Match moments / They have the ball
Defend a cross
Where the centre-back stands, whether the keeper comes, and what the holding midfielder does after the catch. Three decisions that turn a cross into our counter.
In the match
- Decision 1Centre-back
- Decision 2Keeper
- Decision 3Holding mid
You are 4, our left centre-back.
The cross is coming. Where do you stand?
Play the build-up, then choose.
Best choice
Goal side, you get to the ball first. Half-turned, you see the ball and your runner at the same time.
It can work
Ball-watching. Your striker drifts behind you to the back post.
Costly
That is 2's job. You have left your striker and the middle of the box.
In the match, play carries on from the best choice.
You are our goalkeeper.
The cross is curling in between you and your defenders. What do you do?
Play what happened next, then choose.
Best choice
It is in your six-yard box and you can use your hands. Call early so your defenders leave it.
It can work
Safe from a lob, but now it is a scramble between 5 and their striker.
Costly
Without a call, your defender goes too. You collide, and the ball drops to them.
In the match, play carries on from the best choice.
You are 6, our holding midfielder.
Our keeper has caught it. Their players are in our box. What do you do?
Play what happened next, then choose.
Best choice
Their attackers are facing the wrong way. You give the keeper a pass, and we break before they get back.
It can work
Safe, but the keeper has nobody to give it to and has to kick it long.
Costly
Marked, you are no use to the keeper, and a pass to you is a risk in front of our goal.
How you know it is happening
- Their winger is near our byline with the ball.
- Their strikers are moving into our box.
- The ball is about to be crossed.
Why it works
A cross is dangerous because defenders have to watch the ball and the runner at once. Standing goal side and half-turned solves that. The keeper can use hands in the box, so a clear call decides who goes. And a catch with their team in our box is the best moment to break.
The tactics behind it
Your job, by position
- CBCentre-back
- Goal side of your striker, half-turned.
- Attack the ball if it is yours; clear it high, wide and far.
- GKGoalkeeper
- Stand a little off your line, towards the middle of the goal.
- Call early: "keeper!" or "away!"
- DMHolding midfielder
- Guard the cut-back zone around the penalty spot.
- After a catch, spin away and show.
- FBFull-back and wing-back
- Close the crosser down; block the cross if you can.
- Far-side full-back: tuck in to the back post.
How to explain it
- Practise "keeper" and "away" calls until they are automatic.
- Freeze it at the moment of the cross: can every defender see the ball and their runner?
- At younger ages, crosses are low: teach getting goal side first.
On the training pitch
- On your ownNeeds a friend or the teamIt is about reading other players, so there is no honest way to practise it alone.
- The practiceGoalkeeper handlingThe same decision, over and over, with a little pressure.
- The gameLow crosses and cut-backsA small-sided game set up so the moment keeps happening.
Set the game up so it keeps happening
- Defenders score two points for a catch or a clearance beyond the box, and two more for a counter within ten seconds.
Three things to say
- Goal side, half-turned.
- Call early.
- Catch, then show.
On Saturday
Tick them off on the day. Nothing is saved: print the page if you want to keep it.
After the whistle
Ask yourself
- Did your runner ever get in front of you?
- Did you hear the keeper call?
What to look back on
- Where did their crosses come from, and did we stop the crosser?