Build-Up Play Explained | Why Playing Out From the Back is the Best Tactic | Football Tactics

Summary

This video explores the growing trend of building from the back in football, a tactic where teams start their attack from the goalkeeper. It discusses the benefits, such as creating a numerical advantage and opening up space for strikers, while analyzing managers like Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel, and Luciano Spalletti who excel with this approach. It also touches on how rule changes and positional shifts in recent years have increased the value of ball-playing defenders and goalkeepers. The video ends by teasing an upcoming discussion on high pressing as a counter to this tactic.

Takeaways

• ⚽ Building from the back in football is a hotly debated topic, with opinions split between playing short or going long from goal kicks to reduce risk.
• 📈 A 2019 rule change allowing players inside the box during goal kicks increased the frequency of short passes, especially among defenders and goalkeepers.
• 🔝 Ball-playing goalkeepers and center-backs have become highly valued, as their passing abilities are now critical in build-up play.
• 👥 The numerical advantage of 11 vs 10, with the opposition goalkeeper not defending, makes it easier for teams to create space and control the game from the back.
• 🔺 Build-up play relies on creating triangles, freeing up passing lanes, and stretching the opposition's formation to find space for attackers.
• 🛡️ Fullbacks often stay wide to stretch the opposition, while wingers pin defenders, preventing them from pressing and opening space for others.
• 📊 Pep Guardiola's build-up strategy involves using a 3-2-4-1 formation, often with an inverted fullback moving inside, creating overloads in key areas.
• 🧠 Thomas Tuchel’s 3-4-2-1 system at Chelsea focuses on stretching teams horizontally, using wingbacks to pin fullbacks and attacking midfielders to balance the midfield.
• 🔄 Luciano Spalletti uses a flexible backline, often employing central midfielders in half spaces during build-up to trick opposition into leaving gaps.
• 🚧 High pressing is seen as the main counter to building from the back, leading to tactical battles between pressing teams and those using short passes to progress.

Q & A

What is the concept of 'building from the back' in football?

Building from the back refers to the tactical approach where teams start their attack from their goalkeeper and defenders, emphasizing organized and structured play to move the ball forward rather than launching long passes.

Why has building from the back become more common in recent years?

A 2019 rule change that allows players inside the box during goal kicks has encouraged more teams to build from the back, leading to an increase in passes by goalkeepers and defenders, and a shift in tactical emphasis towards this approach.

What is the main advantage of building from the back?

The main advantage is the numerical superiority it creates, as the goalkeeper adds an extra player, leading to an 11 vs. 10 situation, which can help lure opposition players forward and create space in other areas of the pitch.

How do fullbacks and wingers contribute to building from the back?

Fullbacks often stay wide to stretch the opposition, while wingers 'pin' opposition defenders, preventing them from pressing and creating more space for their teammates during build-up phases.

What tactical innovation has Pep Guardiola introduced in recent years regarding build-up play?

Pep Guardiola has introduced the use of the inverted fullback, where one fullback moves inside alongside the central defensive midfielder, creating a 3-2 shape that helps break opposition presses.

How does Thomas Tuchel's approach to building from the back differ from Guardiola's?

Thomas Tuchel employs a back-three system at Chelsea, with wing-backs pushing high and wide, which stretches the opposition both vertically and horizontally, and uses rotations with attacking midfielders to balance the midfield.

What is the concept of 'pinning' in football, as discussed in the script?

Pinning refers to positioning players, often wingers, in a way that forces opposition defenders to stay back and not press forward, ensuring that teammates have more time and space on the ball.

How does Napoli's Luciano Spalletti innovate in build-up play?

Luciano Spalletti uses a flexible backline where a central midfielder moves into the half-space during build-up play, creating passing options and forcing the opposition to make difficult decisions on how to press.

Why has the value of ball-playing goalkeepers and center-backs increased?

Ball-playing goalkeepers and center-backs are crucial in modern football's build-up tactics, as their ability to pass effectively from the back is essential for creating attacking opportunities while maintaining possession.

What are the risks of building from the back?

The main risk of building from the back is losing possession close to one's own goal, which can leave the defense vulnerable to high pressing and lead to conceding chances or goals.

