Beating the Offside Trap

Description

The video starts with Real Madrid in possession of the ball and Guti playing a ball into Raul and then out the right mid. The defense is stretched out at this moment because the center back for Valladolid has stepped up to pressure Raul and the other backs haven't provided proper cover. As the ball goes wide you can see Guti start to make a run into the space left by the Valladolid center back. All of the Valladolid defenders and midfielders near the Real Madrid right mid are focused on the ball and not on Guti's run. The right mid sees the run and plays a perfect ball through to Guti. The Valladolid center and right back try to step and get Guti offside but since its a late run from a deep position its almost impossible to accomplish. As a forward who likes balls in behind the defense, the offside trap is something that can be difficult to break since the defender can see the run and only has to step up 1 to 2 yards to get me offsides. With the late run, the defender isn't as likely to see the run right away and when they do they can't step up enough to get the run offside in time. You can see this developing in the video. The defender tries to step up a few yards but doesn't make it before the ball is passed. The result is that Guti is onside and scores an easy goal.

To recognize spaces like this requires practice and a good understanding of combination play. As coaches there are not too many specific drills you can do to work on this but you can reinforce attacking ideas with video examples of a midfielder making runs off of a forwards movements. This is advanced attacking principle that will open up a lot of scoring opportunities for your team. Try to incorporate these ideas in your next practice.

Jamil