Build-up

Build-up from the back

Build-up starts with the goalkeeper and the two center-backs. The diagram should show who shows for the first pass and who stays.

Draw a tactic Tactical guides

Build-up starts with the goalkeeper and the two center-backs. The diagram should show who shows for the first pass and who stays.

The first pass

Split the center-backs. One full-back can stay wide, the other can tuck in. The arrow from the goalkeeper goes to the free center-back, not to a crowded midfield.

The pivot

A midfielder drops between or in front of the center-backs. Draw that movement before the pass into the number 10. If the pivot is marked, the next arrow is the bounce into the full-back.

What you refuse

Write the pass you do not want, such as a blind ball into the striker. One forbidden arrow, drawn differently, teaches more than a full move.

Frequently asked questions

What is build-up from the back?

Build-up from the back is the first pass out of the goalkeeper or the center-backs, played to escape a press. The diagram should show that first pass and the player who is free because of it.

How do you draw a build-up against a high press?

Place the goalkeeper, the center-backs and the pivot, then draw the pass you want and name the pass you refuse. One refused option in the notes is as useful as the arrow.

Which board fits a build-up?

Use the full pitch when the press starts high and the goalkeeper is in the play. Use the half pitch when the build-up is only the shape in your own half.

Build-up from the back

The first pass

The pivot

What you refuse

Frequently asked questions

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