DEFINITION:
Straight, defensive sprint backward, when the ball is in the possession of the opposite team
GUIDELINES:
Defensive movement - it's a full sprint straight back, when the possession of the ball is in the opposite team and the opposite team attacks. It's movement of the player in defense, his fast run back to take his position in his zone or to catch an opposite player, who runs forward. It could be use also for some bad position taken in phase defense, for and example: both central defenders are not good positioned and there is a pass between them, which leads the opposite striker against the goalkeeper – it's bad positioning for the defenders, who let this gap between them. Also could be covered offside by a defender, which leads to goal or dangerous situation.
- defensive movement, when the possession of the ball is in the opposite team
- must be straight backward sprint
- it's used usually when a player sprints back to catch an opposite player or fixes own mistake; comes back to his own zone; runs back during an opposite counterattack
- if a player chases an opposite player, runs back to catch him - it's always defensive positioning, not covering depth
De Jong sprints on full speed back to take position in defense
After his mistake, de Jong sprints back with the idea to fix it
Dinamo Kiew organizes a counterattack and de Jong sprints back on full speed - significant run
After the ball is lost, Otamendi (covering depth for him) covers the empty zone on the wing and Delph runs back to cover his own zone like left defender - defensive positioning for him
Sergi Roberto - even if he runs with diagonal movement, still he runs to cover his own zone - defensive positioning for him
The team in dark is caught in counterattack and N.22 and N.27 sprints back fat enough (for them it's ok to be defensive positioning) and for N.5 and N.18 - they run back, but it's not a sprint
Bale wins advantage here with his run - Alba is out of position and next sprints back to catch his opponent
Bailly looses the ball and immediately starts to chase the opposite player with the idea to fix his mistake - defensive positioning must be tagged for him
Pogba sprints back to catch the opposite player - before the duel and the foul, defensive positioning must be tagged for him, because of his sprint back
Jordi Alba sprints back with diagonal movement - it's a good run from him to cover his own zone, so defensive positioning (not covering depth) must be tagged for him, doesn't matter that nobody reaches the ball
For the player, who makes the foul at the end of the video should be tagged defensive positioning before the duel, because he sprints back to catch the opposite player and stop the counterattack
For N.9 in blue shirt def. positioning is needed, because with this movement back N.9 also cuts the possible option for a pass to the opposite running defender and doesn't save efforts to come back in defense
- if a player just runs back, comes to his position or helps in defensive part of the game, but not sprinting - it's not Defensive positioning
- 2 movements for the same situation are not needed (if there is no other action between them) - if a player runs, slows down a bit and sprints again - just the last part of the movement is enough, not needed both movements - still the whole movement will be visible in the video
- it must not be used after a not accurate pass by a teammate
- it must not be used if a player just goes to take cleared ball by an opponent and there is no other opposite player, who runs for the ball
N.5, Pavard - not a defensive positioning for him - he runs back, but not fast enough - not a significant movement
Just a few steps are not enough to use defensive positioning - N.11 in white shirt, when his team looses the possession of the ball
After the dribble of Marcelo, N.5 and N.32 sprints back (for them is ok to be tagged defensive positioning) - at the same time N.21 and N.17 runs too slow, not enough to be tagged defensive positioning
For John Stones is not defensive positioning - he runs back, but doesn't sprint - not a significant movement, not enough for defensive positioning
The team in dark is caught in counterattack and N.22 and N.27 sprints back fast enough (for them it's ok to be defensive positioning) and for N.5 and N.18 - they run back, but it's not a sprint - not defensive positioning
This is not defensive positioning for N.22 in yellow - he runs back, but too slow, not enough to use this event
N.28 Mingueza comes back, but he doesn't sprint - this is not significant movement, not a sprint - not defensive positioning
After the bad pass, Alba sprints back to reach the ball - this is not defensive positioning, because the ball comes from a teammate (doesn't matter that it's backward sprint)
N.6 in red runs back, but not with a sprint - not enough to use defensive positioning
After the really bad and not accurate pass, N.24 in yellow/black shirt just goes to take the ball - this is not defensive positioning
N.3 in yellow clears the ball with head and his teammate runs back to save the ball in play - this is not defensive positioning, doesn't matte that he sprints, because the ball comes from a teammate
- it could be used also for bad position taken in defense - left an opposite player behind the defensive line; gap between the defender, where an opposite player receives the ball; covered offside...
