6 Principles of Indoor Soccer
by Jeff Dieffenbach
1. Play man-to-man goal-side defense
A zone defense doesn't work indoors.
The spacing is so tight that an attacker with a single step on a defender is open.
Man-to-man defense must be played goal-side (between the player and the goal), particularly since there is no offsides rule.
Two defenders should rarely try to shut down one attacker.
Instead, one defender should take the ball, with the other providing support but shading towards any open attacker.
When covering an attacker, it is critical that the defender stays with the attacker after the attacker has passed the ball.
The wall pass is incredibly dangerous indoors because it is so easy to gain a few steps on the defender,
and a few steps is all that it takes.
2. Shut down the most dangerous threats
A pure man-to-man defense isn't always possible
when the offense has a numerical advantage two on one, three on two, etc.
In that case, the defender(s) must pick up the most dangerous threat(s).
The goalkeeper can help here because of the much better view of the whole field.
Obviously, attackers with better skills are a bigger threat.
Also obviously, attackers in the middle are a bigger threat.
A weak attacker in the corner should be left alone when outnumbered.
Shade towards a stronger attacker in the corner, but don't completely abandon the middle.
In any defensive situation, time is an ally, commitment is an enemy.
It is much better to contain an attacker, allowing other defenders a chance to get back, than it is to commit and get beaten.
In a two-on-one, play the middle.
Force a pass from the stronger attacker to the weaker one,
then keep the ball with the weaker attacker by shading towards the stronger one.
In a three-on-two situation, cover the gaps, shading towards the stronger attackers.
This is the best time for help from the goalkeeper,
who can more easily see which defender should go after an attacker with the ball in the middle.
The idea is to leave the weaker of the two wing attackers open,
but to approach the central attacker from the unmarked attacker's side to limit the passing angle.
If the ball is on the wing, the closer defender should shade that way, but don't give up the middle.
3. Don't hold the ball--pass quickly
Probably the most important aspect of indoor soccer is to move the ball around quickly.
As soon as a player receives the ball, he or she should be looking for the quick pass.
Strong dribblers can attempt to beat a defender before passing,
but is very rare in close quarters for a dribbler to beat more than one defender.
Back passes should be used fairly often to swing the ball from side to side
and to avoid getting stuck and turning over the ball.
Side-to-side passes can also be effective,
but they are highly prone to being intercepted--don't make these passes lazily,
or it's instant breakaway the other direction.
Diagonal passes out of the back are particularly good for finding an open player.
4. Move from defense to offense
After making a (successful!) pass from the back, make a run up field.
Back and forth transitions create great spaces, but require that other players get back to cover on defense.
5. Shoot low, and not from long range
High shots, particularly those from long range, are easy for the goalkeeper to stop.
The goal mouth simply isn't wide enough. Low shots, on the other hand,
are particularly difficult for the goalkeeper to get,
but they must be taken from a relatively close distance (no more than a few yards outside of the goal area).
Most goals are scored not by beating the goalkeeper, but by beating the defense.
Because the distances are so short,
a pass across the goal to an open shooter does not give the goalkeeper time to react--in essence, the goal mouth is open.
6. Don't camp--move from offense to defense
The defense's best friend is an attacker who camps in one spot.
If you make a run to an attacking spot that isn't open, rotate across the goal or back,
freeing up space for a run in from the back.
Up and back motion is key, and defense is everyone's job.
If a player can't make a run back as enthusiastically as he or she goes forward, it's time to sub out.
It's okay to have players with primary defensive (or offensive) responsibilities,
but everyone needs to be thinking total soccer.
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