Tactical Dynamics You are here: Home Tactical Theory Tactical Dynamics

Tactical Dynamics
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Tactical dynamics are the fundamental concepts that underlie how space can be used by a team.

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Primary Tactical Dynamics
The primary tactical dynamics are the three distinct tactical dynamics that all other tactical dynamics are derived from. They are tactical shape, which relates to the positioning of a team’s players, player movement, which relates to the movement of a team’s players, and ball movement, which relates to the movement of the ball by a team’s players.

Tactical Shape
Tactical shape is the combination of a team’s players’ tactical positions.

A player’s tactical position is his general position relative to his teammates in vertical and horizontal space. A player’s playing position gives him an initial reference point and this is refined to give him his tactical position.

Tactical shape gives a team a basic structure that enables it to more efficiently occupy space in different areas of the pitch and therefore helps it to achieve all of the main tactical objectives.

Player Movement
Player movement is the movement of a team’s players through vertical, horizontal and aerial space. Each player can move in different directions, to different extents and in different ways. Player movement is specifically movement that occurs in addition to the movement that occurs as a result of a team simply maintaining its tactical shape as it moves as a whole in order to track the movement of the ball; for instance, into more advanced or deeper areas.

Player movement can cause a team’s players to tire more quickly and lead to them making mistakes, as explained in the Player Behaviour guide. In particular, defending team players can tire more quickly from player movement made in response to the attacking team’s player movement and ball movement.

Player movement enables a team to dynamically occupy space and therefore helps it to achieve all of the main tactical objectives.

Player Movement & Attacking Objectives
Player movement helps the attacking team to achieve the main attacking objectives, as follows:

* Keeping possession – Attacking team players can move into areas with more available space in order for the attacking team to keep possession more easily. However, player movement, particularly into more threatening areas when attempting to penetrate space, where there may be less available space, can make it more difficult for the attacking team to keep possession.

* Retaining solidity – This requires attacking team players to move in response to the movement of teammates. However, player movement, particularly into more threatening areas when attempting to penetrate space, can make it more difficult for the attacking team to retain solidity.

* Retaining compactness – This also requires attacking team players to move in response to the movement of teammates. However, player movement can make it more difficult for the attacking team to retain compactness as it involves the attacking team deviating from its compact tactical shape.

Player Movement & Defensive Objectives
Player movement helps the defending team to achieve the main defensive objectives, as follows:

* Protecting space – This requires defending team players to move in response to the movement of teammates. However, player movement, particularly beyond attacking team players when restricting space, can make it more difficult for the defending team to protect space.

* Retaining compactness – This also requires defending team players to move in response to the movement of teammates. However, player movement can make it more difficult for the defending team to retain compactness as it involves the defending team deviating from its compact tactical shape.

Ball Movement
Ball movement is the movement of the ball by a team’s players through vertical, horizontal and aerial space. Each player can move the ball in different directions, to different extents and in different ways.

The tiredness of a team’s players is largely unaffected by ball movement. However, as detailed above, defending team players can tire more quickly from player movement made in response to the attacking team’s ball movement.

Ball movement is mainly applied by the attacking team, as only attacking team players have control of the ball. However, it can also be applied to a small extent by the defending team.

Ball movement does not help a team to achieve all of the main tactical objectives, as some can only be achieved through the positioning and movement of players.

Ball Movement & Attacking Objectives
Ball movement helps the attacking team to achieve the main attacking objectives, as follows:

* Penetrating space – This requires attacking team players to move the ball into more threatening areas.

* Creating space – Attacking team players can move the ball in order to draw players out of position by encouraging player movement from the defending team.

* Keeping possession – Attacking team players can move the ball into areas with more available space and can move the ball in a more controlled manner in order for the attacking team to keep possession more easily. However, ball movement, particularly into more threatening areas when attempting to penetrate space, where there may be less available space, or in a less controlled manner, can make it more difficult for the attacking team to keep possession.