Formations
Posted by Rajiv Dec 9, 2011 23:33:08 GMT 8
Post by Rajiv on Dec 9, 2011 23:33:08 GMT 8
I was one of the recipients of an e-mail from Reza yesterday, containing a link to a blog article entitled "The Evolution of Barcelona".
While ostensibly about Barcelona's "tiki-taka" style of play (we've had a reference to that earlier on this board), it is largely about the evolution of formations over 140 years.
I touched upon the same subject under the "Team organization, formations & tactics" thread on the Discussion & Introductions board, when discussing the tendency to pull more players from notionally forward positions to notionally defensive positions as the game develops.
Wikipedia has an article on "Formations (association football)", which provides even more information on the subject.
The following passage is interesting:
Some of us still play the same way! Even more surprising, the game ended 0-0. If a team played in the same way as England, or even Scotland, in one of our more games, say 1-1-5 in one of our 8-a-sides, they'd probably end up on the receiving end of a hiding.
While ostensibly about Barcelona's "tiki-taka" style of play (we've had a reference to that earlier on this board), it is largely about the evolution of formations over 140 years.
I touched upon the same subject under the "Team organization, formations & tactics" thread on the Discussion & Introductions board, when discussing the tendency to pull more players from notionally forward positions to notionally defensive positions as the game develops.
Wikipedia has an article on "Formations (association football)", which provides even more information on the subject.
The following passage is interesting:
In the first international game, Scotland against England on 30 November 1872, England played with seven or eight forwards in a 1–1–8 or 1–2–7 formation, and Scotland with six, in a 2–2–6 formation. For England, one player would remain in defence, picking up loose balls, and one or two players would hang around midfield and kick the ball upfield for the other players to chase. The English style of play at the time was all about individual excellence and English players were renowned for their dribbling skills. Players would attempt to take the ball forward as far as possible and only when they could proceed no further, would they kick it ahead for someone else to chase. Scotland surprised England by actually passing the ball among players. The Scottish outfield players were organised into pairs and each player would always attempt to pass the ball to his assigned partner. Ironically, with so much attention given to attacking play, the game ended in a 0–0 draw.
Some of us still play the same way! Even more surprising, the game ended 0-0. If a team played in the same way as England, or even Scotland, in one of our more games, say 1-1-5 in one of our 8-a-sides, they'd probably end up on the receiving end of a hiding.