Playing in 5 Corridors and 3 Zones Using the 3-3-1-3 for Attacking and Defending Team Shape

The following is part of a 60 page presentation on the 3-3-1-3 that can be found in the recently added 3-3-1-3 System of Play page in the Soccer Awareness Training Center. Soccer Awareness Training Center provides unlimited access to Wayne Harrison's Soccer Awareness systems, training sessions, drills and more. Wayne's system helps develop world class youth soccer players and teams in a systematic and imaginative manner that guarantees performance at the highest level of competition. Whether you’re a beginning coach who needs help getting started or someone who wants to add some variety to their training sessions, the Soccer Awareness Training Center offers a wide variety of drills to choose from. Join Today

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You can use this method of teaching with any system you like.

We divide the field up into Corridors and Zones to help players understand the major differences in spacing between attacking and defending team shape. We call them Corridors Widthwise and Zones Lengthwise. Below are some parameters to work off in my opinion. We first discuss the use of the Corridors.

Team Attacking Shape: Based on the 5 corridors width-wise we want all 5 corridors to have players in them. Based length–wise we want a maximum of 2 of 3 zones filled; with the exception of the keeper.

Team Defending Shape: Based on the 5 corridors width-wise we want a maximum of 3 corridors filled with players preferably 2.5 if possible.                                                                     

Based length-wise we want a maximum of 2 of 3 zones filled preferably the whole team is condensed into 1.5 zones or at most half a field.

Playing in 5 Corridors Using the 3-3-1-3

• Using Corridors is a great way to work out individual and collective field positioning as a team both offensively and defensively and it also gives players real a “focal point” to work off.

• We use “Corridors” width wise and then introduce “Zones” lengthwise later.

• These “focal points of reference” I believe are a great way to really teach players to understand the differences between attacking and defending team shapes both widthwise and lengthwise.

• Particularly in defensive set ups (in my opinion); it shows players how to mark in zones and how much tighter it should be than they will likely imagine and especially shows those players furthest from the ball defensively how important zonal marking is.

• Example, the balls is on our left with the other team and our right back is marking the opponents opposite side winger far too wide, by having designated lines this becomes much clearer to understand.

• The Theme is positioning OFF the ball as a team

• A great session to help players identify positional variations, the 4 lines are used as a clear guide widthwise.

• Using such a fluid system of play as ours; putting the lines in as a condition is a great help.

• Example if (7) goes outside (2) has to be inside (Phase 2 to Phase 3)

• Defining lines also force players to play at angles to each other thus improving their peripheral vision and their preferred side-on body shape.

• Divide the field in thirds lengthways also for attacking and defending principles to be worked on.

• High pressing is vital to allow us to push many players forward so if we lose the ball in the attacking third we don’t let them out.

This is our starting position of 3-1-3-3. The keeper wins the ball and we change shape completely. This is Phase 1 of our 5 phases of play.

This is our defending position of 5-4-1 possibly after recovering back and playing more defensively.. The keeper wins the ball and we change shape completely. 

Here we have a good balance with players positioning at angles to each other. This is Phase two of the 5 phases of play are wide and long.

Here we have a good balance with players positioning at angles to each other. This is Phase three of the 5 phases of play where (7) and (11) cut inside to overload in and around zone 14.

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Get the rest of this 60 page presentation and much more on the 3-3-1-3 in the Soccer Awareness Training Center. We have just added 9 presentations on this very fluid system of play. Check it out.

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1-3-3-1-3 System of Play in Detail

This is part 3 of our Game Strategies Series.

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How Chile Played under coach Marcelo Bielsa

One of the National teams to play this way was Chile with Marcelo Bielsa in 2010. This was the basic set up which can be seen as a 1-3-1-3-3 or a 1-3-3-1-3 or 1-3-diamond-3 (1-3-1-2-1-3). Pep Guardiola formerly of BARCELONA experiments with Bayern Munich at times using this system philosophy; as well as other systems of play also now; so with this in mind I believe it is time to discuss this method of play in full; as top coaches like him start to look at how it works. Guardiola is one of the top managers in the world of soccer and at the same time is a great admirer of Bielsa so I believe it is time to look at this system of play that both employ. Perhaps this is the future of Soccer?

