Building out of the back in a 4-3-3 vs a 4-3-3

By Ethan Keogh

Using a 4-3-3 formation, you can have two basic variations and these occur with the central midfield positioning.The first variation has one pivot midfielder and two 8’s & the second variation has two pivot midfielders and a 10. You can still have success building out versus any formation with either of these variations, there will just be some different player movements depending on which option you choose.

Initially in the defensive third the possession team should have a numerical advantage. Lets say that the possession team plays with one pivot and two 8’s, while the defensive team plays with two pivots and a 10 meaning that the three midfielders match up exactly. In this scenario, it is still 7+GK vs 6. If you want your 8’s to start really high you can have a 5+GK v 4 in the initial build up.

When teams do build out from the back there are a couple of key principles that will help improve effectiveness. These main concept that helps teams move the ball forward are overloads, positioning, inviting pressure, exploiting space and timing.

Creating a 2v1 scenario is the most effective way for a team to move the ball forward. When building out of the back in a 4-3-3 vs a 4-3-3 there are a number of ways to create these overloads & 2v1 situations.

The simplest of these situations occur when the keeper plays the first pass to one of the center backs. The first reaction of the opposition striker is to press the player on the ball. Once that striker has passed the midline of the pitch, the center back on the ball can quickly switch it to the other center back. This situation gives the second center back more time on the ball as the striker has a greater distance to cover. If the second center back can take a forward touch and drive at the opposition winger on their side they now have a 2v1 situation. The opposition winger either has to step towards the center back on the ball, leaving the full back free or they drop off following the full back allowing the center back to dribble the ball up the pitch. All of the concepts mentioned above are used here. The first center back invites the pressure from the opposition striker, then he exploits the space created for his center back partner. The second center back has dribbled forwards creating an overload vs the opposition winger and then must choose the right time to play the pass or continue dribbling.

Another scenario where teams can create an overload is triggered by the opposition wingers movement in the first phase of play. In its simplest form this scenario has two options: Option 1 - The center back plays to the full back and the full back plays forward. Option 2 - The center back plays to the central midfielder, who then plays the fullback. The crucial decision on which option to play is made by the center back and the trigger is the movement of the opposition winger. As the ball is played to one of the center backs, they receive the ball on their back foot opening out. The opposition winger will either keep their position, preventing the pass into our winger or they will press the center back on the ball. If they press, it’s a simple case of either playing the center midfielder who then plays the full back, or the full back drops a couple of yards creating a passing lane and the center back plays him. If the opposition winger holds his position, the center back on the ball can play the full back who is free. Once that pass is played the opposition winger will trigger a press, and in this case we want that. We want to invite the pressure. Depending on how fast the press is from the opposition winger, our full back will play one or two touch back to the center back. Then the center back will then play quickly to the center midfielder who tries to play one touch to the fullback. The important aspects of this situation is the recognition by our center back about which pass to play and even more so is the positioning of the center midfielder & the timing of their run. If their starting position is too deep, they condense the space making it easier for the opposition to press, and if they are too early or too late with their runs the move breaks down. Another small detail that can make or break this situation is the foot that the center back plays to. If they want to move the ball quickly, it’s important to play the ball to the side closest to the full back so that the central midfielder can play quickly.

The third scenario is a little bit of a combination of the previous situations. Essentially the idea is to play the ball to one side of the field, inviting pressure to that side and then switching it quickly through the central midfielder to then create a 2v1 situation like the one that occurred in the first scenario. The more that you can suck the opposition to one side the greater the opportunity you will have to move the ball forward if you switch it quickly and execute efficiently. For example, if the center back plays to the full back it invites the whole of the opposition team to press towards the sideline, whereas if the center back holds onto the ball and then plays the central midfielder to switch it, the opposition have moved a shorter distance. This scenario does require very proficient passer as the pass to the central midfielder and the pass from the central midfielder to the opposite center back are very dangerous if executed incorrectly. One of the key aspects of this scenario is the weight and angle the of pass from the center back to the central midfielder. The pass must be weighted correctly so that the midfielder can play first time, but also must be played on the safe side so that the opposition midfielder has less of a chance of intercepting.