Breakthrough Theory Page | Big Goal/Small Goal | Combinations
Space Cowboy | Doctor Diagnoso

Theory for the Breakthrough Part

What’s all this nonsense about a Breakthrough Part? Once your team gets the ball forward, there are a few obstacles to break through. One is the other team’s defensive system, which might confuse your players. Another is the offside line, which might restrict the movement of your players. And a third is the Keeper, who might gobble up balls that get through. The word breakthrough captures the meaning pretty well.

Why is it useful to think about a separate Breakthrough Part? That part can be distinguished somewhat from the Possession Part. Once the last line of defense is reached, your players can no longer just knock the ball around in different directions. They must risk losing the ball in order to attack. The Breakthrough Part can also be distinguished from the Finish Part. Scoring difficulties might have little to do with finishing. After getting the ball forward, your players might run out of ideas and lose the ball before a finishing chance arises. When the problem is the Breakthrough Part, don't give silly advice like: "We've got to take more shots!"

Here are three ideas to help with the Breakthrough Part.

Use the Indirect Path as well as the Direct Path

New players usually attempt to break through by going straight to goal. But another path to goal, the indirect one, is also possible. Your players move the ball into a corner, and then cross it into the penalty area.

The Big Goal/Small Goal setup is an easy way to get your players taking both paths. It's a goal setup that can be used in any small-sided scrimmage. Each team has two goals to score on: a big goal at the end of the field, and a small goal inside the field (see diagram). With this most unique approach, no Keeper is guarding the big goal!

To score on the big goal, the ball must first be advanced to the final zone and then passed to a teammate. This tempts players to continually take the indirect path to goal. For a full explanation, go to Big Goal/Small Goal.

Use Combinations to Break Through

Strong, aggressive players might score in beginning soccer. But to break through a well-organized defense, players must combine their efforts. Clever ways of combining are called combinations.

Combinations to learn and practice include:

1. Run-Ons
2. Give-and-Gos
3. Creative Runs (diagonals and overlaps)
4. Takeovers
5. Dummies

Combinations make defenders hesitate for a moment. Where will the ball go, and who should cover whom? That moment of hesitation allows the breakthrough. For a full discussion of combinations, go to Combinations.

Space Cowboy is a wonderful game for practicing combinations as well as the Breakthrough Part in general. The attacking players continually face a last line of defense. They get many tries at creatively breaking through. Here's a game in progress. For a full explanation, go to Space Cowboy.

Recognize the Defensive System

Your opponents will be using a particular defensive system. What works against one system won’t always work against others. Your players must recognize the defense they’re up against, and have a few ideas for attacking it.

Doctor Diagnoso is a scrimmage for developing this capacity. First, you walk through a few defensive systems and how to attack them. Then, you attack different systems in the scrimmage. For a full explanation, go to Doctor Diagnoso.