Footy Eye
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Movement

Movement is what a player does without the ball: the runs that create space for himself or for a teammate.

A player has the ball for only a small part of a game, so most of his influence comes from where he moves the rest of the time. A run in behind stretches the back line, a decoy run drags a marker away, and a late run into the box arrives when defenders are watching the ball.

The reads are about timing and space: when to go, where the space will be, and whether your run helps you or a teammate.

What to look for

  • Space behind the last defender and where the offside line is
  • A defender who will follow you and leave a gap
  • The near post, the far post and the cutback zone in the box
  • When to hold your run so you stay onside

The common mistakeRunning into the space a teammate is already using, or going too early and standing offside.

Worked plays

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

  1. Play 1

    The situation
    A pass is coming and their centre-back is glued to your back. How do you lose him?
    Best read
    Check short, then spin in behind
    Why
    The check isn’t the run — it’s the bait. Drag him towards the ball with a hard show for feet, then spin off his front foot into the space he just left. Sitting on his shoulder gives him nothing to react to; one movement lies so the next can score.
    The other options
    • Sit on the last man’s shoulder He stays tight on your shoulder, and the pass has nowhere to go.
    • Come short and hold it up You get it with him on your back and have to play it back.
    • Drift into the wide channel He follows you wide, and you receive facing the touchline.

  2. Play 2

    The situation
    You’re the ten against a mid-block. Your pivot has the ball with his head up.
    Best read
    Drop into the pocket between their lines
    Why
    Between the lines is where matches get unlocked. Find the pocket their midfield left open, come off the back of a marker, and receive on the half-turn facing their goal. A run in behind is worthless until someone can actually see the pass.
    The other options
    • Sprint in behind the last line now The ball over their block runs through to the keeper.
    • Show all the way back for it You get it in front of their midfield, facing your own goal.
    • Pin the centre-back and stay high Their centre-backs hold, and your pivot has nobody to find.

  3. Play 3

    The situation
    A deep cross is coming from the far side. You’re at the back post, level with the last defender.
    Best read
    Hold, then attack the back post late
    Why
    The back post is where crosses die for defenders and live for strikers. Hold half a yard onside, let the ball clear the near-post scramble, then attack it late — arriving beats waiting. Go early and the flag kills you.
    The other options
    • Sprint across now to beat him You’re past him too early, and the flag goes up.
    • Attack the near post through the traffic You run into the crowd at the near post, and they clear it.
    • Drop to the top of the box The cross lands at the back post, and their defender heads it away.

  4. Play 4

    The situation
    Your pivot bounces it into the striker’s feet and their line steps up. You’re arriving late from midfield.
    Best read
    Make the third-man run into space
    Why
    The wall pass beats the block: one bounce and you’re through. The striker’s job is to set — yours is to already be running as he lays it off, into the space behind the line. Third-man runs are unmarkable because nobody tracks the man who didn’t touch it.
    The other options
    • Call for it back to feet He sets it to your feet, and their line squeezes up in front.
    • Pull up and hold your position The striker has no run to find, and their centre-back wins it.
    • Peel wide to stretch the play You drift wide, and the striker is left to hold it alone.

  5. Play 5

    The situation
    Your winger cuts inside onto his left foot to shoot. A defender is sliding across to block the lane.
    Best read
    Make a decoy run to drag the blocker
    Why
    The best run is sometimes one you never get the ball on. Sprint across the blocker’s eyeline and he has to follow, dragging the covering body out of your winger’s lane. Showing in the lane just puts you in the shot — elite movement bends the defence for someone else.
    The other options
    • Show for it in the shooting lane You step into the lane, and his shot cannons off you.
    • Charge the back post for a rebound The shot is charged down, and the rebound runs out for a corner.
    • Stand still, out of his way Nothing moves the blocker, and the shot thuds into him.

  6. Play 6

    The situation
    Your strike partner drops off the front line to show for it, and their centre-back follows him out.
    Best read
    Spin in behind into the space he’s left
    Why
    Two strikers work when they mirror each other — one drops, one spins. The second your partner pulls a centre-back out, the door behind him is open for barely a second. Attack it now: holding your line leaves you static and easy to mark, while opposite movement breaks a back four.
    The other options
    • Drop in beside him for the one-two Two of you crowd the same pocket, and the door behind shuts.
    • Pull wide to stretch the centre-backs You pull wide, and their other centre-back simply fills the gap.
    • Hold your line and wait The centre-back recovers his line, and you’re easy to mark again.

Train it

Short untimed sessions with the reasoning after every answer.

Train Movement

Test it

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

Take the Football IQ Test

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