Attacking foundation
Give the person with the ball useful teammates to pass to. One follows behind to collect after a touch; the others leave space across the field. This is attacking shape, not six fixed places to stand.
Compare the shapes
When and why
Give the person with the ball useful teammates to pass to. One follows behind to collect after a touch; the others leave space across the field. This is attacking shape, not six fixed places to stand.
The tags let you follow the same people in each picture and animation. They are not shirt numbers; you do not need to know position names first.
The ball carrier is farther upfield. The next collector follows behind.
Here is a simple starting picture of the six players on your team. They do not stay in these spots throughout the game.
Middle (also called centre), link and wing describe positions. Carrying the ball and being dummy-half are jobs that can change hands. Dummy-half means the player who picks up after a teammate puts the ball down for the restart (rollball).
Read the three pictures first, then watch the animation below. The same tags identify the same people; they are not shirt numbers. A rollball is putting the ball down at the touch spot for the next teammate to pick up.
Shape comparison
Read the orange players from front to back: a carrier threatening the line, support arriving behind, and width that forces defenders to make decisions.
One carries forward; one follows to collect; others stay spread out.
The carrier runs forward. A teammate follows to collect after a touch, and the others stay behind the ball and spread across the field.
Everyone reaches the defensive line at the same time.
The ball carrier has no clear backward pass and nobody is arriving behind the touch to become dummy half. One defender can watch several attackers at once.
Links and wings follow the ball into one crowded channel.
The defence can compress around the carrying 3 without making a difficult decision. The outside space exists, but no attacker is holding it.
Read the situation
Choose an example. Its picture shows the decision; it does not change the main animation.
These are position comparisons, not an animated full possession. A legal receiver can still be marked or have a blocked passing lane.
§11 passing · §13 rollball · §16 obstruction · FIT 5th edition ↗
Next game
When the ball moves, look at the teammates without it. Is someone following, and are others leaving room to receive?
