Switching the Point of Attack
When the attacking team does not have a good attacking
opportunity on the side of the field where play is situated, one of the most
effective plays can be to switch the point of attack to the other side of
the field. Usually, this is most effective when the original side on which a
team attacks has more defenders, and the opposite side has fewer (or
sometimes even no) defenders. The goal of this play is to create the
numerical advantage on the opposite side that was lacking on the original
attacking side.
There are several ways to switch the point of attack,
including: (1) sending a long ball directly from one side to the other; (2)
passing the ball to the middle of the field and then to the opposite side;
or (3) playing the ball back and then around to the opposite side. While
switching the point of attack is an effective way to increase the chances of
getting to goal, it loses some or all of its effectiveness if it happens too
slowly. When switching the attack is designed to take advantage of fewer
defenders on the opposite side, if the switch occurs too slowly, the defense
has time to rotate to the opposite side to maintain its defensive advantage.
The key to the success of a switch is, therefore, the ability to make the
change quickly to deprive the defense of the time to adjust.
What are some of the ways that an attempted switch slows
down? They include taking too many touches in the middle of the field;
hitting weak, slow passes; or stopping the ball dead to gain control. When a
switch is being attempted, passes must be struck with authority. This is
often referred to as hitting the ball "at pace." By at pace, it means making
a pass that is designed to get to the receiver quickly. At the U-12 age
level, there are at least two concerns with such a pass. First, it is
difficult to make a strong pass over 15 yards–especially when that pass is
not struck on a ball rolling at the player. Second, if a strong pass is
made, players’ receiving skills make controlling such a pass a difficult
play. Nonetheless, the increased difficulty in receiving such passes should
not be viewed as reason enough not to switch fields, because the gain that
comes from creating a numerical advantage far outweighs these risks.
As players mature, their ability to make longer passes to
switch fields directly increases, and their ability to receive such passes
effectively also increases. If you have never watched an MLS, English
Premier League, or world cup class game, I suggest you watch one, and pay
attention to how quickly the point of attack is switched, and how strong the
passes are that accomplish this change.
To summarize, when we switch the point of attack, we want
to use fewer touches, and stronger passes, and strive to get the ball as
quickly and accurately as possible from one side of the field to the other.