Outlines

00:00

⚽ Building from the Back: A Key Football Strategy

This paragraph introduces the ongoing debate in football about 'building from the back' as a tactical approach. While some argue that this strategy increases the risk of losing possession near the goal, others view it as an essential way to structure attacks and create opportunities for strikers. The discussion touches on how the game has evolved, especially following a 2019 rule change allowing players to be inside the penalty box during goal kicks, making goalkeepers and defenders more involved in building play from deeper positions.

05:02

📈 The Shift Towards Ball-Playing Defenders and Goalkeepers

This section highlights how the role of defenders and goalkeepers in football has evolved, with a notable increase in the number of passes completed by these positions in recent years. Premier League data shows a shift in passing responsibility from attacking midfielders to defenders and holding midfielders. This change has elevated the value of ball-playing defenders and goalkeepers, with top clubs investing heavily in these roles to ensure a smooth build-up from the back.

10:07

👥 Exploiting Numerical Advantage in Build-Up Play

Here, the discussion focuses on the strategic advantage of having the goalkeeper involved in the build-up, creating an 11 vs 10 situation. This numerical superiority forces pressing teams to stay highly organized. The paragraph explains how this setup draws attackers in, creating space higher up the pitch, which managers exploit by positioning players in key zones. The concept of 'pinning,' where wingers prevent opposition full-backs from pressing, is introduced as a crucial element of effective build-up play.

🔼 Triangles and Passing Lanes: Key Components of Build-Up

This section delves into the mechanics of build-up play, explaining how teams use triangular formations and quick passing to open up space. It emphasizes the importance of full-backs staying wide to stretch the midfield, allowing for more central passing lanes. Even attackers, though seemingly uninvolved, play vital roles in the early stages of build-up, particularly in 'pinning' defenders to maintain space and time for the team to execute passes.

🏆 Pep Guardiola's Innovative Build-Up Tactics

The focus here shifts to Pep Guardiola's renowned build-up style, notably his early use of the 'salida la volpiana' tactic at Barcelona, which aimed to ensure a numerical advantage by having a midfielder drop deep into the back line. Guardiola's current approach at Manchester City involves using inverted full-backs and goalkeepers in a back three to manipulate space and break high presses. His flexible positioning has become a hallmark of his teams' ability to dominate possession and build attacks.

🔄 Thomas Tuchel’s Unique Build-Up Approach at Chelsea

Thomas Tuchel's distinct build-up method is explored, with a focus on how his 3-4-2-1 formation stretches teams both horizontally and vertically. The system allows Chelsea to pin opposition full-backs while maintaining a solid defense. Tuchel's approach uses wide center-backs and high wing-backs, with players like Mason Mount and Kai Havertz dropping deep to support the midfield, ensuring Chelsea can bypass the opposition's press and move the ball fluidly up the field.

🔷 Luciano Spalletti’s Flexible Build-Up at Napoli

Luciano Spalletti’s innovative approach to build-up at Napoli is highlighted, particularly his use of flexible formations that shift from a back four to a back three during attacks. His strategy often involves central midfielders drifting into the half-space, which creates difficult dilemmas for the opposition as they try to cover both the flanks and central areas. This method provides Napoli with versatile options to progress the ball forward, making it harder for opponents to apply effective pressure.

🔝 High Pressing as a Response to Build-Up Play

This paragraph concludes by introducing the rise of high pressing as the most effective counter to teams that build from the back. The text hints at this being the focus of an upcoming video and invites viewers to share their thoughts on different styles of build-up play. The video wraps up with a call to action for viewers to engage with the content and subscribe for more insights.

🎬 Thank You for Watching!

A brief closing statement, thanking viewers for watching the video and engaging with the content. The paragraph also contains a reminder for viewers to like, subscribe, and leave comments about their favorite style of build-up play.

Keywords

💡Building from the back

This term refers to a football strategy where the team starts its attack from its own defensive area, typically with the goalkeeper and defenders playing short passes to retain possession and advance the ball upfield. The video discusses how this strategy has become increasingly popular due to its ability to create meaningful attacking opportunities by drawing opponents forward, thus creating space for midfielders and strikers.

💡Numerical advantage

A key concept in the video, the numerical advantage refers to the situation where the team in possession has more players involved in the play than the pressing opposition, often 11 vs 10 since the opposing goalkeeper isn't involved in defending. This advantage is crucial for breaking through pressing tactics and creating space further up the pitch, as managers use this dynamic to manipulate opponents into leaving gaps in their defense.

