What Are the Four Moments of Soccer? (Definition, Strategies, and More)

In this post, I’ll talk about the four moments in soccer.

Soccer is a game of tactics and strategy. And to master the strategy, you need to know about the key phases of a soccer game.

These key phases or the four moments of soccer are:

In Possession: This is when a team has control of the ball.

Out of Possession: This occurs when the opposing team has control of the ball.
Offensive Transition: This moment is when a team gains possession.
Defensive Transition: This is when a team loses possession.

To succeed, your team needs to master all these key moments.

We’ll look at each phase and how to plan around them in more detail.

In this post, you’ll learn about:

Detailed definition of the four moments of soccer
How to plan each phase
The best strategies to use during the four moments

And much more!

So, if you want to become an EXPERT at the four moments of soccer, you’re in the right place.

Let’s dive right in!

The Four Moments of Soccer

Coaches and players need to understand and work on the four moments to succeed in soccer.

These four moments are:

In possession
Out of possession
Offensive transition

Defensive transition

Each of these moments influences the strategy and tactics in the game.

Coaches often focus on these moments separately during training sessions. This helps the players know their primary tasks in different game situations.

So they’ll know when to make a certain move or a position to take depending on the phase of the game.

Let’s look at each moment in more detail.

In Possession (Building Up Play)

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This is the moment when a team is in control of the ball.

Once a team has possession, the focus shifts to creating a scoring chance. This could be through intricate passing, switching the play, dribbling through defenders, etc.

In this phase, your team needs to have players with the skills to:

beat defenders and create space,

move the ball forward through accurate passes,
create passing options, and
drag defenders out of position.

The MAIN GOAL of the “In possession” moment is to score goals or create chances to score.

Here are some of the most common strategies during the “In Possession” moment.

Short passing and movement (Tiki-Taka)

This strategy involves a series of short, controlled passes between players, often in triangles.

It aims to tire out the opponent’s defense by forcing them to chase the ball. Eventually, gaps will open for a killer pass.

Teams like Barcelona under Pep Guardiola and the 2010 Spanish team used the Tiki-taka.

Wing play and crossing

This tactic uses the width of the pitch to create goal-scoring chances.

Wingers hug the touchline and receive the ball from central midfielders to control the ball.

They can either take on defenders or whip in crosses toward attackers waiting in the box.

Wing play is a classic strategy that can be very effective against teams that pack the central areas.

Overloads

An overload aims to create numerical advantages in specific areas of the pitch.

You can overload attackers in a specific zone to draw defenders out of position.

Direct play (Long balls)

Not all attacking build-up play is about intricate passing.

You can also use long balls to disrupt the defense in one or two passes. The defenders or goalkeepers launch long balls over the opponent’s midfield to attackers.

Then the attackers can hold the ball up or or run onto the ball for a shot on goal.

Defensive Transition (Losing the Ball)

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The team in possession of the ball will eventually lose it. This is the defensive transition moment in soccer.

A team’s defensive organization is put to the test during the defensive transition.

In this phase, the defenders need to have:

good communication to alert each other about potential threats,

good positioning to make challenges and disrupt the play, and
defensive awareness to predict the opponent’s next move,

The MAIN GOAL of the “Defensive transition” is to stop the opponent from exploiting the gap left by the loss of possession.

Here are some of the most common strategies used during the “Defensive transition”.

Immediate pressure

This involves your team putting immediate pressure on the player who receives the ball.

The goal of this strategy is to win the ball back quickly before the opponent can create a dangerous chance.

Immediately pressuring the opponents suits high-pressing teams. But you can still test it if that’s not the case.

Covering runs

A very common tactic during defensive transition is to cover the runs of the attackers.

When the opponent breaks past the initial press, defenders need to be aware of attacking runs.

The defender must first recognize the attacker’s movement. Then they can position themselves to intercept a pass or make a tackle.

Dropping deep

Another common tactic during the defensive transition is to drop deep. This means that the defensive line drops deeper as a unit.

It prevents the opponent from exploiting the space behind the initial defensive press.

Dropping deep also makes it difficult for the opponent to play through balls in behind.

But BE CAREFUL when using this strategy. If the defenders drop too deep, it can leave a lot of space in midfield for the opponent to operate in.

Out of Possession (Preventing Goals)

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The “Out of possession” moment is when the opponent has control of the ball and your team is defending.

This phase is all about making things difficult for them and keeping the ball out of the net.

In this phase, the defenders need to have:

Strong tackling techniques to dispossess attackers,

shot-blocking skills to get in the way of the ball before it reaches the goal, and
good positioning to predict where the attacker might go with the ball.

The MAIN GOAL of the “Out of possession” moment is to be a brick wall. Your team needs to frustrate the opponent’s attacking efforts and keep a clean sheet.

Here are the two most common tactics used during the out-of-possession phase.

Man marking

This involves assigning a defender to mark a specific player throughout the game.

Man marking is useful when there are one or two highly skilled players on the opposing team. Defenders can shadow the attackers and not allow them any time on the ball.

But also be careful. Man marking can leave gaps in other areas if not done properly.

Zonal marking

Defenders are responsible for a specific zone of the pitch, rather than a specific player. So if the ball moves out of a defender’s area, another player switches on to defend.

Zonal marking can be effective against teams that like to move the ball around a lot.

Offensive Transition (Winning the Ball)

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The offensive transition occurs when a team snatches possession from its opponent.

After all the hard work of defending and pressing, your team finally wins the ball to make their own play.

During this phase, the players need to be good at:

anticipating the play,

making well-timed tackles to win the ball, and
decisive passing to exploit the opponent’s disorganization and launch a counter-attack.

The MAIN GOAL of the offensive transition is to punish your opponent’s mistake by creating goal-scoring chances.

Here are some of the most common strategies used during offensive transition.

High Pressing

High pressing involves players pushing up the pitch and putting pressure on the opponent.

The aim here is to win the ball back high up the field. This leads to turnovers and quick scoring opportunities.

Teams like Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp are known for their high-pressing style.

Counter-Pressing

We’ve discussed counter-pressing before as a defensive transition tactic. So I won’t go into the details again.

It is a variation of high pressing that occurs immediately after losing possession.

Counter-Attacks

Counter attack is the ultimate reward for a successful attacking transition.

The team quickly transitions to offense once they win the ball back. Counterattacks exploit the space left behind by the opponent’s disorganization.

A counterattack involves quick passing and movement. The aim is to get attackers in on goal with as few touches as possible.

So pacey wingers and creative midfielders are helpful if you want to play the counterattack tactic.

Thank You For Reading

So I hope you enjoyed learning about the four moments of soccer. If you did, then do consider sharing it with fellow soccer enthusiasts.

Your support and sharing of this content can help us reach a wider audience. It can also provide valuable information to more people who share our passion for the beautiful game.

I’d also like to hear what you have to say…

Which moment do you think is the most important in soccer?

Do you practice for each moment separately? Do you think it’s important to?

Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below right now.

And thank you for supporting Soccer Mavericks!

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