Bad position by Boateng (not defensive duel for him, because he doesn't try to stop the opposite player) - Marcelo dribbles his teammate and Boateng takes bad position, leaving empty space in the "heart" of the central zone of the defenseÂ
For Valencia is bad defensive positioning, because he covers the offside - he takes bad position in the defensive line - he doesn't look well where his teammates are
Ruben Dias is out of position - he takes bad position in defense and leaves Benzema to run behind his back and score a goal
N.3 in red doesn't orientate well and leaves the opposite player to run behind his back in the empty space
The left wing back in red shirt (with the circle) doesn't react and orientate well and he lets the opposite player to run near him, leaving his zone and man in dangerous position...also he starts to sprint back, when he is already out of position
- if a player chases an opposite player, runs back to catch him - it's always defensive positioning, not covering depth
- always must be considered the position of the player at the moment of the current attack - it's possible, for example: left defender to be alone back, during a corner kick - if his team looses the ball and there is counterattack on the right wing, the left wing back (who plays like central defender at that moment) to runs with diagonal movement to cover his own natural zone - it must be covering depth, not defensive positioning, because at this moment of the attack he plays like a central defender, not an wing back
- if there is diagonal movement, but a player covers his own zone - it's defensive positioning, not covering depth
For Azpilicueta is covering depth (he covers the zone or Zapacosta) and for Zapacosta is defensive positioning (not covering depth), because he is out of position and his teammate covers him and just runs to take the position of the player, who covers him
Sergi Roberto - even if he runs with diagonal movement, still he runs to cover his own zone, not a teammate's zone - defensive positioning for him, not covering depth
Jordi Alba sprints back with diagonal movement - it's a good run from him to cover his own zone, so defensive positioning (not covering depth) must be tagged for him, doesn't matter that nobody reaches the ball
N.3 with red shirt is originally left wing back. In this situation (corner kick for his team) he stays alone in defense like last defender and now plays like central defender in this particular situation. With his run he covers the left wing empty zone - he doesn't cover his own zone (now, in this situation he plays like central defender, not like wing back), so for him must be tagged covering depth, not defensive positioning.
N.5 Fabinho is right central defender and covers the wing back near the sideline. Next the opposite player passes the ball and N.19, Kabak (left central defender) runs with diagonal movement - from his side he covers Fabinho - in this situation 2 covering depths, one after another, must be tagged for both players - both of them cover a teammate (not defensive positioning for anybody)
N.3 in red goes forward to press and leaves his zone empty - after the throw in, N.11 runs in the empty zone to cover his teammate - covering depth for him, not defensive positioning (the same for N.24)
N.20 in red shirt runs back to cover his man, who is supposed to mark and look after in defense (the opposite wing back) - he doesn't cover the zone, just he does his duties in the defensive part of the game, so defensive positioning is better option instead of covering depth
After the foul, N.22 in blue-white shirt (he is right midfielder) runs back - it's defensive positioning, not covering depth, because he runs straight forward to after the foul, to cover and reach his man (opposite wing back)
Red team looses the possession of the ball and N.17 in red shirt sprints back to cover his mistake. At the end he goes inside, behind the central defender, but his general run and idea is to go back and prevents any danger by the opposite team, his idea is not to cover his teammate at the first place, so this should be tagged as defensive positioning, not covering depth
N.33 in white/red shirt (right winger in general) runs back straight (not with diagonal movement), but still he covers the zone of the right defender, who is out of position and the idea is the same, doesn't matter what is the direction of his movement - covering depth should be used, not defensive positioning
N.8 in red shirt (central midfielder) runs in the empty zone, left by the left wing back - even if his run is not so diagonal, still it's covering depth, not defensive positioning for him
N.12 in black shirt starts to run when the opposite player in red shirt misses the ball and N.22 is out of position - defensive position, not covering depth should be used for N.12
- if it's backward sprint, but close to the opposite goal (mostly disturbing the opposite player instead of chasing him) - better to be used pressing duel, not defensive positioning
N.10 attacks aggressive his opponent - the movement is not forward, but sideward - the idea of the player is to force the opposite player to act quickly and do some mistake - pressing duel, not defensive positioning here
Even if the run of Salah is a bit sideward/backward at the end, still in the whole situation he presses and disturb the opposite players - so deep in the opposite half is more usual to be pressing duel, not defensive positioning (in this situation - if he continues to chase the opposite player in his own half, could be defensive positioning at the end)
Bamford from Leeds - his idea is to press the opposite player, to disturb him, even if the movement is not forward, still pressing duel is better option instead defensive positioning in this situation
N.9 in red shirt sprints very aggressive against the opposite defender deep in their own half, in the final third of the pitch - it's pressing duel, not defensive positioning, even if there is some movement back at the end (which he doesn't continue) - the idea is that he tries to disturb the opposite player, not to chase him back
N.11 from Inter sprints backward to help in defense - even if he is aggressive against the first opposite player, in general this movement should be tagged like defensive positioning, not pressing duel