💡Pressing

Pressing involves putting pressure on the opposition to win back possession, especially high up the pitch. The video explains how high pressing has become more common as a response to teams building from the back. Teams pressing high aim to disrupt the defenders and goalkeeper, making it harder to advance the ball safely, but teams building from the back use this to their advantage by drawing players in and exploiting the gaps created.

💡Goalkeepers' passing statistics

The video highlights a significant increase in the number of passes completed by goalkeepers, illustrating their growing role in build-up play. Over recent Premier League seasons, goalkeepers’ passing numbers have risen from 650 to 850 passes per season, indicating their importance in maintaining possession and facilitating attacks from deep.

💡Inverted fullback

An innovative tactic used by Pep Guardiola, where a fullback moves inward towards the center of the field, instead of staying wide. This tactic helps break the press by creating a numerical overload in midfield, offering additional passing options and freeing up space for wingers. The video uses Manchester City as an example, showing how this technique helps the team bypass the opposition's pressing.

💡Triangles and passing lanes

Key components of building from the back, this concept refers to how players position themselves in triangular formations to create multiple passing options, making it easier to move the ball forward and out of pressure. By constantly shifting positions and making fast, precise passes, teams can open up passing lanes that allow them to break through the opposition's press and advance the ball up the field.

💡Pinning

A tactical concept where attackers or wingers occupy defenders by holding them in place, preventing them from pressing other players. This ensures that players in possession have more time and space to operate. The video mentions how, in a 4-3-3 formation, wingers pin full-backs, allowing their own full-backs more time to make decisions and progress the ball.

💡3-4-2-1 formation

A formation frequently used by Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea, characterized by three defenders, four midfielders, and two attacking midfielders supporting one striker. This versatile formation stretches teams both horizontally and vertically, making it difficult for opponents to maintain their defensive shape. The video illustrates how this formation allows Tuchel's teams to control the game by pinning full-backs and using attacking rotations.

💡La Volpiana

This concept is named after Argentine coach Ricardo La Volpe, who advocated for having a holding midfielder drop into the defensive line during build-up play to create a 3v2 advantage over the opposition's strikers. Pep Guardiola adopted this method during his time at Barcelona, ensuring numerical superiority in defense and creating more space for fullbacks to push forward, allowing for smoother transitions into attack.

💡High pressing teams

These are teams that prioritize pressing opponents high up the field to force turnovers or disrupt build-up play. As the video mentions, high pressing is seen as one of the best counters to building from the back, as it puts immediate pressure on defenders and goalkeepers. However, it is also risky as it leaves space behind the pressing players, which teams that build from the back can exploit.

Highlights

Building from the back is a growing tactical approach in football, with divided opinions on whether it's a smart strategy or risky for goalkeepers.

The 2019 rule change allowing players inside the box during goal kicks has influenced the rise of passing among goalkeepers and defenders.

Over the past 11 Premier League seasons, the number of passes per match has shifted from midfielders to defenders and holding midfielders.

Premier League goalkeepers now make significantly more passes per season, increasing from 650 to 850 on average.

Ball-playing goalkeepers and center-backs have risen in value, with teams investing heavily in these positions.

One key advantage of building from the back is the natural 11 vs 10 situation, with the opposing goalkeeper not participating in defense.

This tactic helps lure opposition players closer, creating space for strikers and playmakers further up the pitch.

The fundamental concept of build-up play is creating triangles and passing lanes to stretch the opposition and force gaps.

The role of full-backs in this tactic is crucial, either stretching the field or offering passing options if the opposition stays narrow.

Pep Guardiola’s use of the 'salida la volpiana' involves a holding midfielder dropping between center-backs to outnumber opposition attackers.

Guardiola's recent shift includes using a goalkeeper and inverted full-backs to break high-pressing teams.

Thomas Tuchel's 3-4-2-1 formation at Chelsea stretches teams both horizontally and vertically, with wing-backs playing high and wide.

Luciano Spalletti's Napoli uses innovative tactics where central midfielders drift into half-spaces during build-up to offer passing options.

Teams building from the back has led to a rise in high pressing, seen as the best counter-tactic to this style of play.

Different managers like Guardiola, Tuchel, and Spalletti are pioneering unique build-up methods that exploit defensive gaps and force teams into difficult decisions.

