How effective is kicking the ball to your opponent as a tactic?

[RIMB]

I am asking out of tactical ignorance.

You are 1 v 1 with your opponent in a tight and busy area and they are thinking you are going to pass/run left, right, back or play for time and space. Instead, you kick the ball at their planted leg and run off the rebound.

I saw a bit of that in action with Jets v Victory last night and it could just have been the random ball movement in tight spaces but Jets 'passed' the ball to their opposition many times and most of the time they got it straight back. The opposition was not expecting the ball to come to them, did a last ditch reflex movement, and the Jets were already moving towards the second phase ball.

It is a similar mind game to playing tag - where you used to get in close with the tagger and tag them first. Guaranteed they would immediately tag you back, make themselves 'it' again, and run away from you (there are many grown up strategies that develop in kids games you know).

Is this a practiced tactic in any formal coaching sense?

If you are around halfway, have numbers around the ball and no clear passing lanes and are prepared for a rebound it seems a plausible option from time to time to unsettle the defender and run through. It is key that your teammates are expecting the loose ball to gain the advantage.

In practice it could be as simple as switching the point of focus by 'just kicking it anywhere in the tussle' and play off the expected loose ball.

In the opponents head, they are watching you and the ball, the ball unexpectedly comes to you and you adjust your focus and body to the ball, but by the time you have shifted your weight onto your other foot the bugger has already run off with it.

 

[BA81]

Is this a practiced tactic in any formal coaching sense?

I wouldn’t think so; it certainly isn’t something I’d advocate.

 

[RIMB]

I wouldn’t think so; it certainly isn’t something I’d advocate.

Better to make deliberate and controlled plays that you can anticipate the outcome of rather than roll the dice and see?

 

[JS96]

I saw something this week where a team in the USA would kick the ball out far down in the corner from the kick off. The theory was rushed foul throws by the opponent would be called. I mean, it makes a little bit of sense in regards to territory and maybe the press gets a turnover.

Watching Australia Argentina back our tactic was to stand firm and not too high. Argentina would've benefited but I always wonder in hindsight how we'd have gone by kicking or playing the ball down their end and also pressing relentlessly with our fittest 11. That's what friendlies are for I guess.

 

[RIMB]

I saw something this week where a team in the USA would kick the ball out far down in the corner from the kick off. The theory was rushed foul throws by the opponent would be called. I mean, it makes a little bit of sense in regards to territory and maybe the press gets a turnover.

Watching Australia Argentina back our tactic was to stand firm and not too high. Argentina would've benefited but I always wonder in hindsight how we'd have gone by kicking or playing the ball down their end and also pressing relentlessly with our fittest 11. That's what friendlies are for I guess.

Makes a bit of sense. Kick off invariably leads to a turnover - so why not start with the turnover when and where you want it.

Like the US corner kick tactic we have discussed in here before. Corner taker nudges the ball with their foot and walks away. A second player comes over as though to take the corner and runs with the ball since the first player 'kicked it into play'. The ref says 'you can't run with the ball from a corner - go back and take the kick properly'. We all laugh at the technically correct play that the ref stops as either a mistake or a visit from Satan.

My question about kicking the ball into an opponent to distract and beat them is just the sort of thing the US teams would consider as a tactic. I had never thought about it as a thing to do until I saw the Jets players effectively doing that with their fast one touch plays in congestion.

Dog chasing ball mentality.

Defender is watching opponent. Opponent loses contact with ball into defenders leg. Defender changes body shape to contest lost ball. Ball not really lost and attacker runs away.