The numbers  players wear on the back of their shirts is very important, as each number represents a different position with different duties. The JV/Reserve play the same system as the Varsity teams, and the numbers of each position will be the same in the JV/Reserve.

 A JV/Reserve player at the High School will know which player in the Varsity plays in his position, and this senior player will be his role-model.

 Every LNE High school team is made up of a squad of 16-22 players, There is no additions to the squad during the season. The squad is :

2 - Goalkeepers. 

4 - Right footed players for positions 2,6 and 7. 

4 - Left footed players for positions 5,8 and 11. 

3 - Players for positions 3 and 4. 

3 - Players for positions 9 and 10.

All LNE High schoolplayers will train in every position until they a set position.

 Game analysis will helped LNE fashion its training to the game and individual positions. The positions LNE players play is dependent on the formation of the opposition, the LNE players need to be multifunctional and understand the many different positions which allow play to be transferred quickly, to go backward or forward to find a 1 v 1 situation. LNE players are taught that if they cannot play the ball forward, then play it sideways, if they cannot play the ball sideways then play the ball backward. 

The LNE system is based on the Rinus Michels 70’s system of ‘Pressing Football’, where the team must press forward when in possession of the ball and press the opposition when the opposition is in possession of the ball.

The LNE system is an attacking football system, the team must play the ball forward, if the ball cannot be played forward, the ball must be played sideways, if the ball cannot be played sideways the ball must be played backwards. “If the front door is closed, try the side door, if that is closed, try the back door”.

The system encourages all of the players to get into 1 v 1 situations all over the pitch, this means all players must have good technique when under pressure from the close marking opponents, this means the LNE players need to have better individual technique than the opposition players who are playing directly against. 

 The players must have good individual technique and must have the ability to create space for themselves and their team-mates.

 The moment LNE gain possession of the ball, all the players must move away from their markers creating space for themselves, becoming passing options. 

 When the opposition have possession of the ball, every player must react positively the moment possession is lost and press the opposition to win the ball back. The nearest player to the ball must press the opponent who has possession of the ball. His team-mates must take up covering and marking positions, to be able to intercept passes. 

TEAM SHAPE – DIAMONDS. 

 Team shape is very important to the system. The players are taught not to make overlaps, but instead the players must keep shape by making diamonds and triangles using the ‘Dutch vision’ techniques / games (4 v 4). When playing in diamonds, you have both depth and width,

using the ‘Dutch vision’ techniques / games (4 v 4). When playing in diamonds, you have both depth and width. 

The LNE system is fluid, with players rotating positions. An example is, if the rightsided defender (2) pushes forward, the right sided midfield player (6) drops-in and covers him, becoming the right-sided defender. This ensures that shape has been kept, and also that (2)’s recovery run back to position if possession is lost is shorter as he does not have to run all the way back, as (6) has become the right-sided defender. 

LNE do not play with two out and out forwards, they play with one forward (9) and a withdrawn striker (10). The withdrawn striker is a player who plays in between the oppositions defence and midfield, pulling opposition players out of positions and asking them the question “Do I follow him and leave my position in my zone or do I chance it and leave him for someone else to pick-up”.

 When the ball is played into midfield, the withdrawn striker must drop into midfield to support and build up the play.

When the ball is played up to the centre forward, the withdrawn striker must push on to support him.

The LNE system play with two out and out wingers. The main object of these two wide players is to get behind the oppositions defence. This is either done by beating their markers by dribbling or getting the ball played in behind their markers. 

 In the LNE system, the ball is circulated to get the wide players into a one-v-one situation. The wide player is only allow to take on and try to beat his opponent when he is in a one-v-one situation. If the wide player is outnumbered, the ball is circulated again.  

At LNE they believe in player relationships on the pitch. This means the movement of one player determines the movement of another player.  

 For instance - Number 9 the centre forward is told to move towards the player with the ball. This means that number 10 the withdrawn striker must move away from the ball into the space vacated by the striker. 

THE LIBEROS DEFENSIVE ROLE – LNE play a man-marking system with a Libero positioned behind. The Libero (3) must have a full range of defensive techniques. His defensive duties are to read the game, covering team-mates and also stepping up to mark free-players. 

 If an oppositions player breaks forward from midfield with the ball towards the LNE defence, one of the man-marker can leave his man and step out to deal with the player with the ball. The Libero (3) will then step up and mark the oppositions striker. 

As LNE play pressing football, this means when the opposition have possession of the ball they push up onto the opposition, rather than falling back onto their own goal. As they compress the play, the nearest player will press the ball with the rest of the pushing up as well. The goalkeeper must also push up the pitch outside his box to keep the distance between the Libero and himself to a minimal, so that he can collect any long ball hit by the opposition. 

The goalkeeper is not just seen as the  man in between the posts, but as the second sweeper. If during the game a move brakes down, the ball is played back to the goalkeeper and play is built-up again by him.