Sample Diagrams from Don't Just Kick It!
This diagram gives a basic view of the key positions on any soccer team, which is common throughout all levels, and throughout all ages of eleven vs. eleven competition.
Don't Just Kick IT! features a number of detailed diagrams about the intricacies of the passing game in soccer - as in the sample below:
The Cross - the classic form of an attacking pass that is sent from either corner of the field to the front of the goal, just far enough away from the goalkeeper, so that a shot can be taken by a teammate. It can be made in the air or on the ground.
The Give and Go or One/Two Pass - like the give and go in basketball. One player (X) passes to a teammate (Y) ten to twenty yards away and as the touch is made, the first player (X) takes off to a spot on the field and looks for an immediate pass back from the teammate (Y).
Coaches might use the 4-2-4 alignment diagrammed below if they feel the opponent can be controlled with two center midfielders and they are vulnerable to attack from four forwards. Coaches who believe the best defense is a strong offense might believe in the 4-2-4. It also may be effective when a team has very fast and skilled outside defenders/ backs, who can move up and down the outside flanks, defending efficiently and supporting midfield as well.
The diagram below shows good spacing between teammates. No two players are bunched together so closely that the imaginary circles around them intersect with more than one other circle.
