Footy Eye
en · Language: English

The free man

The free man is the player the opponents can't mark at that moment, and finding him is the first job of every possession.

A team with the ball almost always has one more player available than the press can cover in a given zone. The trick is to commit a defender, drawing him towards the ball, and then release the player he has just left.

Defending teams try to take the free man away by marking man-for-man or by shifting across. When they do, the space usually appears somewhere else, often on the far side or behind.

What to look for

  • Count the players in the zone: yours against theirs
  • Which defender is being asked to cover two players
  • Dribbling or carrying the ball to commit a defender
  • The pass that reaches the free man facing forward

The common mistakePassing to the closest teammate instead of the free one, which lets the press reset.

Worked plays

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

  1. Play 1

    The situation
    Goal kick. They’ve gone man-for-man all over the pitch and every short option is marked.
    Best read
    Long to the target man, second ball
    Why
    Man-for-man everywhere makes every short pass a coin-flip in the one area you can’t afford to lose it. Going long isn’t giving up possession: it’s a 50/50 forty yards from goal instead of a turnover in your own box, with runners set for the second ball. Play short only when a man is genuinely free.
    The other options
    • Roll it short to a marked centre-back His marker steps in and wins it on the edge of your box.
    • Beckon a centre-back shorter into the box His marker follows him in and pounces on the short pass.
    • Take it quick before they set They’re already in place, and the quick pass is picked off.

  2. Play 2

    The situation
    You’re the centre-back on the ball. Their forwards have dropped off and nobody steps to you. Grass ahead.
    Best read
    Carry into midfield and make them commit
    Why
    When the forwards won’t press, the ball at your feet is an invitation: carry it in and you draw a midfielder out, freeing the man he leaves. Passing square hands the invitation back and lets them re-set. A ball-carrying centre-back is a spare midfielder; refuse the grass and you’re playing 10 v 11.
    The other options
    • Play it safe, square to your partner Your partner has it, and their block settles back into shape.
    • Hit it long to the striker The long ball is a 50/50 up front; the grass ahead goes unused.
    • Back to the keeper and reset The keeper has it, and their forwards push up to press.

  3. Play 3

    The situation
    0–0 in the 68th. Their full-back is off having a dead leg treated. Their ten have shuffled across to cover.
    Best read
    Attack that side now, before he returns
    Why
    A man short for ninety seconds is still a man short, and their whole back line has slid over to hide it — the space is on that touchline and it has an expiry date. Kicking it out is for a head injury, not a dead leg treated safely off the pitch.
    The other options
    • Put the ball out so he can return Play stops, their full-back jogs back on, and the gap closes.
    • Keep the ball and wait for eleven Their full-back returns, and the space on that side is gone.
    • Switch away and attack their strong side You attack where they’ve crowded, and the empty flank goes unused.

  4. Play 4

    The situation
    Their keeper carries it to the edge of his box. Everyone ahead of him is marked man for man. You’re the centre-forward.
    Best read
    Press the keeper, make him decide early
    Why
    When everyone else is matched up, the spare man beats you, and he’s just walked onto the ball. Go at him: he’s the worst passer on the pitch, twenty-five yards from goal, with every option marked. Drop off and he starts their attack with his head up.
    The other options
    • Hold between the two centre-backs He walks forward unpressed until someone has to leave a man.
    • Cut the pass to the near centre-back You block a covered pass, and he plays around you with time.
    • Drop off, he’ll only go long He looks up, sees the space you gave him, and starts their attack.

  5. Play 5

    The situation
    Eighty-five minutes, a goal down. They have a goal kick and no hurry to take it. You’re the centre-forward.
    Best read
    Go man-for-man, make them beat you long
    Why
    You’re short of time, and a block gives them permission to spend it. Match them all, leave the keeper as their only free man, and either you win it high or it goes long into a duel you can keep contesting. Keeping a spare man means they always have one too.
    The other options
    • Hold your mid-block and stay organised They take their time, pass it around, and the clock runs down.
    • Push up, keep a spare man behind They find their spare man, play out, and the minutes tick away.
    • Save your legs for one last attack They keep the ball at the back, and the last attack never comes.

  6. Play 6

    The situation
    It’s 2v1 on the break. The last defender backpedals, refusing to commit. What’s the call?
    Best read
    Drive at him until he commits, then release
    Why
    In a 2v1 the ball-carrier’s only job is to make the defender choose. Pass too early and he reads it and steps across the lane; carry into him and the moment he lunges, the release is on. Patience is the weapon — a defender can only cover what you let him see.
    The other options
    • Slide it to your teammate now He steps across the lane and cuts out the pass.
    • Shoot early before the keeper sets The keeper gathers the early shot, and the 2v1 is gone.
    • Cut wide, away from your teammate You drift away from your teammate, into their chaser’s path.

Train it

Short untimed sessions with the reasoning after every answer.

Train The free man

Test it

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

Take the Football IQ Test

Shows up in

All tactics