Lesson 5 of 5 · 3 min

Putting Set Pieces Together

Every set piece is really the same question asked from a different starting position: how do you win the next few seconds before it becomes open play again?

Attack and Defense, Mirrored

Everything in this module has a direct mirror in defending set pieces: a near-post attacking run is exactly what a near-post defensive zone exists to cover, and a blocking run is exactly what a defender has to fight through to track their runner. Studying attacking set pieces sharpens defending them, and the reverse is just as true.

The Shared Battleground

This tightly contested zone is where nearly every set-piece routine in this module, attacking or defending, is ultimately decided, no matter which specific pattern a team runs to get there.

Try it

Revisit the defending set pieces lesson in the Art of Defending module and notice how many of the same zones and concepts, such as near post, far post, and blocking runs, appear from the opposite point of view.

Quick check

What is the relationship between attacking and defending set-piece routines, according to this lesson?

Key takeaways

Attacking and defending set pieces are two sides of the exact same tactical problem.
The six-yard box and near-post area decide the overwhelming majority of set-piece contests.
You've now covered why set pieces matter, attacking corners, free-kick routines, and the throw-in as a real weapon.