Dick Moss

When players receive a pass near the sideline, they often make the mistake of immediately taking the ball down the sideline. In fact, there is a better move in such situations.

Why A Sideline Run Can Be a Mistake
Immediately running down the sideline can be a mistake because it reduces your players' options and makes it easy for defenders to stop them by using the sideline as a second defender.

The Better Option
A better option when receiving a sideline pass is to angle towards the infield, directly at the nearest defender. By getting away from the sideline, your player then has the option of running to either the left or right of the defender. It also provides space on the sideline for a teammate to receive a pass.

Attacking a defender puts that defender under pressure by reducing the time available to make a decision. This gives the dribbler the advantage when advancing the ball.

If the Red Player receives a sideline pass and immediately runs down the sideline (#2), he is vulnerable to a trap by a single defender. A better option is to angle towards the infield and the oncoming defender (#3). This allows the dribbler to move left, right or pass to a teammate

Reference: Lawrence Fine, Playing Wide, FineSoccer.com Website, 2006. Fine Soccer.com >Archives>Soccer Newsletter. http://www.finesoccer.com/

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