Here you are, trying to watch soccer on television, trying to increase your ability to teach your young players how to play, when suddenly, you find you have a real problem.

Where is the sweeper?

You have been talking to more experienced coaches in your area, and you have heard many throwing out the term “flat back four,” is this what you are seeing?

Well as I am trying to jump start this fledgling web site, I figured I might start off with a topic that many new coaches are encountering in their plights to become soccer literate.  This is by no means an in-depth exploration of the system, it is simply an introduction for coaches new to the system.  Hopefully at the end of this session, you will have a solid understanding of the flat back four.

In essence, the flat back four is so named because of the lack of any one player responsible for providing depth, like a sweeper.  Experienced players or coaches may refer to the system as simply a “back four,” or “traditional back four,” referring to the fact that the sweeper behind the defense concept actually came after the organization of a flat line of defenders.  In other English speaking countries, like England, you may hear the two central players referred to as “centre-halves,” but most modern coaches will call these players central defenders.  On the outside, are the outside defenders, sometimes called “wing backs.”  And, the four refers to the use of four defenders!  See diagram 1 for a quick look at a back four.

Organization

For the purposes of this session, the back four will be comprised of two outside backs, and two center backs (diagram 1)

Diagram 2 shows a “diamond” defense as you would normally see youth teams playing in the US.  This defense utilizes a sweeper behind the defense, the sweeper being responsible for covering the entire defense in case of mistakes.  The sweeper is an important member of teams using this system, and is often a dynamic player capable of organizing and winning balls.  In the back four we have shown you, there is no such player. 

Who is Marking That Player!?

Marking, as it has come to be known in this country, can best be seen in a game of basketball.  A player such as Gary Payton is said to be marking the opposition only if he is “in the other guy’s pocket,” and Gary is affectionately known as “the glove,” for his ability to cover his man.  For many reasons, basketball marking is much more like soccer marking close to the goal.  That is because of the space restrictions and the danger of the attackers.  In soccer, marking can have more to do with the player’s relative position to both the ball and the man he is marking, especially far from the goal.

Certainly in a back four, the approach is far more zonal than anything.  In fact, in the modern back four, zones are what the entire structure is based on.  There is marking, however, more and more you will see that in a team playing with a back four there is less marking of opposing players, rather, players off the ball seem to be opting to be responsible for space instead of attackers.

A sweeper/stopper “diamond” defense normally involves strict to zonal marking by the outside backs, often termed “marking backs,” and the stopper, who normally marks a central attacker.  In a modern back four, the players not pressuring the ball drop to covering positions, and ensure the immediate path to the goal be blocked, as in diagram 3. 

Diagram 4 shows a supporting attacker far off the ball.  In this case, one of two conclusions can be made: either he is marked by the weak side outside back, who is in a position of cover, but also at an angle making it easy to close down that attacker in the time it takes for the ball to travel there; or, he is unmarked, period.

A back four is more likely to mark when pressure is being exerted in a different sector of the field.  An example of this can be found in diagram 5.  The X midfielders are pressuring the ball, and the back four is marking the two forwards.  This marking is strictly regulated by the zonal approach, however.

The left back runs out to mark the O wing player in diagram 8.  Again, the result is a path to goal, and diagram 9 shows the O team taking advantage.

Further Explanation of the Zonal Approach

When a team plays with a back four, it is applying the principles used there in the other sectors as well.  All ten outfield players work together in zones to ensure three things:

1. There must be pressure on the ball
2. There must be cover for the player(s) pressuring the ball
3. The path to the goal must be blocked

That means that the zones themselves can only be defined relative to the other defenders.  Diagram 10 and 11 demonstrate the ten defenders and their zones, and how they change when the team moves from a central position in 10 to a pressuring position on the wing in 11. 

The flat back system is susceptable to balls over the top because there is no cover.

This misconception assumes two things: that there is no cover, and that uncontested direct balls will be allowed.  As described in this session, there should be plenty of depth and cover, provided by off-the ball defenders.  Further, due to the highly-organized zonal approach, there should be a player in the immediate area of the ball in a good position to deny that ball. 

Defenders need to be ultra fast in order to sprint after even attackers.

Defenders need to be fast to account for fast attackers regardless.  This kind of falls along the lines of the first one, so I will leave it.

The flat back is simply an offside trap.

While the flat back CAN effectively trap and definitely utilizes the offside rule, many coaches do not instruct their teams to trap.  One reason is that it requires timing and organization, with a mistake resulting in a sure chance.  Another reason is that it relies on the referee or assistant referee to make the appropriate ruling.  Because the back four is rarely flat, rather, players not pressuring the ball are providing cover, the system works without trapping.  Still, trapping is an option for experienced players that work well together in the right situations.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Most of what has been discussed thus far represents the strengths of using a back four.  In addition, the ability of the team to organize in numbers means that they can press further up the field and double team without concern of being beaten.  Similarly it is very difficult for one player to dribble through a back four as there is always another player falling in to step in when the other is beaten.

Two distinct manners of beating a back four exist, and bear note here.  The first is when an attack has the ball wide in the attacking half of the field.  A bent ball behind the defense as noted in diagram 12 can clearly give the forward running onto the ball an advantage.  This is because the defenders have to turn all the way around to chase. 

Adequate pressure on the ball should prevent the proper service from getting behind the defense.  Gifted wingers, however, are capable of beating the defense.  Unless you are facing Manchester United and slinger David Beckham, most teams have little to be worried about there.

The other weakness occurs when the attack gains possession directly in front of the back four in a central area of the field.  Through balls are very difficult to play through a well-organized back four with good cover, however, a well-timed wall-pass can break down the center of defense and lead to a good chance on goal.  When in the diagram 15 one forward plays to the other, the defense reacts by changing roles.  During this all-important transition (diagram 16), a split second of space will present itself to the “wall” player and a first time ball to the running forward should get through before the defender can cover.