Footy Eye
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Half-spaces

The half-space is the vertical lane between the centre of the pitch and the wing, the channel between a full-back and a centre-back.

A player who receives in the half-space can see the goal and the far side at the same time, and the defenders around him are unsure whose job he is. That uncertainty is why so many chances start there.

Teams fill it with inverted full-backs, wingers who come inside and midfielders who drift wide. Defending it means agreeing who steps out, the full-back or the centre-back, and who covers the gap that leaves.

What to look for

  • The gap between their full-back and centre-back
  • A defender stepping out and leaving space behind him
  • Two teammates in the same lane, getting in each other's way
  • The underlapping run inside a winger who holds the width

The common mistakeBoth your wide players standing on the touchline, so the half-space is empty when the ball arrives.

Worked plays

6 plays from Footy Eye's training pool, with the best read and why.

  1. Play 1

    The situation
    You’re the full-back. Their winger presses your centre-back and shades off the touchline. Where do you go?
    Best read
    Invert into midfield behind his shoulder
    Why
    Inverting turns your back four into a 3-2: you leave the touchline he’s shading and step in behind his shoulder, already past the first line. Your centre-back gets a clean pass into midfield and you receive facing forward. Hugging the touchline waits for a pass down the line he already has covered.
    The other options
    • Push high and hug the touchline The pass down the line never comes; the winger has it covered.
    • Overlap outside and stretch the pitch You stretch the pitch, but the winger still cuts the pass out.
    • Drop flat with the centre-backs You’re flat beside the centre-back, and the winger presses you both.

  2. Play 2

    The situation
    You’re the winger. Your full-back has taken your touchline; their block is narrow. The centre-back brings it out. Where do you go?
    Best read
    Inside to the half-space, pin their centre-back
    Why
    Two players can’t own one lane: with your full-back on the chalk, their full-back marks both of you. Step into the half-space and their centre-back must choose between following you and holding the line, the question a narrow block least wants. Dropping short takes your depth away and drags a marker into the crowd.
    The other options
    • Drop short and give him an easy pass You come short into the crowd, and their midfielder follows you.
    • Stay wide, double up on the touchline Their full-back marks you both, and the touchline gets crowded.
    • Spin in behind now and stretch them The ball can’t reach you, and their full-back drops with you anyway.

  3. Play 3

    The situation
    Winger, faced up in their third. Their full-back opens his hips to show you the line; your full-back overlaps, your eight underlaps.
    Best read
    Slide the underlap through the gap inside
    Why
    His body has told you where he wants the ball, and the overlap goes there: into the lane he still covers, with their centre-back sliding to meet the cross. The underlap runs where his hips can’t turn and arrives behind the back line, and a cut-back from there beats a byline cross every time.
    The other options
    • Release the overlap for the cross Your full-back crosses into their centre-back, who clears it.
    • Take the full-back on down the outside He runs you down the line and blocks your cross.
    • Cut inside and look for the shot You cut straight into him and the shot is blocked.

  4. Play 4

    The situation
    You’re the full-back behind your winger. Their full-back is tight on him at the touchline; their centre-back has stayed central.
    Best read
    Underlap into the gap inside their full-back
    Why
    Their full-back is glued to the touchline, so the grass is inside him, not outside. The underlap runs the seam between him and the centre-back and forces one to leave the other. The overlap only offers a pass into the lane he is already covering.
    The other options
    • Overlap outside him, hugging the touchline The pass outside runs into the lane their full-back already covers.
    • Sit behind him for a square pass Your winger plays it back to you, and the attack resets.
    • Tuck in and leave him the one-v-one Your winger is left one-v-one against a set full-back.

  5. Play 5

    The situation
    You’re the eight drifting towards the touchline your winger already owns. Their midfielder has just slid off you into the middle.
    Best read
    Stop in the half-space between full-back and centre-back
    Why
    Two of you in one lane is one of you wasted — their full-back marks both with one body. The half-space is the seam their midfielder just abandoned, and standing in it gives your six a forward pass while pinning the centre-back. The two-v-one only exists if their full-back can be beaten wide.
    The other options
    • Run in behind, outside their full-back You run outside him, and he drops to cover you and your winger.
    • Keep going wide for a two-v-one You arrive in your winger’s lane, and one full-back marks you both.
    • Drop beside your six to get on it You get it beside your six, with their midfield still in front.

  6. Play 6

    The situation
    Their full-back comes inside to the half-space to receive; their winger stays high and wide behind you. You press that side.
    Best read
    Hand him to midfield, stay on the winger
    Why
    He’s come inside to take you with him; the pass he wants goes behind you to the man holding width. Hand him to your midfielder, who’s already goal-side and facing play, and keep the flank shut; the only ball left is square. Following him in leaves the whole touchline open.
    The other options
    • Follow him inside and press He pulls you inside, and the pass goes behind you to their winger.
    • Sprint onto their winger before the pass The winger is covered, but you’re deep and they keep it easily.
    • Drop between your full-back and centre-back You leave the press, and the ball down the line reaches their winger.

Train it

Short untimed sessions with the reasoning after every answer.

Train Half-spaces

Test it

Ten plays, twenty seconds each, one Football IQ from 60 to 140.

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