Transcripts

building from the back is an

increasingly discussed topic in football

and seemingly everyone has an opinion on

whether it's a good idea or you just end

up with your goalkeeper looking foolish

some believe the latter and would rather

see their goalkeeper go long from gold

kicks to reduce the risk of losing

possession close to your own goal

however others are more inclined to the

former and believe that building up in

an organized and structured manner is

the best way to create meaningful

chances for the strikers but who is

right in today's video we're going to be

answering that question by taking a look

at some of the best managers that use

this tactic and why every team is slowly

transitioning to build up play

now building from the back is not a new

concept and has been a common tactical

principle for many years but the style

and frequency has changed drastically

over the past decade a key component of

this was the 2019 rule change that

allows players inside the box when

starting from a gold kick we can see

this in the number of passes that

goalkeepers and defenders have completed

steadily rising in the past few seasons

over the past 11 premier league seasons

the most amount of passes per match has

slowly shifted away from attacking

midfielders to defenders and holding

midfielders with players such as van

dijk georginio rodri and hoiberg

dominating the passing statistics in

recent years

it's a similar story with goalkeepers

with the average amount of passes per

season going from 650 to 850 in premier

league goalkeepers

this is one of the main reasons as to

why ball playing goalkeepers and

centre-backs have increased in value

exponentially and why it's not uncommon

for teams to spend large amounts of

money on players in this position

so what's the key theory as to why

managers believe this is the best way to

start an attack well to put it simply

when the goalkeeper has the ball the

team in possession will naturally find

themselves in an 11 vs 10 situation

given that the opposing team goalkeeper

will not be involved in defending with

teams pressing high up on the defenders

they will have to be extremely well

organized to stop the ball getting out

given this natural numerical

disadvantage

it's also extremely useful for creating

space further up the pitch as the team

who is building up will look to lure the

strikers into a trap drawing in players

closer and closer to the ball increasing

the space between defenders and

midfielders before finding a striker or

playmaker in this position

with this being the key motivation as to

why managers believe it's the best way

to play let's take a look at the main

components of build up play the key

behind this style of play is to have

players in each of the key zones on the

pitch and using the man advantage that

the goalkeeper creates to add more

support in a certain zone that you want

to exploit

playing out from the back is reliant on

creating triangles and freeing up

passing lanes with fast passes and

movement to slowly force the opposition

into a position that leaves gaps it's

common for the full backs to stay wide

to stretch the midfield meaning there

are more passing options through the

middle if the opposition stay narrow

then the full backs hold the key as they

will be the ones with time and space

although seemingly not important during

build up the attackers and wingers have

a crucial role to play during the first

phase of play also known as pinning

pinning refers to the concept of

preventing an opposition defender from

pressing as if they did it would leave a

dangerous gap behind them

for example the wingers in a 433 will

often pin the opposition full backs

meaning that the fallbacks in possession

can receive the ball without being

pressed giving them more time to find

the players ahead of them

so without the way it's important to

note that no two buildups are the same

and can vary greatly depending on the

players and the manager to gain a good

overview of the main components of build

up we're going to be taking a look at

three key managers the first is pep

guardiola arguably the best known

manager for his style of build up and

the success he's achieved with it the

second is thomas tuchel since his

arrival at chelsea he's already won the

champions league and turned chelsea into

one of the toughest teams to beat and a

big part of this is how he chooses to

build up from the back and finally we're

going to be taking a look at napoli

luchanos paletti who has a very unique

and innovative way of playing out from

the back but first i want to take a

moment to thank today's sponsor one

football one football is hands down the

best app for any updates in the football

world from transfers goal scorers

assists statistics or any news in the

football world one football will cover

it it's the best app to have while

you're watching a game as it gives you

live statistical updates and commentary

to help you better understand how the

game is being played one football makes

following your favorite team incredibly

simple and the best part about it is

that it's completely free so if you

think it's something you might enjoy

click the link in the description down

below to get started thank you to one

football and let's take a look at pep

guardiola's style of buildup

in his early days at barcelona guardiola

was a key proponent of the so-called

salida la volpiana the term refers to a

concept used by the argentine coach

riccardo lavolbe in which he would

always ensure he had a numerical

advantage in defense by having one

midfielder drop into the back line

