Topic
How teams move the ball from the goalkeeper into the final third.
Build-up play is everything that happens between a team winning the ball deep and arriving near the opponent’s box. It is where most of the patient, planned football lives.
Here we break down the shapes teams make at the back, the roles of the keeper and the deepest midfielder, and the moments when going long is the clever choice.
Why so many teams now play short from the goalkeeper, the shapes they use to do it, and how to tell when a long ball is the smarter choice against a high press.
By Callum Rees 8 min read