The sweeper

[Soccermid8]

The sweeper postion seems to be used less and less now on the youth soccer landscape, what do you guys think of using a sweeper? Whats are its pros and cons

[Jasonisimo]

What I learned rom my only season (so far) as a coach:

Pro: a fast, athletic sweeper who can read the play negates the need to teach the offsides rule and associated tactics when it's clearly above the level of the team (and their competition). I had precious little time with the team as it was.

Con: 1) It's junk. Clever, well-coached teams would have killed my team with a couple of decent passing moves each game. Luckily, my fear of coming up against one such team in the town league proved unfounded. 2) It must be taught to players at some point--I passed the buck.

[JohnW]

The sweeper postion seems to be used less and less now on the youth soccer landscape, what do you guys think of using a sweeper? Whats are its pros and cons

One reason that the sweeper is used less is that more and more teams--including more competitive youth teams--are going to some type of zone defense.

IMO, the most common set up in the United States with the sweeper is the "diamond" defense with sweeper, stopper, and usually two marking backs.

The value of the sweeper is that he or she serves as a last defender behind the defense. Without a primary defensive responsibility, the sweeper is always available to help with defensive breakdowns.

That's generally his or her main defensive responsibility--to read the play and be there to provide support when a defender is beaten or read the play and anticipate the pass. Good sweepers that I've played with and coached have always done a good job of stepping into passing lanes to intercept passes.

Teams that use a sweeper also generally expect that player to get involved with the attack. Again, that player isn't marking anyone, so he or she should feel free to slip up out of the back and often makes secondary runs to the 18 or far post.

I guess those are what I consider the "good" things.

I don't know that I would consider that there are bad things about a sweeper. I do think man-marking systems are easier to get out of defensive shape than zonal systems with off-the-ball runs. Also, while technically all defense is team defense, I think that using the sweeper focuses slightly more on individual defensive matchups while zonal defense focuses more on working as a unit.

[Ray Luca]

The sweeper postion seems to be used less and less now on the youth soccer landscape, what do you guys think of using a sweeper? Whats are its pros and cons

It is becomming a thing of the past because of zone defense.

The sweeper keeper is now in what you want in a keeper.

The sweeper should be a great player on defense and on attack. So if your sweeper is like that he can play practically anywhere on the field. Like defensive mid who can attack or an offensive mid who can play defense. He should be skillful fast and very athletic and smart.

What you could do when playing with four backs in a zone and play goes outside the sweeper would be the second defender normally to help the outside back. Use the other center back for the second defender role no matter what side of the field they are attacking. Use the player that was the sweeper as a sweeper even though it is a 4 back zone he stays in the middle and intercepts through passes and get him into the attack.

[SccrDon]

I'm using a sweeper with my U16 girls (non-premier) this season for 2 reasons

we have a girl who really understands how to play sweeper
we are SLOW in the back (really, everywhere). I need to ALWAYS have depth because if my backs get beaten, they don't have much recovery speed

It would probably take an entire season of 2x/week practices to teach a flat back 4, and even then I don't know that we'd be better off. Also, while my starting keeper can play the sweeper/keeper role, I have no experienced backup, much less an experienced backup with the quickness and aggressiveness to pull it off, and my starter will miss at least 1 game due to conflicts with school volleyball.

I don't really like a sweeper system. The weakness of a sweeper is that it's easy to attack if you can switch the point of attack quickly. I just can't think of another way to deal with the lack of speed.

[Ray Luca]

I'm using a sweeper with my U16 girls (non-premier) this season for 2 reasons

we have a girl who really understands how to play sweeper
we are SLOW in the back (really, everywhere). I need to ALWAYS have depth because if my backs get beaten, they don't have much recovery speed

It would probably take an entire season of 2x/week practices to teach a flat back 4, and even then I don't know that we'd be better off. Also, while my starting keeper can play the sweeper/keeper role, I have no experienced backup, much less an experienced backup with the quickness and aggressiveness to pull it off, and my starter will miss at least 1 game due to conflicts with school volleyball.

I don't really like a sweeper system. The weakness of a sweeper is that it's easy to attack if you can switch the point of attack quickly. I just can't think of another way to deal with the lack of speed.

Have your backs play deeper so when they attack the keeper is more of a factor and the backs are still a factor. It is hard to play defense when your attackers are a lot faster then your backs. That is a mismatch and mismatch can win games.

Let the attackers come to the backs. If the backs come up to the attacker they have space behind the backs which the attacker can use to beat them.

[DerbyRam54]

I took over coaching an O-30 women's team last fall, the previous coach had them playing with a flat back four despite not really having the talent for it. They got beaten pretty badly most games.
We added one new player, who had played at the college level. I put her out there as sweeper to organise the defence and steady the ship. We became much harder to score on and my defenders felt a lot more confident knowing they had a skilled player behind them.
Since we never have A/R's in our games, trying to spring an offside trap is generally risky even if the players could work it.
All of which just says, your system needs to suit your players and the time available for coaching.

[lillefty7]

The only time you really need a sweeper now a days is when you are overly matched with speed. however if that team gets your sweeper moving from sideline to sideline thenyour in a lot of trouble if your playing a smart team tactically.

[Soccermid8]

One of the reasons I like having a sweeper and playing that diamond defense that includes a stopper is the use of the stopper. I like putting an agressive player at the stopper postion that can inturupt the offense and win a lot of balls on the ground and in the air, they can also be used to create offense if they have the skills

[goyoureddevils]

All of which just says, your system needs to suit your players and the time available for coaching.

There is the golden nugget of truth. You can analyze systems all you want, but in the end you have to play to your team's strengths, and stay away from it's weaknesses. In one three year period with the same high school team we played: 3-5-2 man marking in the back, 4-4-2 diamond midfield, flat back four playing zonally, the 4-3-3 zonal back four sending at least one outside back on attack every time! We won with each system, so I would contend you need to sit down and figure out what will work, and don't be afraid to let the team's play on the field tell you what changes will work. If you have a center back that is always dropping in behind every one to cover, then you probably have a sweeper on your team whether you want one or not!

[Jasonisimo]

Since we never have A/R's in our games, trying to spring an offside trap is generally risky even if the players could work it.Ditto for me also. I had forgotten that key fact. If there's only one referee, playing an offside trap is asking for disappointment.

[usscouse]

Gosh, we haven't used a sweeper for a long time and I didn't think anyone else was either.
We started with a flat back 4 when the kids were 12/13. 4 players who can work together laterally means you always have at least 2 men going to the danger on either wing, still have a man in the center and the far post. We use a diamond 4 mid line, with 2 wings a defensive mid and attacking mid. The D/mid moves to the side the danger is coming from and slows the attack before it gets to the back 4.
It's worked so well for us, we went unbeaten last season and had a good run in the State.

.......................Keeper/sweeper

RB ... < - >... RCB ... < - > ... LCB ... < - > ... LB

.................< - DM - >
RW.........................................................LW
.....................................< - AM - >

......................St... < - > ...St