the centre-backs would split and one

holding mid would drop deep helping the

team outnumber the opposition strikers

in a 3v2

by doing this the fullbacks would have

space to push further up meaning

guardiola's teams would immediately

switch to a 3-3-4 or 3-4-2-1 when in

possession

this method meant teams could not afford

to press with too many players as this

was exactly what guardiola wanted as it

would create plenty of space in midfield

for the wingers to come and collect the

ball and for the team to immediately

attack the back line

now in recent years guardiola has

shifted away from having the cdm dropped

between the centre-backs and is a lot

more reliant on using the goalkeeper

the key innovation we've seen from pep

in recent years is the use of the

inverted fullback to break the press

it's now common for manchester city to

build with a back three the two

centre-backs and the goalkeeper and

while one full-back will push up and

stay wide the other will drift inside

and play narrow alongside the cdm

adopting a 3-2 shape during the first

phase of attack

a look at last season shows us how diaz

would play close to the goalkeeper and

stones would start a lot wider on the

right of the back three

the right-back cancelo would drift

inside next to rodrigo or fernandinho

with zinchenko stretching the pitch on

the left

this lopsided 3-3-2-3 shape was a

nightmare for teams to stop cancellous

position will often attract the left mid

meaning the team has a direct channel

into the right wing often riyad mahrez

who has time to receive and start their

attack if the opposition closed this

passing lane then channels open up

centrally for gundugan and de bruyne

meaning the opposition have a tough

choice to make when starting their press

guardiola is certainly one of the best

in the world at his style of build-up

and has proved countless times to be

able to adapt his tactics to suit the

needs of the game however last season

pep was bested by chelsea's thomas

tucker who has a very unique approach to

build up the first important difference

to note is the choice of formation while

guardiola has used the 433 or 4231 for

most of his career tuchel's time at

chelsea has seen him use the 3-4-2-1 an

extremely versatile formation that can

stretch teams vertically and

horizontally

with a back three there is no need for

the holding mid to drop deep into the

defensive line and with mendy in

possession the two center backs will

split and the right center back

azpilicueta will shift further out on

the right flank adopting a very wide

back four with the goalkeeper

given the extra man in defense it means

rhys james and either chilewell or

marcus alonso will immediately play high

and wide looking to pin the opposition

full-backs

now while this is an excellent way to

stretch teams horizontally it could

potentially leave a lot of gaps in the

center given there only being two

midfielders against a possible three

however given that the fallbacks are

pinned and the centre-backs are occupied

with lukaku it means the two attacking

midfielders usually mount and habits can

drop deep to help level out the midfield

for example the bull could move out wide

to aspiraqueta who will have support

from georginio in the center but also

mason mount coming short into the half

space to collect who can then help

rotate out of pressure

or on the other side rudiger could

immediately break the lines to habits

who will lay the ball off to kovacic

before finding either lukaku or

switching play to a less crowded area of

the pitch

having these attacking rotations along

with aggressive wing backs means the

opposition will have a difficult time

keeping track of who to pick and allows

chelsea to easily break the first line

of pressure

tukul's methods are proving to be

incredibly difficult to stop and chelsea

look like serious title contenders this

season

finally the last manager we're going to

cover is napoli's innovative luchanos

paletti

from his time at inter and roma we've

seen how spalliti has a preference for a

flexible back line usually starting with

a back four but building with a back

three with one full back pushing

immediately high up on the flank

but more recently spallity has changed

how he structures the back three his

ploy is to have one of the two central

midfielders move from the center towards

the half space and outside of the two

pressing strikers

from this position the midfielder

becomes an easy passing option for the

centre-backs and is a tricky one to

defend as it leaves the opposition in

two minds

if he's pressed by the winger then it

leaves space for the full backs to

receive the ball however if he's pressed

by the midfielder then it leaves a

central gap for the cdm to move the ball

forward

while we've seen how fundamental the

half space is on attack rarely do we see

managers use this position during build

up but we've seen with these methods how

it can be an extremely tricky situation

to stop especially when defending in a

442

these three managers are just the

beginning of innovative and unique

styles of build up but they're certainly

not the only ones and there are hundreds

of other managers that have a great

approach to this part of the game

now with teams building up from the back

this has naturally led to the increase

in high pressing teams as this is seen

as the best counter to playing out from

the goalkeeper however that is a topic

of our next video for now let me know

what your favorite style of buildup is

in the comments down below if you

enjoyed this video please leave a like

and subscribe for more thanks for

watching

[Music]

you