Little tricks you do on the pitch

[angusmcpresley]

What are some of the little tips and tricks you've picked up while playing? Here are some of my little things (from the point of view of an old man who usually plays defense in a low-level Australian league).

Defense:

When defending a corner, I often start by playing a few yards off the guy I'm covering. When the ball is just about to be kicked, I go up and try to completely wrap up the guy -- try to get one foot on either side of one of his, so the only way he can go is backwards. This always seems to catch them by surprise, and completely takes them out of the play.

When going up for a clearing header, always, always, put your name on it. Four times out of five your shout will cause the attacker to not even jump for it.

No striker can resist the chance to intercept a back-pass to the keeper. You can fake that all you want, and they will go for it every time.

Offense:

When up for a corner, especially if you are one of your better attackers, "pick your defender". Like, if you're tall, go up and get right on their shortest defender. Not very many teams are smart enough to switch off a mismatched attacker -- they just think, okay, that guy's covered...

Also on corners, post one guy whose job it is to make sure that the ball doesn't make it through to the far touch line. In all but the best leagues, it seems like a good one in four corners gets all the way through without being touched.

--

I know I have lots of others, that aren't occurring to me right now. What are some things you do?

[nobody]

If you're playing a team that over relies on a sweeper, don't avoid him, just follow him around back there. Eventually someone will try to pass back to him when you can snag the ball and be free on goal. It also screws with their marking if you're hanging around the one guy they rely on to be free of an assignment.

[blech]

If you're playing a team that over relies on a sweeper, don't avoid him, just follow him around back there. Eventually someone will try to pass back to him when you can snag the ball and be free on goal. It also screws with their marking if you're hanging around the one guy they rely on to be free of an assignment.

I always liked this one. Simple. Straightforward. Especially if they haven't seen it before, it can really annoy the sweeper who expects to be free. And it leaves the stopper wondering what he's supposed to do - if he continues to mark you, you now have two players on you. The easiest defensive solution is just to switch, but with most teams the players are not equally gifted for the two positions!

[boldaring]

going exatctly 180 degrees the way you are dribbling will almost always have an open pass somewhere. basically just turn around

[tribalflank17]

A couple things i do are:
When someone is about to go up for a headder or shoot or play a long ball, just before they go to jump or strike it make a loud SHHH sound. I found it throws some people off.
Also defending set plays go down like your fixing your sock right before the other player kicks it and pull the player your marking's shorts down a bit. It throws them off and they forget about the set play, they usally just stand and fix their shorts while the ball is played.

[rca2]

A couple things i do are:
...make a loud SHHH sound...pull the player your marking's shorts down a bit.... I don't know who you play for, but you would only do it once on my team, regardless of whether you were carded or not.

[rca2]

Here some odd things I have picked up playing forward in low level leagues in the States:

Defense: Typically the outside backs do not have good ball skills (or they would be playing midfield). When the outside fullback is dribbling out of the back give him plenty of space (like 10 to 15 yards) but stay between him and the goal. As soon as he raises his head to look upfield, charge him immediately. Your movement draws his eye so he won't have time to look upfield and you will force a turnover almost every time. If the back has good ball skills, you pressure him normally because he will be looking upfield while he is dribbling.

Offense: Blind side runs. All day long. If you get two steps on them, most of the defenders cannot recover lacking either the will or the wheels or both.

Offensive Corners: I don't get a chance to pull this one often, but its fun when I do. If I get marked by a very tall defender, I stand about one yard ball-side of the keeper along the goal line. I move so that the defender and I form a 2-man wall in front of the keeper. Most teams are too inexperienced to adjust. My marker will stand right in front of the keeper either behind me (and in front of the keeper) or along side me. Make sure you leave room for your marker to stand in front of the keeper. The marker often will move "goalside" of you. Let him. I don't move after the ball is struck. I am 5'11", so the keeper can't see the kick. Won't work as well if the keeper is taller than me though, but it takes the keeper and the tall defender out of the play.

[mak9]

dead ball play for the opposing team: when ahead I would give them the ball by throwing it very high to waste time

for goal keepers: in a highly pressured match being decided by PKs or any PKs for that matter, tell the ref ur not ready and jump from post to post ....the more time this takes the more likely you'll make the kicker nervous

[usasoccerhooligan]

dead ball play for the opposing team: when ahead I would give them the ball by throwing it very high to waste time

have you ever been carded for this? it's a highly cardable (word?) thing. why don't you be a little less conspicuous, grab the ball if it's a foul on you, and go talk to the ref?

[mak9]

have you ever been carded for this? it's a highly cardable (word?) thing. why don't you be a little less conspicuous, grab the ball if it's a foul on you, and go talk to the ref?

i did it twice....refs didn't care; I do them when we are facing a tough team and need to win no matter what

ps. I'm not a dirty player in regular games, but in important matches (playoffs) I'm as dirty as it gets........dribble the ball to a corner to waste time, fall to the ground for any hit I get...etc. haha

[Yañez]

i play defender so most of the things i do which i know i should but i just do arent really fair or legal. I always try to provoke the other player , and if i have enough time i tackle the ball and the player. Also, not really grabbing the other player but more like wrapping my elbows around him, something like that. BTW i do get caught as i have the most yellows in the league (out of 24 teams) but not many reds.

[Wasted]

A couple things i do are:
When someone is about to go up for a headder or shoot or play a long ball, just before they go to jump or strike it make a loud SHHH sound. I found it throws some people off.
Also defending set plays go down like your fixing your sock right before the other player kicks it and pull the player your marking's shorts down a bit. It throws them off and they forget about the set play, they usally just stand and fix their shorts while the ball is played.

It's this kind of play that gets you a sharp elbow to the ribs or head later in the game. These are just dirty tactics and I hope that no one here actually does this crap.


