← Back to playbook06 / 07

Attacking pattern

Sweep

After a teammate is touched near the centre, wait and run behind the restart to receive a pass out to one side. This is a Sweep. The waiting runner needs room behind the ball, not a crowd around the pickup.

Club movement

Delay. Sweep wide. Then straighten.

Positions & movement

When and why

After a teammate is touched near the centre, wait and run behind the restart to receive a pass out to one side. This is a Sweep. The waiting runner needs room behind the ball, not a crowd around the pickup.

What each person does

Take the touch and put down · M1
Receive from M2, take the touch near the centre and put the ball down at that spot. Move clear.
Follow, pick up and pass · M2
Follow M1 to the restart. Pick up as dummy-half and pass backwards to the arriving runner.
Wait, run behind and receive · L2
Wait away from the pickup, run behind it, receive and turn upfield. Teammates farther out stay spread out.

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.

Start with these three pictures

We attack this way ↑M1M2L2D
Orange = our team · White D = defender · Yellow oval = ball
Green line = run · Brown dashes = pass · Cross = do not pass
Teaching picture; spacing is illustrative.

Make the central touch

M2 passes to M1, who runs forward, is touched and puts the ball down.

Where do the six players stand?

Here is a simple starting picture of the six players on your team. They do not stay in these spots throughout the game.

Our team attacks this way ↑WingLinkMiddlesLinkWing

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).

How to watch

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.

Club animation

Watch the Sweep develop

Key players enlarged · attack ↑ · orange attacks, white defends. Wider teammates are outside this crop; use Full team for context.

Animated middle-and-link SweeperThe M2 carries from the ten-metre setup and passes inward to the M1. The M1 creates the touch on the defender on the more crowded side, the M2 becomes half and passes backward to the L2, who sweeps behind and straightens into an open-side three-on-two.D1D2D3D4D5D6LWL1M1M2L2SWEEPERRW

Now

Build

The M2 carries square from the 10-metre setup.

The M2 pulls the two central defenders forward. The L2 stays outside and slightly deeper instead of showing the sweep early.

Play from the start or drag to inspect the touch, half pass and final three-on-two. The camera and player sizes stay fixed.

Read the situation

What should I do next?

Choose an example. Its picture shows the decision; it does not change the main animation.

We attack this way ↑M1M2L2D
Orange = our team · White D = defender · Yellow oval = ball
Green line = run · Brown dashes = pass · Cross = do not pass
Teaching picture; spacing is illustrative.

There is a gap ahead

Notice
The runner has received and the path ahead is open.
Respond
Turn upfield and use the gap. Teammates farther out keep their space.
Why
Running only across the field gives the defence time to follow.
Evidence and rules

Successful and intercepted match examples are retained for comparison. They are not frame-for-frame copies of this illustration.

§11 passing · §13 rollball/dummy-half · §16 obstruction · FIT 5th edition ↗

Live match examples

Compare the right timing with a late pass

France run the Sweep twice in the same match. The first creates a score; the second gives Wales time to recover into the passing lane and intercept.

France v Wales · Men’s 45 · European Championships 2026

Create width, then release before recovery

Look for this

The link delays until the touch and half are set, receives out the back toward the short side, and France preserves its width before returning the ball to the open side for the score.

Open this moment on YouTube ↗

Next game

One thing to notice next time

Watch the waiting runner. Do they arrive behind the pickup and then turn upfield after receiving?

FIT fifth-edition rules ↗