SOCCER SIDELIGHTS

NZ Truth, Issue 973, 19 July 1924, Page 9

SOCCER SIDELIGHTS

How To Play Wing-Half

HINTS FOR THE JUNIORS.

(By "Tottenham.")

Whatever its. weaknesses elsewhere, a team that has a sound arid dependable half-back line is never coming tb much harfri, and I could - name more than one team to-day who mainly rely on their half-backs to prill them through.

A half-back is different from a player m any other part of the field because his duties are evenly i distributed, ' or should be, m attack and defence. Some of the best halves m senior Soccer are. either stronger, m attack or m defence, but the ideal half is the player who, can become the extra back or the extra forward, according to the run of the play. In fact, "it is difficult to say where the duties of a half-back can stop; one minute' he may be assisting m the "packing" of his own goal, and. the next having a shot at the other end.

Not only skill with the feet, but brain' effort denotes the real half. No matter how brilliant the work of the forwards, nor, how excellent the play of the backs, with a poor middle line the team is badly handicapped. There is no breathing space for the backs from, the onslaught of the attacking forwards without an .adequate -set of halves m between. Consequently the backs get worn out, and the side goes under. .".'.'..

One of the essentials of a good halfback must be speed. He must be fast enough to emerge from a defensive bout and take his part m an attack by his own forwards, -which may have been set up m less time than it takes me to write it. But equally as important as speed is conception,' by which I mean a more or less accurate assumption *. of how any particular part* of the play is likely to develop. Some half-backs have an almost uncanny genius m this respect, and* it x:an . be readily understood that it saves them a lot of unnecessary running about.

I am dealing m, this article withHhe duties of the wing-half. Whether he plays on the right or the left, his duties are identical, and his position on either wing must be determined only by the ability to use one foot better than the other; if he is as good with one as the other, so much the better. I will take the defensive duties of a wing half --back first, and the one- that he must concentrate on is "marking, his man," or,- in ' other words, chiefly devoting himself to one opponent.

*A half-back vho /runs from , one" opponent to another, and whose movements : cannot be relied upon by the back behind him, is of- no real use at all to his team— that is if they have any aspirations to play good football. Most teams carry oht their defensive play on a pre-arranged plan. The majority prefer that -the back shall mark the opposing, winger, and that the wing half-back shall concentrate on stopping the opposing .inside forward. Of course, some teams prefer the other way; the. back watching the Inside forward, and the : half looking after the winger, but the former tactics are mostly favored, although either can be adopted according to the strength of the players on the Mother side. Whichever is put into ■ effect does not matter so long as either has been definitely laid down before the start and rigidly acted on. Perfect ' understanding between a back and the half-back in* front of him will come, of course, by constantly playing together, but I must impress upon the young and am-, bltlous player the necessity to model his defensive game on the lines I have indicated.

One of , the prettiest movements m j Soccer is that known as the triangle I game, and m this the wing-half has a most Important part. * This is a combined attacking movement between the wing-half and the two forwards iri* front of him, and although ground Is; not as a rule covered quickly when the triangle movement is m operation,' it is a most effective form of attack and it appeals to spectators. It is necessary, of course, for each of the players concerned to know what either of the others Is going to do / when he has the ball, and it Is just as necessary that each shall have complete command over the ball. In fact, Ido riot altogether regard the movement as one that should be attempted unless the players have these qualifications; It too easily goes wrong If they have not. *.■:"•■''•■'

Many half-backs get rid , of the ball too quickly. When a wing-half * has made a successful tackle and comes out of it with the ball, he invariably has time to distribute It to advantage. A hasty kick and it will just as likely as not go to an opponent, whereas .a short dribble will draw the opposing player on to him, and then a Judicious pass at once opens up an attack. It may be to the inside forward, to tbe centre-forward or the winger; which one does not matter so long as the one selected to receive the ball is the one best placed' to go on with the attack.

As to tackling an opponent, this must be dictated by the wing halfback's own intelligence. Sometimes he is placed to tackle his man as soon as the latter has received the ball, and then there -is no need for delay, but if the opposing inside forward ■ has had time to get. the ball under control, then the hale! must use his discretion. What he must cut out is a blind rush or retreating too much; each is but playing into the, hands of the other side. By the exercise of a little coolness the right moment will come even If the tackle is not, after all, a successful one. No player can expect to do everything he attempts! Further, duties of the wing half-back are the taking of free kicks m the vicinity of the opposing goal, and throwing m from touch. Each may seem unimportant to the young player, but each can either directly or Indirectly lead to a goal. It is annoying to see a free kick taken hurriedly or blindly, when a careful look around flrst may reveal a weakness In tho positions taken up by the defenders. Similarly, with the throw In, nothing can be gained by a hasty throw, but, on the pther hand, a lot may como from a judicious throw to one of your own team who may have been overlooked and left unmarked. I bave seen scores of goals which have been the direct outcomo of a well-thrown ball. . „ Heading Is of great value to a hair. To place the ball at will— to effect difficult clearances from a melee, to pass to an unmarked man— with the head elves a distinct advantage where It is not possible to use the feet, and adds to the half-back's art.

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