An outswinger moves away from the goalkeeper and gives the attackers a ball they can run on to and head with power.
- What is the benefit
- The attackers know where the ball will land, so they can time their runs to arrive as it does.
02 · The defence
Count the zones and the markers
- What you see
- Some defenders stand in fixed positions across the six-yard box. Others follow one attacker each.
- How the team does it
- Many teams use a mix: a zonal line in front of the goal, a player on the near post and markers on the biggest threats.
- Why the team does it
- Zones protect the most dangerous areas. Markers stop the best headers of the ball from running freely.
- What is the benefit
- The mix covers the six-yard box and the main threats at once, though gaps often appear between the zones or behind a marker.
03 · The runs
Follow each attacker’s run
- What you see
- The attackers start bunched together, then split as the ball is struck, each running to a different area.
- How the team does it
- One attacks the near post, one the centre of the goal and one the far post, so the defence cannot cover them all.
- Why the team does it
- Runs that start together and split late are harder to mark than players standing still.
- What is the benefit
- At least one attacker usually arrives in space, and the delivery is aimed at where that player will be.
04 · The blocks
Look for the player who blocks
- What you see
- One attacker takes up a position in a defender’s path, without trying to reach the ball themselves.
- How the team does it
- The blocker holds a position in the way of the player marking a teammate, so the marker is held up and the teammate runs free. It is legal only while the blocker holds their ground: moving into a defender’s way to stop them is an offence.
- Why the team does it
- Markers have to follow their player through a crowd. A well-placed block makes that impossible.
- What is the benefit
- The best header in the team can often attack the ball without a defender touching them.
05 · Who stays back
Count the players left behind
- What you see
- While most of the team attacks the corner, a few players stay further back, often near halfway.
- How the team does it
- They stand close to the opponent’s forwards who have stayed up, ready if the ball is cleared.
- Why the team does it
- A cleared corner can turn into a counter-attack against a team with nobody back.
- What is the benefit
- The team can commit its best headers to the box knowing the counter-attack is covered.
06 · Put it into practice
Try it on a match
Watch every corner one team takes in a match. For each one, note the time, the type of delivery, where it landed, who won the first contact and what happened next.
After a few matches, look at the pattern. Does the team prefer one delivery? Does the same player attack the near post? How many players stay back?
Then use What? How? Why? to explain one routine.
The Debrief · Football explained
How to analyse a set piece
Set pieces, using the corner as the example: the delivery, the runs, the blocks and the players who stay back.
By Harry Lowe · 6 min read
Read the article →Introduction
A large share of goals come from set pieces, typically 1/3 of all goals across a season. They are the one part of the game a team can rehearse in detail, which makes them one of the most useful things an analyst can study.
A good set-piece analysis breaks the routine into parts: the delivery, target area, how the defence is set up, the runs, the blocks and the players who stay back.
Here are five things to watch for. In every board, Blue is taking a corner at the top of the page.
01 · The delivery
Note the type of delivery
- What you see
- Most corners either curl in towards the goal (an inswinger) or away from it (an outswinger); others are driven flat or played short. Each has a specific purpose and lands in a particular area.
- How the team does it
- The taker’s foot and side of the pitch decide the swing. The target area is agreed before the corner is taken. Always rehearsed with specific cues and routines.
- Why the team does it
- An inswinger heads towards goal, so any touch can turn it in, and it lands in the crowded area near the goalkeeper. An outswinger moves away from the goalkeeper and gives the attackers a ball they can run on to and head with power.
- What is the benefit
- The attackers know where the ball will land, so they can time their runs to arrive and attack the ball.
02 · The defence
Count the zones and the markers
- What you see
- Some defenders stand in fixed positions across the six-yard box, preferring a zonal approach. Others follow one attacker each which indicates a player-to-player marking strategy.
- How the team does it
- Many teams use a mix: a zonal line in front of the goal, a player on the near post and markers or blockers on the biggest threats.
- Why the team does it
- Zones protect the most dangerous areas. Markers stop the best headers of the ball from running freely.
- What is the benefit
- The mix covers the six-yard box and the main threats at once, though gaps can appear between the zones or behind a marker if the delivery is perfect or the attacker loses their marker.
03 · The runs
Follow each attacker’s run
- What you see
- The attackers can start bunched together, making it difficult to markers to pick them up, then split as the ball is struck, each running to a different area.
- How the team does it
- Typically, teams want all areas covered. One attacks the near post, one the centre of the goal and one the far post, so the attacking team area distributed across the penalty area.
- Why the team does it
- Runs that start together and split late are harder to mark than players standing still. Attackers will often stand on the blind side of the defender so they challenge the player to track their movement and the ball.
- What is the benefit
- At least one attacker usually arrives in space, and the delivery is aimed at where that player will be. Attackers who lose their marker then create the separation and space they need to attack the ball.
04 · The blocks
Look for the player who blocks
- What you see
- One attacker takes up a position in a defender’s path, without trying to reach the ball themselves, creating enough space for their teammate to get away from the defender.
- How the team does it
- The blocker holds a position in the way of the player marking a teammate, so the marker is held up and the teammate runs free. It is legal only while the blocker holds their ground. Performed subtly, its an effective method.
- Why the team does it
- Markers have to follow their player through a crowd. A well-placed block makes that very difficult to follow the attacker.
- What is the benefit
- The best attacker in the team can often attack the ball without a defender touching them or within a distance that effects the attackers ability to contact the ball.
05 · Who stays back
Count the players left behind
- What you see
- While most of the team attacks the corner, a few players stay further back, often near halfway to protect against the counter-attack.
- How the team does it
- They stand close to the opponent’s forwards who have stayed up, ready if the ball is cleared.
- Why the team does it
- A cleared corner can turn into a counter-attack against a team with nobody back.
- What is the benefit
- The team can commit its best headers to the box knowing the counter-attack is covered. The cost is when teams leave multiple players up in an attempt to reduce the number of attackers in the box.
06 · Put it into practice
Try it on a match
Watch every corner one team takes in a match. For each one, note the time, the type of delivery, where it landed, who won the first contact and what happened next.
After a few matches, look at the pattern. Does the team prefer one delivery? Does the same player attack the near post? How many players stay back?
Then use What? How? Why? to explain one routine.