Beating the Offside Trap
There are two basic approaches to beating the offside trap. The first approach is to dribble the ball through the defense, and the second approach is to play the ball in behind the defense into the space, which they have left behind on moving out.
The ball played in is generally for a runner from deep positions, either from the flank or a central position.
Today the game is played at a very fast pace so a team needs to practice and be drilled in the art of breaking
down an offside trap. Only players who can think and act quickly in combination with their colleagues will be
able to execute the correct technique on demand.
An important fact to remember in forcing a team to adjust its tactics is, if the offside trap is breached easily, the defense will be forced to readjust and play more "off the cuff" soccer, which will be to the opposition’s advantage.
Dribbling through the defense:
Midfield players in particularly should look for gaps between the opponents defense when they play the offside trap.
Playing a diagonal ball behind the defense:
Teams should look to capitalize on the space behind their opponents defense as they play the offside trap.
Wide midfield players can use blind sided runs to exploit the space and receive the ball behind the defense.
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