SOCCER SIDELIGHTS

NZ Truth, Issue 978, 23 August 1924, Page 9

SOCCER SIDELIGHTS

The Full-Back HINTS FOR THE JUNIORS.

(By "Tottenham.")

In previous articles I have, dealt with forward and half-back play, and this can be said to complete the attack m Soccer, since it is only occasionally that a full-back can join In any pressure on an opposing goal, and even then he cannot assist his side a great deal. The defence mainly depends on the two full-backs. Whatever defensive work the half-backs are called on do, they also have their ; forwards to think of. The backs, on the contrary, can concentrate on the safeguard of their own goal, and any departure from this Ido not advise. y When Soccer was m its infancy the two fujl-backs used to move up the field m line, but m good class presentday football this is rarely seen. Instead, the back on whose side of the field the play is will be seen m closer contact with the other players than his partner, who will "cover" him by waiting a dozen or so yards nearer hig own goal, but always m a position to go for an opponent if the other back has been beaten, To put it simply, this gives the backs two chances of getting the ball, and when they have played together for any length of time the v.lue of combination m defence is clearly illustrated. The rule which now allows players to be on-side m any position m their own half has also assisted m stopping backs from coming too far up. Sometimes m the old days a pair of backs would advance well m the other half, but to-day ijie possibility of a break -away by, an opposing forward is too great to make them unduly venturesome. Some lads have the impression that the full-backs must be the most powerful kicks m the team, and if. young players share m this they may not be nearly as right as they think. A back, of course, must be able to boot the ball With some velocity, but a player who puts all hia power into every kick will never catch the selector's eye. A back should aim at direction and speed just as much as a half-back. Whereas the purely powerful kick will time after time send the ball to the opposing backs and see it promptly returned, the back who uses his discretion will either kick it hard enough to reach one of his own forwards or merely send it along the ground to one of his own halfbacks better placed than he :is to get rid of it. to greater advantage. I often hear barrackers cheer the back with the "punch" but no intelligence, . and yet. any spectatcr ought to see the futility of • over-kicking. A good back must essentially be a two-footed player, able to use either m any position. Some players are surer With one foot than the other, but a class back can apply either with equal success. The one-footed back naturally wastes time m turning-, and there are times when a kick has to be got m at first sight, therefore the back who stops to turn stands a good chance of losing the ball. Now, I should like, to impress upon the young and aspiring back the folly of attempting to do.anything supposedly clever when play is taking place m the vicinity of the goal. His main duty is to clear his lines, and not to dribble past an opposing forward before clearing. This can be done at times with safety, but one mistake and the loss of the ball may mean a goal. Therefore, kick away: as soon as you can — to one of your own team if possible; if not, to a direction which you can size up as being temporarily a safe one, When the other side is pressing it is, further, unwise to-clear down mid-fleld, from where the attack can often be more easily taken up than if the ball is sent to one of the wings. ' This gives you plenty of time to recover from your kick and take up a sound position again. When headwork is necessary, always, If you -can, also. get the ball away to one side of the field or the other, because even if it goes to an opponent he will have less of the net to shoot at than if you had headed the ball down the centre. Another point I should like to call the attention of young backs to is lo come >to an understanding with the goalie behind them. No defence will be a success if the three players are working against one another. If you, as a back, do one thing one minute and something different the next m similar circumstances, you are handicapping the man behind you. In the first place, give him • plenty of room, do not delay your tackle and retreat towards your goal, and do not kick or head a" ball which you cannot safely deal with if you know your goalie is m a position to stop it. Also, never be afraid of passing back to him when there is no danger of being rushed. He will be very often m the position to clear much more effectively than you Again, when you do pass back, get a bit of pace on the ball. Your-loal-keeper is quite unlikely to let It beat him, but a slow ball will encourage one of the opposing inside forwards to make a dash for it, and possibly Wltn fatal results to your side.