Some of my little tricks..
I'm short (5'8") so on corner kicks I like to stand on the far side of the goal. This area is where the defender usually cares less about, so he always ball watches and leaves me free. I always just make a run to around the 6, and timing my jump, leap in front of the defender going for the ball aiming it towards the net. He never sees you coming from the back, it works like a charm! I had the most goal off my head sophmore-senior years of high school and I played defensive mid for almost 2 of those years.

Always save a gear. When I make a run with the ball up the sideline, I rarely if ever use my full speed. Defenders base all of their recovery on how fast they percieve you to be going. When I hit that last gear and fly by them they don't even know what hit them.

[Wasted]

i play defender so most of the things i do which i know i should but i just do arent really fair or legal. I always try to provoke the other player , and if i have enough time i tackle the ball and the player. Also, not really grabbing the other player but more like wrapping my elbows around him, something like that. BTW i do get caught as i have the most yellows in the league (out of 24 teams) but not many reds.

I actually enjoy people who play that way. More often than not they only ruin their own game with frustration.

[vanity_soccer13]

if we just scored to go up by one goal and there isn't a ton of time left, I make sure to run to the net and grab the ball and jog it to midfield. technically, I'm not wasting time, it just prevents the other team from punting it out to midfield and it pisses them off. yes, I've gotten tackled to the ground for it, but never carded because eventually I do either put the ball in the center.

the only other trick really is that if you're defending and get a good foul in early, it can really shake up a forward.

[EJDad]

I always liked this one. Simple. Straightforward. Especially if they haven't seen it before, it can really annoy the sweeper who expects to be free. And it leaves the stopper wondering what he's supposed to do - if he continues to mark you, you now have two players on you. The easiest defensive solution is just to switch, but with most teams the players are not equally gifted for the two positions!

And if they switch, just keep "marking" the one that is not marking you. Ties up two players and frustrates them. Doesn't create a lot of opportunites for you but makes lots of space for teammates
As a forward , I always try to get on the blind side of players (away from the ball) and watch for them to look away to find the ball. Then make a quick run away to make some space.

[Wingtips1]

as a holding midfielder, always getting in little kicks and pushes after making a tackle (see Deschamps). use your body and positioning to bump opponents out of their off the ball runs (or at least slow their run to avoid you).
as a center back, there are too many to list. so many forwards simply run north and south, that even when you don't play a specific 'offsides trap', just stop marking them when they are running ahead will play with their mind so much. all the little grabs and bumps on forwards. i love the achilles kick, not enough to make the little guys go down, but they sure as hell won't want to receive a ball with you on their back again.

[Dr.Phil]

i love the achilles kick, not enough to make the little guys go down, but they sure as hell won't want to receive a ball with you on their back again.


I am not playing against you

[Bobbyswe]

I am not playing against you

haha first time it happens may be a little annoying, second time he'll get an elbow to the chest...

[rca2]

I am not playing against you

Heck, I wouldn't even play WITH him.

[blech]

so, i hate to be the "mature" one here, but as i read some of the "tricks" i think it's worth pausing for a second to think about sportsmanship. i don't know what you think, but it's kind of cool when people talk about how sporting the game is to have one team voluntarily play the ball out of bounds when a player is injured and to then have the ball given back to them when the ball is put back in play. but then there are some "tricks" that make you think twice about that favorable characterization. obviously everyone's "sportsmanship" threshold is different, but it might be worth asking yourself which tricks you think are sporting and which aren't. i know i used to subscribe to the school that basically anything was okay unless the ref caught you, but perhaps i've grown up a little since then. some other "tricks" i've seen (and even used) but that are worth thinking twice about:

- if you are dribbling in the penalty area and a defender sticks his leg out, purposefully run your leg/foot into his and then fall down (roll around in agony and ask for pk if the ref does not immediately recognize you)

- if other team has ball and an advantage, go down (again in lots of agony) and ask ref or other team to stop play so that you can get medical treatment (ghana worked this one to perfection in the last World Cup against the U.S.)

- if ball is too far away for diving header in front of the goal, stick out hand quickly and punch it into goal. get up quickly and do a big celebration. acting like it was a good goal is the key to selling it.

- if you are forward and ball is being punted by your goalie, take two steps directly backwards into defender marking you - the odds are very high that he will put his hands up against your back just to stop you from backing into him - as soon as his hands are on your back, fly forward as if you have been punched in the back - (extra credit: if ref calls this "foul", stay on ground for a while to disguise the fact that nothing happened - also, better to do this one in the second half, but the AR will otherwise likely tell the ref at halftime that nothing happened and then you won't get any calls for rest of the game)

- if you are giving the ball back to the other team because they voluntarily played it out of bounds, play it deep into their defensive corner (even if they had clear possession in midfield) and then chase them down and try to tackle them before they can do anything with the ball

- if you are the goalie, go for two handed punch on a cross, and with lots of practice you should be able to strike the ball with one hand and the opponent's head with another - apologize to him afterwards if the ref is looking at you to reinforce that it was an "accident"

- after a good tackle, see if you can step on your opponent's leg or foot as you are getting up. if he gets mad and comes after you, remember to go to the ground (in lots of agony again). and, oh yes, that foot stomp on the toe in a big crowd is always a good one!

- if you are marking the other teams best player, constantly pull his shirt or his shorts, or elbow him, or tweak his nipple when the ball is downfield, or say something nasty about his mom or sister


YES. I can't believe it needs to be said, but just to be clear I am being sarcastic. Please don't do these "tricks" in a game. Please. The concept of the thread is great. There are definitely some tactical moves to consider that you can use to gain legitimate advantages, and several are noted in this thread. But, think about which advantages you want to try to get and which are better left off the field. Let's keep the beautiful game beautiful!