The danger of corner kicks

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Hello and warm welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter! In this issue, the following topics take center stage:

1. ⚽The danger of corner kicks

2. 👉2 New Exercises

⚽The danger of corner kicks

Corners are important in football. Last season, 13.9% of the goals in the Premier League came from corners, and 15.1% of all shots were taken after corners. Almost every team that can afford it has a specialized coach for set-piece situations.

In the past, corners were often seen as a simple, robust, and typically British way to score a goal. But nowadays, top teams recognize their value. They practice and train to improve their corner-taking skills, and they pay attention to player transfers, ensuring they can execute good set-piece situations—whether it be shooting or heading after a corner. Equally important is, of course, defending corner kicks. Therefore, in this newsletter, we focus on the three most common tactics for defending corner kicks.

1. Man marking

One of the most natural methods of defending corners is man marking. The process is simple: Each defender takes responsibility for marking an attacker. The strategy is easy to implement: The defender seeks physical contact with the opponent and tracks them within the penalty area. The opposing attacker serves as the main reference point. Once all opposing attackers are marked, it is up to the defenders to win their individual battles or at least disrupt the opponent's shot enough to prevent the ball from ending up in the goal.

Advantages:

The defending team can react to all eventualities of the opponent. Whether the corner is delivered long to the far post or low to the near post, the tasks and assignments remain unchanged. Each player has a clear reference point to orient themselves.

Disadvantages:

The most significant disadvantage of this approach is that the defense relies entirely on the individual strengths of its players. In this pure form of man marking, each defender is left to fend for themselves. If a defender fails to mark their opponent closely enough, it can directly lead to a goal-scoring opportunity. There is no provision for cover in pure man marking. The responsibility is thus placed solely on the shoulders of the individual players. This approach poses problems when attackers are individually stronger in heading situations than the assigned defenders.

2. Man-and Zonal marking

To make defending easier and safer than just sticking to man marking, teams often use a tactic to protect specific spots in the penalty area. Here's how it works: if one defender fails to keep close to their opponent, another teammate is ready nearby to help out and clear the ball if needed. One classic way they do this is by having players stand guard at the goalposts. These players position themselves at both the near and far posts. If the opponent takes a shot, they're there to kick the ball away from the goal line, acting almost like extra goalkeepers. But nowadays, fewer pro teams use this tactic. Those that do might find themselves short-handed in other parts of the field, making them vulnerable to attacks.

In many teams, the philosophy has shifted towards preventing the opponent from taking shots rather than focusing solely on blocking shots on the goal line. As a result, man marking is often combined with another form of defensive coverage these days. Crosses can come in towards the near post, the center of the goal, or the far post. In these three zones, the defense can position an additional zone defender. The zone defender's job is to clear any balls that come into their area. This way, the defending team has extra coverage in crucial zones, in case an opponent manages to evade their man marker.

The majority of teams opt for additional coverage, especially in the area near the near post. Statistically, this is the zone where most goals from corners are scored. This can be logically explained: balls directed to the near post spend less time in the air compared to those aimed at the far post. The defense has less time to react, and the goalkeeper cannot directly intervene. While the goalkeeper can intercept or punch away crosses delivered directly in front of the goal or to the far post, they cannot reach balls directed to the near post before the opposing attacker. For this reason, not only does a zone defender secure the near post, but an additional player is often positioned as well. This player typically takes up a position at the farthest point of the six-yard box to clear away short corners and prevent them from being redirected or utilized at the near post.

Therefore, quite a few teams secure the immediate area in front of the goal with a four-man line: three zone defenders in the three penalty area zones, plus an additional defender at the front corner of the six-yard box. The remaining players, in turn, mark the opposing players. It is thus a hybrid form of man-to-man and zone marking.

Advantages:

It combines the strengths of both approaches: Particularly aerially dominant opponents are closely marked, ideally preventing them from taking direct shots. At the same time, the absence of a tightly marked man doesn't necessarily result in an immediate scoring opportunity for the opponent: the most critical areas are additionally secured.

Disadvantages:

However, this approach also has its weaknesses. Because it represents a compromise, some of the strengths of pure man-to-man or zone marking are partially lost. It's challenging to effectively cover all areas of the penalty area or all opposing players. In practice, this approach also proves difficult because players can clash with each other, quite literally: opponents can draw the man markers into the same spaces already occupied by zone defenders. Although the marked player may find themselves in a two-on-one numerical disadvantage, as always, when there's a numerical disadvantage in one area of the field, there's a numerical advantage in another. Therefore, this approach also requires a high level of coordination among individual defenders.

3. Pure Zonal marking

Why focus only on individual zones within the penalty area and not align the entire defense with zone marking? That's the concept behind zonal marking. The penalty area is divided into separate zones, with each area secured by a player. In this variation, in addition to the three defenders at the five-yard line, three more defenders cover the space behind them, resulting in a 4-3 staggered formation. All six zones in front of the goal are secured. Players should be positioned staggered to cover passing lanes effectively. Additional players may cover the goalposts. Moreover, another player often waits near the edge of the penalty area to prevent an opponent from taking a shot from this position.

Advantages:

The defending team occupies all relevant areas within the penalty area. They can adapt to any variation presented by the opponent. Zonal marking also offers the opportunity to position aerially dominant players precisely in those zones that are most vulnerable. There's no risk of aerially dominant defenders being drawn into a "dead" zone by the opponent's man marking. At the same time, zone defense is highly adaptable. Against opponents who frequently deliver crosses to the near post, zones could be pushed forward. Adding another player at the five-yard line is just as feasible as defending the edge of the penalty area with two players. Zonal marking demands high concentration, good communication, and positional discipline from the players.

Disadvantages:

Zonal marking is particularly vulnerable when the ball is played directly between two defenders. If the team's reaction is half-hearted, the opponent can find themselves with a clear opportunity to shoot. However, the most significant disadvantage lies elsewhere. Because zones rather than opponents are marked, the opponent gains a dynamic advantage. Opposing attackers can build up speed deliberately, exploit gaps, and powerfully head the ball into these areas.

n the worst-case scenario, the zone defender may find themselves static, lacking momentum in their movement. This presents clear disadvantages in duels: they cannot prepare for the challenge as consciously and may not jump as high as the opponent who is sprinting towards them. Many teams address this deficit by executing zone defense in motion. Players position themselves a few meters further back from the corner than their zone structure would suggest. Once the corner is taken, they move forward towards the ball.

This allows them to build up momentum and engage in the aerial duel with speed. This also requires excellent communication between the players. If one player moves too far forward or not far enough, it creates a gap in the zone defense.

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👉2 New Exercises

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Exercises:

• 8 vs 8 on 3 small goals

• Atl. Madrid Passing Drill

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