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winstononions · 16-10-2006, 09:49 PM

OK, i’ve had another swim in my think tank and i have a tactical idea for runs off the ball. At the moment to get a player to make a run you have to be facing him and then press L1 to set him off on a run. However, this only sets that one single guy off on a run. In real life runs are more meaningful and effective when multiple players make runs at the same time, with one creating space for the other to move into and exploit.

My idea is that before each game in a tactical area of team management you assign your attacking players what runs you want them to make when you press L1 during the game.

1 – players who play in positions with attacking mentalities would be available to assign off the ball runs to - ie strikers, wingers, attacking midfielders and wing backs.

2 – the type of off the ball runs that could be assigned to these players could be –

- drop deeper into the midfield (left/right/centrally) to collect the ball
- overlap down the wing
- move into space on the edge of the penalty area (l/r/c)
- cut inside from the wing
- hug the touchline
- angled run between defenders into a certain area
- direct run towards far/near post
- default movement, if you can’t be bothered assigning a run to a player

I’m sure there are more movements that can be included aswell.

3 – each individual attacker would have 3 slots into which a different style of off the ball run would be allocated. These 3 slots are kind of similar to how you could choose the pre-planned corner and free kick routines in Fifa 04 or 05, where at a corner or a free kick you chose before the game three options on how to take the set play.
EDIT: you can also allocate the same movement to all 3 of a players slots. For example if all you ever want your wing back to do when you are attacking is to overlap then you set all 3 of his slots to overlap. That means whatever pattern of runs you choose to set in motion your wing back will always be overlapping.

4 – when you press the L1 button once, the players that you have assigned off the ball runs to would perform the movements allocated to them in the first slot. Press L2 twice and they perform the movements allocated to them in the second slot etc. This is basically similar to American Football where wide receivers all run their own patterns at the same time.

For example imagine you are playing with 2 strikers and an attacking midfielder just behind them. Before the game you allocate your left strikers first slot to be to drop into the midfield. You allocate your right strikers first slot to be a run to the right side of the edge of the penalty area. You allocate your attacking midfielders first slot to be to run to the space at the centre of the penalty area. In the game when you press L1 these 3 players should make their runs at the same time. Here the left striker drops deeper, taking a defender out of position, while at the same time the right striker is running to the right edge of the penalty area, again dragging his defender with him. While the strikers are doing this the attacking midfielder is simultaneously running into the space that the strikers are creating for him at the edge of the penalty area so that he has a scoring opportunity.

Another example could be that you set your wing backs third slot to be 'run an overlap' and set your wingers third slot to be 'cut inside'. On this occasion you would press L1 three times and these players would run these patterns. The winger comes inside, drawing the full back with him, while at the same time the wing back is charging down the wing to get into the free space that the winger has left behind him.

This isn’t really like the off the ball runs that were in 04 or 05. In that game you activated one player to make a run and then had to manually move that player into position for a pass. This idea is to activate not just one, but several of your attacking players into making runs at the same time, and runs that don’t have to be carried out manually but are pre-planned. This should create a more fluid style of attacking gameplay where attackers function as a unit, creating space for each other and exploiting the space that somebody has made for them.

EDIT: getting the ball to a player who has made an off the ball run should depend on the passing skill of the user. In 04 when you made a pass to a player making such a run the ball always went right to him - it shouldn't be like that.

As you come up against different teams with different formations you may rethink your tactics before each game so that your attackers run patterns that can penetrate and expose different types of defences. As the manager this means having to put more thought into what types of off the ball runs are best suited to break down different opponents.

I think this is a decent idea for more fluid attacking gameplay but i'm not sure i've explained it all that well.

16-10-2006, 09:49 PM	#52 (permalink)
winstononions Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Nam Posts: 720	OK, i’ve had another swim in my think tank and i have a tactical idea for runs off the ball. At the moment to get a player to make a run you have to be facing him and then press L1 to set him off on a run. However, this only sets that one single guy off on a run. In real life runs are more meaningful and effective when multiple players make runs at the same time, with one creating space for the other to move into and exploit. My idea is that before each game in a tactical area of team management you assign your attacking players what runs you want them to make when you press L1 during the game. 1 – players who play in positions with attacking mentalities would be available to assign off the ball runs to - ie strikers, wingers, attacking midfielders and wing backs. 2 – the type of off the ball runs that could be assigned to these players could be – - drop deeper into the midfield (left/right/centrally) to collect the ball - overlap down the wing - move into space on the edge of the penalty area (l/r/c) - cut inside from the wing - hug the touchline - angled run between defenders into a certain area - direct run towards far/near post - default movement, if you can’t be bothered assigning a run to a player I’m sure there are more movements that can be included aswell. 3 – each individual attacker would have 3 slots into which a different style of off the ball run would be allocated. These 3 slots are kind of similar to how you could choose the pre-planned corner and free kick routines in Fifa 04 or 05, where at a corner or a free kick you chose before the game three options on how to take the set play. EDIT: you can also allocate the same movement to all 3 of a players slots. For example if all you ever want your wing back to do when you are attacking is to overlap then you set all 3 of his slots to overlap. That means whatever pattern of runs you choose to set in motion your wing back will always be overlapping. 4 – when you press the L1 button once, the players that you have assigned off the ball runs to would perform the movements allocated to them in the first slot. Press L2 twice and they perform the movements allocated to them in the second slot etc. This is basically similar to American Football where wide receivers all run their own patterns at the same time. For example imagine you are playing with 2 strikers and an attacking midfielder just behind them. Before the game you allocate your left strikers first slot to be to drop into the midfield. You allocate your right strikers first slot to be a run to the right side of the edge of the penalty area. You allocate your attacking midfielders first slot to be to run to the space at the centre of the penalty area. In the game when you press L1 these 3 players should make their runs at the same time. Here the left striker drops deeper, taking a defender out of position, while at the same time the right striker is running to the right edge of the penalty area, again dragging his defender with him. While the strikers are doing this the attacking midfielder is simultaneously running into the space that the strikers are creating for him at the edge of the penalty area so that he has a scoring opportunity. Another example could be that you set your wing backs third slot to be 'run an overlap' and set your wingers third slot to be 'cut inside'. On this occasion you would press L1 three times and these players would run these patterns. The winger comes inside, drawing the full back with him, while at the same time the wing back is charging down the wing to get into the free space that the winger has left behind him. This isn’t really like the off the ball runs that were in 04 or 05. In that game you activated one player to make a run and then had to manually move that player into position for a pass. This idea is to activate not just one, but several of your attacking players into making runs at the same time, and runs that don’t have to be carried out manually but are pre-planned. This should create a more fluid style of attacking gameplay where attackers function as a unit, creating space for each other and exploiting the space that somebody has made for them. EDIT: getting the ball to a player who has made an off the ball run should depend on the passing skill of the user. In 04 when you made a pass to a player making such a run the ball always went right to him - it shouldn't be like that. As you come up against different teams with different formations you may rethink your tactics before each game so that your attackers run patterns that can penetrate and expose different types of defences. As the manager this means having to put more thought into what types of off the ball runs are best suited to break down different opponents. I think this is a decent idea for more fluid attacking gameplay but i'm not sure i've explained it all that well.