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How Bayern Munich sometimes Play under Pep Guardiola

Note the fullbacks / WING BACKS OF Bayern tuck in to overload the center and middle of the field (Thiago and Lahm).

One can also have these two players touchline wide when in possession to spread out the midfield and open up spaces between opponents to play through.

The same can apply to right and left center backs breaking touchline wide also so we have 3 players in wide areas on both sides of the field in possession of the ball.

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Staying this way with More Detail

This is the defending team shape (defending start position) of a 1-3-3-1-3. The positioning of the wing fullbacks defensively is somewhat alien to most set ups in other formations and you must explain and show in detail to your players how this works and why.

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The players in our system of play

This is the attacking team shape (attacking “start position”) for a 1-3-3-1-3. Zone 14 is the area between the opponents back three or four and their midfield..

This is the attacking team shape now possibly a 1-2-3-2-3 depending on the moment. This can also be the attacking team shape we change to when we are chasing a game perhaps losing 1-0 and wanting to be more positive in attack. So this now would be the start position.

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Changing the team shape if we lose the ball from the attacking set up

Let's say we passed the ball forward and lost it on the edge of the opponents penalty area. Immediately both fullbacks tuck inside to offer to fill central spaces and overload the area. (7) presses INSIDE towards (9) and (10).

Always try to force the ball INSIDE in the attacking and middle thirds to where our numbers are.

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Forcing the ball inside to our strength in numbers

Even in a wide position, based on the pressing player (7) showing the ball inside both wing fullbacks tuck inside because the ball is being forced into the central areas.

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Forcing the ball wide and adjustment of defenders

(7) Cannot get positioned quickly enough to force the ball inside so forces wide and this means some adjustment behind him or her for the right wing fullback and the right center back especially.

NOTE: (2) and (5) positional changes.

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Interchange and rotation

Movements up front have been effected creating a diamond of support for striker 9 who becomes 10 and so on. These movements will be described in much more detail later.

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Potential interchange movements

Great rotation between players should cause a lot of confusion in the opponents defending set up. We can establish some set routines initially using a situation to set it off (6 gets the ball to feet with time for example). Like a set play in open play to teach the players simply.

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A preferred Phase Five when losing the ball: A Full Team Press

We may press up from the back too leaving opponents offside; should they get a chance of a counterattack. Defenders must decide in a split second which course of action they take.

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Now Available: Coaching the Ultra Fluid 3-3-1-3

Wayne Harrison's new book, his 15th publication on Soccer Coaching, will be out soon!
 
Playing a 3-3-1-3 might be the way forward in the future. Marcelo Bielsa's signature formation in his squads is the 3-3-1-3 formation, which he made famous and brought to the front of the world's mainstream football scene during his coaching tenures in the Argentina national football team, Chile national football team, Athletic Bilbao and Olympique de Marseille.

He plays a high pressing game, as does Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich; which will be explained in this book.

Jorge Sampaoli is the Chile head coach who played the 1-3-3-1-3 to win the Copa America for the first time in their history..

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A Coach from Robert E lee Lancers from Springfield VA wrote this too Wayne and said we could share his experience so far with the Flex System. 

Hey coach, first two games into the season and the tactics / high pressure of the FLEX has really been the key. We have scored 12 goals in the first two game. We won 7-2 and 5-3. The 5-3 game was against the number #16 team in the nation according to the top drawer site. Anyway, still have a lot of improving and finessing of our FLEX system however it is def a distruptor to the traditional formation! So glad I came across your book last fall! 

Oh I forgot to mention that we didn't win a game last year and scored only 11 goals over 14 games. After 2 games we have scored more and have more Ws than the entire season last year. It's boggling my mind!

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The changing game now and in the future

The game is changing and we all must keep up with the changes happening if we are to provide a real service to the players.

Is playing the game now about players decision making over the coaches? The way I see it we as coaches set up the framework from within which the players make the decisions. In this case we set up the 3-3-1-3 framework, we teach players various ideas to use within it and THEY decide when; where; how and why to use them.

This book is aimed at youth teams but also at professional level and senior teams; all can benefit from the information provided and coaches use it to the extent that each of their teams at whatever level of play can understand.

Get It Now

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