Zonal marking
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zonal marking is a defensive strategy used in football (soccer), where defenders cover an area of the pitch rather than marking a specific opponent. If an opponent moves into the area a defender is covering, the defender marks the opponent. If the opponent leaves this area, then marking the opponent becomes the responsibility of another defender. The alternative to zonal marking is man marking.
The biggest advantage of zonal marking is its flexibility. When the team regains possession of the ball, players are still in their positions and can start an attack more quickly. Communication is very important when zonal marking is used, to ensure that no gaps are left in the defensive coverage. Zonal marking is more difficult when defending set pieces such as free kicks and corners, and most teams change to man to man marking in these situations.
The formation used by a team may dictate whether or not to use zonal marking. Teams playing 4-4-2 usually operate a zonal marking system, but teams playing a sweeper do not. Amongst professional teams zonal marking is the most common system; 15 of the 16 teams that reached the knockout stages of the 2004 UEFA Champions League used zonal marking.
[edit] References
- ↑ Football: Party like it's 1974. Belfast Telegraph article. Retrieved on December 4, 2005.
