7v7 Soccer: Triangles, Off-Ball Movement, and Hand Signals

How can I get past the Baltimore? Every player on the soccer field wants the ball at their feet as much as possible. Did you know in a 90-minute professional soccer game that the average player only has the ball for three minutes? That's not a lot of time. Even if we do not have the ball, we can still make a big impact on the game and help our team.

So how can you make a big impact without the ball? We can help our team maintain possession of the ball. By controlling the ball for longer, we can take advantage of mistakes by the other team as they get tired of chasing the ball and our players. The key to maintaining possession is working together using our web to be available for a pass. Each next pass is important because it means we control the ball and can continue to move it toward the other team's goal.

Let's take a look at how our team's web-like shape can be broken down into sets of smaller shapes between three or four players. What shapes do you think you can make with three or four players that might be useful in soccer? If you said triangles and diamonds, you are correct. Since a diamond is really made from two triangles, let's focus on triangles for now. Look at our team in our 2-3-1 formation. How many triangles do you see between players? Believe it or not, there are 10 different triangles that you can make between our players. With so many triangles, we will naturally have an opportunity to find a pass to an open player and maintain possession of the ball.

So how do I get a teammate to pass me the ball? If a teammate has the ball and they are in a triangle with you, it is important for you to constantly be moving to a space where you can draw an imaginary line between them and you. If this imaginary line is blocked by another player, you may need to run faster or slower, or even change direction to keep it open.

What if those lines weren't imaginary and were colored according to how open a player is? Let's take a look at how these lines change color as the ball and players move into new positions. While we show the players passing the ball directly to other players for simplicity, there will be times when you will want to pass the ball into space ahead of your teammate. This is called a lead pass. A lead pass allows your teammate to receive the ball while running, giving them an extra edge against defenders. A lead pass is also less predictable and can catch defenders by surprise. Whether your pass is a pass to feet or a lead pass, we will want to make sure we call out our teammate’s name as we make the pass in order to prevent confusion.

But what do you do when you want your teammate to pass to you? You can call out their name, but this will attract a lot of attention from defenders. Instead, it is often best to use a set of hand signals to let your teammate know you are open and what type of pass you would like.

To signal that you are open for a ball in the air, simply raise one hand.

To ask for a lead pass, place one arm out in the direction of where you would like the ball.

Finally, to ask for the ball at your feet, extend both arms down, pointing at your feet.

Hand signals are a great way to stay coordinated with other teammates in your triangle. By thinking about the triangle that we are a part of, how to change the triangle to remain open for a pass—even if that pass is the next one in a sequence—and providing a signal for what type of pass to make, you're putting yourself in the best possible position to get the ball and help continue our team's attack.